Low Income Winter Heating Assistance (LIWHA): consultation

Section 8 – Low Income Winter Heating Assistance in Scotland Consultation Questions

Question 1. Do you agree or disagree with the proposal to replace Cold Weather Payment with a new benefit whose eligibility is based solely on receipt of a low income benefit and not on reaching a specific temperature for a period of time?

Question 2. If you disagreed, please could you explain why?

Question 3. Do you agree or disagree that this approach is an effective way for the Scottish Government to tackle winter heating costs for people on low incomes?

Question 4. If you disagreed, please could you explain why?

Question 5. Do you agree or disagree with the proposal to name the replacement for Cold Weather Payment (CWP) in Scotland “Low Income Winter Heating Assistance” (LIWHA)?

Question 6. If you disagreed, please could you explain why?

Question 7. Do you agree or disagree with the proposal to remove the requirement for a ‘cold spell’ to be identified in order for a client to receive a payment?

Question 8. If you disagreed, please could you explain why?

Question 9. Do you agree or disagree with the proposal to have a one off, annual payment for LIWHA?

Question 10. If you disagreed, please could you explain why?

Question 11. Do you agree or disagree that our approach to identifying eligibility should be through the use of qualifying benefits?

Question 12. If you disagreed, please could you explain why?

Question 13. Do you agree or disagree with the proposal to retaining the current qualifying benefits to indicate eligibility for this new payment?

Question 14. If you disagreed, please could you explain why?

Question 15. Do you agree or disagree that the eligibility criteria for the LIWHA are clear?

Question 16. If you disagreed, please could you explain why?

Question 17. Do you agree or disagree that the proposed rate of £50 for LIWHA is appropriate?

Question 18. If you disagreed, please could you explain why?

Question 19. Do you agree or disagree with the proposal for LIWHA to be given to clients in the form of a cash payment and not another form?

Question 20. If you disagreed, please could you explain why?

Question 21. Do you agree or disagree with the proposal to pay LIWHA as an annual one-off payment each winter?

Question 22. If you disagreed, please could you explain why?

Question 23. Do you agree or disagree with the proposal to set a ‘qualifying week’ during which eligible clients for LIWHA will be identified?

Question 24. If you disagreed, please could you explain why?

Question 25. If you agreed, please indicate a preference for when you think the qualifying week for LIWHA should be?

Question 26. Do you agree or disagree with the proposal to make LIWHA payments to clients in February of each year?

Question 27. If you disagreed, please could you explain why?

Question 28. Do you agree or disagree with the proposal that clients have 31 days to request a redetermination?

Question 29. If you disagreed, please could you explain why?

Question 30. We have proposed that Social Security Scotland have a period of 16 working days to consider a redetermination of LIWHA. Do you agree or disagree with this proposal?

Question 31. If you disagreed, please could you explain why?

Question 32. Can you identify any potential unintended consequences which we have not considered in these proposals?

Question 33. Please set out any information you wish to share on the impact of LIWHA on groups who share protected characteristics

Question 34. Please set out any information you wish to share on the impact of LIWHA on children’s’ rights and wellbeing

Question 35. Please set out any information you wish to share on the impact of LIWHA on businesses

Question 36. Please set out any information you wish to share on the impact of LIWHA on Island communities

Question 37. Please set out any information you wish to share on the impact of LIWHA on reducing inequality of outcome caused by socio-economic disadvantage

Question 38. If there is anything else you would like to tell us about the described policy intention, impact assessments or LIWHA in general, please do so here