Health and social care: winter resilience overview 2022 to 2023

Priority Six.

Prioritise care for the most vulnerable in our communities.

Some people are more vulnerable to the pressures and challenges brought about by winter, the colder weather, and Covid-19. The impact of the cold weather is likely to be particularly acute this year, and we estimate that the increase in the energy price cap to £2,500 will force an estimated 150,000 more Scottish households into extreme fuel poverty. As we take forward actions to support winter resilience, we will always act to mitigate the impact on people who fall within at-risk groups, including older people, children, disabled people, and pregnant women.

How we will deliver on this priority:

• We are putting in place measures to help people to stay well this winter, and by the end of March 2023, we will have allocated almost £3 billion in measures that will help to mitigate the impact of the cost crisis on households. This package spans a range of support for energy bills, childcare, health and travel, as well as social security payments that are either not available anywhere else in the UK or are more generous.
• UK Government policies mean that staying safe and warm will become difficult, and sometimes impossible, for many this Winter. We have put in place measures to mitigate the impact of soaring energy costs on the most vulnerable during the cold weather:
  • We are helping those in need this winter through our £214 Child Winter Heating Assistance which supports families of severely disabled children and young people with their energy costs.
  • We are introducing a new Winter Heating Payment which guarantees a £50 annual payment to around 400,000 low income households.
  • We are introducing emergency legislation to protect tenants by freezing rents and imposing a moratorium on evictions until at least 31 March 2023. We also intend to act to prevent immediate rent increases.
• We will provide advice and support to Health Boards, Health and Social Care Partnerships and Local Authorities to ensure that suitable care and accommodation packages are in place for forensic patients moving from inpatient treatment to community, including advice for individual patient circumstances.