First Reservation
This reserves legislative competence in respect of schemes supported from central or local funds which provide assistance for social security purposes to or in respect of individuals by way of benefits. This relates to social security benefits (such as retirement pension, income support or housing and council tax benefit) which are directly administered and funded by central or local government in whole or in part. The reservation covers all aspects of the establishment, financing and administration of such benefits and activity connected with them (such as, decision-making and appeals and anti-fraud activity). The Scottish Parliament does not have competence to set up or finance benefit schemes where these are for social security purposes (for example, by seeking to provide benefits for social security purposes to people who are not entitled to claim certain social security benefits), but the reservation does not prevent it from providing benefits or allowances for other purposes within its competence, for example education maintenance grants or fosterage allowances. A non-exhaustive definition of social security purposes is in the interpretation paragraph.
