SWF spend on furniture: FOI release

Information requested

You asked questions relating to "the Scottish Welfare Fund 2022/23 (SWF) and in particular the SWF spend on furniture." 

Response

I enclose a copy of some of the information you requested. The answers to your questions: 

1. “How much of the 2022/23 Scottish Welfare Fund spending, if any, came from Barnett Consequentials from the UK Household Support Fund?” 

 

The Scottish Government set the 2022-23 Scottish Welfare Fund budget allocation independently from the UK Household Support Fund announcement and no allocations to Local Authorities on the Scottish Welfare Fund resulted from those consequentials. 

 

4. “Mark the boxes below to show which furniture/ appliance types you provide and whether these are new or preloved” and 5. “Do you replace broken appliances or furniture items?” 

 

The Scottish Government sets statutory guidance for the Scottish Welfare Fund, which is delivered by Local Authorities on its behalf. It is for Local Authorities to make awards, whether in cash, cash equivalent or in kind on a case by case basis so a generalisation cannot be made on this. The Statutory Guidance does provide the example that a Community Care Grant may be awarded for the “repair of broken or faulty items or appliances” (The Scottish Government, Scottish Welfare Fund Statutory Guidance, Paragraph 8.39, p. 46). 

 

6. “Can social housing tenants apply to the fund for support provided they meet the general application criteria?” 

 

Yes, any individual who meets the eligibility and qualifying criteria as set out in the statutory guidance can apply (The Scottish Government, Scottish Welfare Fund Statutory Guidance). 

 

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the Scottish Government does not have some of the information you have requested. The reasons why we don't have the information are explained below. 

 

The Scottish Government does not have the information required to answer questions 2, 3 and 7. In relation to question 3, this is because the necessary information is not collected by the Scottish Government. In relation to questions 2 and 7, this is because the data for 2022/23 has not yet been fully collected and processed. The 2022/23 Scottish Welfare Fund annual statistics is scheduled for publication on 27 July at Scottish Government Social Security statistics publications - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) and will contain the information required to answer question 2. The information required to answer question 7 will not be in the publication, but, following its release you may request this information through the Scottish Welfare Fund Statistics mailbox at swf.statistics@gov.scot. 

 

This is a formal notice under section 17(1) of FOISA that the Scottish Government does not have the information you have requested. 

 

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