Chamber and committees

The following table shows the estimated numbers of households in Scotland affected by housing benefit changes which have been implemented by the United Kingdom Government to date and those which are scheduled to be implemented from April 2013.

Assessments of the possible impacts of these changes are published on the Scottish Government website at:

Impact of Housing Benefit Changes in Scotland

Notes:

1. Since some households may have been affected by more than one of the changes it is not possible to provide an estimate of the total number of households affected.

2. Figure shows the total number of households receiving local housing allowance at the latest available date. The effect on households will depend on whether private landlords continue to rent to households on housing benefit at LHA rates restricted in this way.

Over the period from 2010 to the present date, the Scottish Government has sought concessions to the UK Government’s housing benefit reforms on numerous occasions since DWP first announced its welfare reforms. These are that:

Responsibility for housing benefit be devolved to the Scottish Parliament

The proposal to reduce housing benefit for benefit recipients unemployed for twelve months or more be withdrawn

The regulations on under-occupation deductions be withdrawn

Under-occupation deductions should not apply where there is no alternative accommodation available

Under-occupation deductions apply only to benefit recipients with two or more spare bedrooms

Vulnerable tenants be safeguarded against direct payments

Working families, disabled people, foster carers and parents who shared responsibility for children be safeguarded from under occupation penalties

The flexibility afforded to the Northern Ireland Assembly on direct payments be extended to the Scottish Parliament

People living in supported exempt accommodation be exempt from the benefits cap

The UK Government increases its discretionary housing payments allocation to local authorities.

Over the same period, DWP withdrew the proposal to reduce housing benefit for benefit recipients unemployed for twelve months or more; and decided to maintain current arrangements for covering the housing costs of benefit recipients in supported exempt accommodation for the next one to two years.

In respect of direct payments, DWP has committed to provide budgeting support and make payment exceptions to a proportion of tenants. It has funded six direct payment demonstration projects to inform practice on direct payments. We are closely monitoring progress in this area.

Although DWP has increased the discretionary housing payment (DHPs) budget, this constitutes less than 4% of the overall cuts to housing benefit. In respect of under-occupation, DWP intends that local authorities prioritise DHPs to people living in substantially adapted accommodation and foster/kinship carers.

The Scottish Government and Scottish housing stakeholders continue to engage with DWP to seek to influence the UK Government’s welfare reforms.

Individual NHS boards may have conducted their own, smaller-scale, staff survey since the last NHSScotland Staff Survey in 2010 but we do not hold this information. The 2010 NHSScotland Staff Survey provides information on the level of reported incidences of bullying and harassment broken down by individual NHS board. This information can be found at the following link:

http://www.staffgovernance.scot.nhs.uk/monitoring-employee-experience/staff-survey/.

It is for individual NHS boards to decide what, if any, action to take in response to the findings from the staff survey. We would expect any such actions to be recorded in boards’ staff governance action plans.

I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-12543 on 27 February 2013. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx.

The Guide to Commissioners, published by the Scottish Independent Advocacy Alliance in 2010 to assist local authorities and NHS boards in the scoping of needs and procurement of advocacy services, is currently being reviewed. In addition following the national consultation exercise in 2012 which sought views on how to improve advocacy for children and young people more detailed guidance focussing on children’s advocacy is proposed. This will address some of the key issues which were highlighted through the consultation as being unique to children’s advocacy, including issues around consent, information sharing and the identification and management of conflicts of interest.

Guidance on the Procurement of Care and Support Services by public bodies in Scotland was published jointly by the Scottish Government and COSLA in September 2010.

In each year since 2005-06, £13 million has been included in the overall funding for local authorities and £5 million has been included in NHSScotland funding to help in the implementation and delivery of the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003. This includes funding for the provision of advocacy services.

From 2010-11 additional annual recurring funding of £500,000 has also been provided for advocacy services.

This information is not held centrally. Each local authority will collect information relating to their specific circumstances.

I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-12543 on 27 February 2013. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx.

I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-12543 on 27 February 2013. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx.