Winter Heating Assistance for Children and Young People (Scotland) Amendment Regulations: scrutiny report on the regulations

Summary of recommendations and observations

Recommendation 1
Following completion of the transition from DLA and PIP to CDP and ADP, the Scottish Government should review passporting arrangements to CWHA, to ensure consistency and equitable treatment of people with the same relevant needs, including specifically with regard to night-time care needs.

Recommendation 2
The Scottish Government should consider whether WHACYP Regulation 4(2) should be amended to ensure young people in hospital are not inadvertently excluded from CWHA.

Observation
SCoSS would welcome an explanation of the rationale for making retrospective awards of CWHA to young people who were in receipt of PIP in September 2020.

Recommendation 3
The Scottish Government should amend draft Regulation 6 so that WHACYP Regulation 5 requires that determinations of entitlement to CWHA be made by 31 December or as soon as reasonably practicable thereafter.