Scottish Parliament to assume powers on social security and employability

The powers will include the ability to implement new arrangements to support people in receipt of benefits to be devolved, and the long term unemployed, including those with disabilities and health conditions.

The transfer gives the Scottish government the power to start the process of implementing these changes over a number of years, including bringing forward the necessary legislation.

The timescale for implementation will start from 1 April 2017, when the first employment support schemes will start operating.

For social security, the regulations transfer the powers to create new benefits or top up existing ones. The transfer of powers over benefits currently being paid to people in Scotland will be at a later stage.

Once all of the powers are transferred the Scottish government will have control of 15 per cent of current social security spend in Scotland, including the support given to disabled people and carers, and the ability to introduce new benefit payments.

Economy Secretary Keith Brown said: “We will work closely with Westminster ministers to ensure the transfer of these powers takes place as smoothly and as quickly as possible. This is the start of a process and these changes will be implemented on a phased basis over the coming years.

“New powers on employability are among the most exciting of the new areas to be devolved as it gives Scotland the chance to create services that help long term unemployed Scots find work and stay in work.

“Devolving powers over Discretionary Housing Payments will allow us to have full control over the funding allocation for Scotland, in addition to the funding we are already providing to mitigate fully the negative impact of the bedroom tax.”

He added: “We have already committed to extending winter fuel payments to families with severely disabled children and reform assessments for disability benefits.

“While the Scotland Act does not go as far as we would wish, we will always use all the powers available to us in the best interests of Scotland.”