Scotland Act 1998

F1. Social security schemes U.K.

Section F1.

Schemes supported from central or local funds which provide assistance for social security purposes to or in respect of individuals by way of benefits.

• Requiring persons to—

  (a)

  establish and administer schemes providing assistance for social security purposes to or in respect of individuals, or

  (b)

  make payments to or in respect of such schemes,

  and to keep records and supply information in connection with such schemes.

• The circumstances in which a person is liable to maintain himself or another for the purposes of the enactments relating to social security and the Child Support Acts 1991 and 1995.

• The subject-matter of the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme.

Illustrations

National Insurance; Social Fund; administration and funding of housing benefit and council tax benefit; recovery of benefits for accident, injury or disease from persons paying damages; deductions from benefits for the purpose of meeting an individual’s debts; sharing information between government departments for the purposes of the enactments relating to social security; making decisions for the purposes of schemes mentioned in the reservation and appeals against such decisions.

Exceptions

The subject-matter of Part II of the Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968 (social welfare services), section 2 of the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act 1970 (provision of welfare services), section 50 of the Children Act 1975 (payments towards maintenance of children), section 15 of the Enterprise and New Towns (Scotland) Act 1990 (industrial injuries benefit), and sections 22 (promotion of welfare of children in need), 29 and 30 (advice and assistance for young persons formerly looked after by local authorities) of the Children (Scotland) Act 1995.

Interpretation

• “Benefits” includes pensions, allowances, grants, loans and any other form of financial assistance.

• Providing assistance for social security purposes to or in respect of individuals includes (among other things) providing assistance to or in respect of individuals—

  (a)

  who qualify by reason of old age, survivorship, disability, sickness, incapacity, injury, unemployment, maternity or the care of children or others needing care,

  (b)

  who qualify by reason of low income, or

  (c)

  in relation to their housing costs or liabilities for local taxes.