In Parliament

When Labour ditched the universal winter heating payment, it abandoned many vulnerable older people. 

It is vitally important that the Scottish Government does what it can to maximise uptake of key benefits such as Pension Credit among Scottish pensioners and boost their income so that, unlike the UK Government, we continue to do the right thing by them.

Full Text of my question

Bob Doris (Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn) (SNP)

When Labour ditched the universal winter heating payment, it abandoned many vulnerable older people—not least those who qualify for but do not claim pension credit, who can be particularly vulnerable. Pension credit uptake might be a UK Government responsibility, but will the cabinet secretary give details of what the Scottish Government will do to maximise uptake among Scottish pensioners and boost their income so that, unlike the UK Government, we continue to do the right thing by them?

Shirley-Anne Somerville

Bob Doris raises an important point about the need to encourage and support people to get the benefits that they are entitled to. That is why Scotland has a benefit take-up strategy in relation to our devolved benefits; it is the only part of the UK that has such a strategy. Even where we do not have responsibility, as Mr Doris points out, we are keen to make sure that we are doing as much as possible. Work within Social Security Scotland on encouraging the take-up of pension credit is one example of that. I put on record again my thanks to councils, which have also worked exceptionally hard to attempt to increase the level of take-up of pension credit. That is an important piece of work that they have been undertaking, and I thank them for doing so.