Question reference: S5W-20045
- Asked by: Linda Fabiani, MSP for East Kilbride, Scottish National Party
- Date lodged: 20 November 2018
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Current status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 29 November 2018
Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-19771 by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 19 November 2018, whether it has raised specific concerns with the DWP and Social Security Advisory Committee about the changes made in the update of the guidance in version 14, issued by the DWP on 16 August 2018, which means that implicit consent continues to apply to MPs but not to MSPs, with previous guidance stating that implicit consent applied to both.
Answer
The Scottish Government has previously raised its concerns with DWP about the lack of implicit consent for MSP’s at both a Ministerial and official level and continues to be frustrated by the DWP’s lack of action. The Social Security Advisory Committee also raised this issue in their recent review of the Universal Credit Managed Migration regulations and recommended that DWP explore options for extending implicit consent within Universal Credit. The DWP has agreed to explore potential options in conjunction with the SSAC and publish a report on how this could be done. The SSAC recommended that any report be published by March 2019.
The Scottish Government will continue to press the UK Government to put in place the changes necessary to make Universal Credit fit for purpose.