Question reference: S6W-04372
- Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
- Date lodged: 18 November 2021
-
Current status: Answered by Ben Macpherson on 1 December 2021
Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has the power to compensate veterans who are in receipt of benefits and who are being financially disadvantaged as a result of receiving military compensation, by topping up their benefits or providing a discretionary payment.
Answer
The Scottish Government is not aware of existing scenarios where veterans would be financially disadvantaged as a result of military compensation payments reducing or removing reserved benefit entitlements.
As such, there has not been any examination of whether the Scottish Parliament's existing powers could be used for top-ups or discretionary payments. In scenarios where veterans were being disadvantaged as a result of compensation payments it would be appropriate for this to be remedied at source by the Department for Work and Pensions and the Ministry of Defence.