Current status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 9 January 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what steps are being taken to provide economic support to long COVID patients, in light of reports of the financial strain that it places on them and their families.
Adult Disability Payment provides financial support to recognise the additional costs of being disabled or living with a long-term health condition. Individuals who are impacted by Long COVID may be entitled to Adult Disability Payment depending on their individual circumstances.
Income replacement benefits such as Employment and Support Allowance and Universal Credit, which provide financial support to people of working age who are unable to work due to illness, are fully reserved to the UK Government. Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit is currently being delivered by the UK Government, prior to the delivery of Employment Injury Assistance in Scotland. The UK Government determines which conditions should be prescribed for the purposes of Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit.