Less Favoured Area Support Scheme (LFASS): EIR release

Information requested

1. How many applicants are currently receiving funding from LFASS.

2. In relation to Q1, how many applicants have received funding which was due in 2022/23?

3. In relation to Q1, how many applicants have received funding which was due in 2023/24?

4. In relation to Q1, how many applicants have received funding which was due in 2024/25 so far.

Response

As detailed in our acknowledgement letter dated 25 September 2024, the information you have requested is ‘environmental information’ for the purposes of the Environmental Information (Scotland) Regulations 2004 (EIRs) and we are required to deal with your request under those Regulations.

We are applying the exemption at section 39(2) of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 (FOISA), so that we do not also have to deal with your request under FOISA. This exemption is subject to the ‘public interest test’. Therefore, taking account of all the circumstances of this case, we have considered if the public interest in disclosing the information outweighs the public interest in applying the exemption. We have found that, on balance, the public interest lies in favour of upholding the exemption, because there is no public interest in dealing with the same request under two different regimes. This is essentially a technical point and has no material effect on the outcome of your request.

LFASS is structured into scheme years, rather than financial years. The application window is 15 March to 15 May each year and payments normally start from December each year. Scheme year 2022, for example, would relate to financial year 2022/23.

Please see responses below to each of your questions.

1. How many applicants are currently receiving funding from LFASS.

There are 10,620 eligible applicants for LFASS scheme year 2023. Scheme year 2024 figures are not available as the claims are still being processed.

2. In relation to Q1, how many applicants have received funding which was due in 2022/23?

There are 10,738 eligible applicants for LFASS scheme year 2022, five of these claims are still being processed.

3. In relation to Q1, how many applicants have received funding which was due in 2023/24?

There are 10,620 eligible applicants for LFASS scheme year 2023, 22 of these claims are still being processed.

4. In relation to Q1, how many applicants have received funding which was due in 2024/25 so far.

Payments for LFASS scheme year 2024 have not started yet, they are planned to begin in December 2024.

About FOI

The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at http://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.