Age Scotland is travelling the country to gather views on the latest powers that are coming to Scotland
Older people are being urged to shape Scotland's new devolved powers on social security, which include benefits they are entitled to such as the winter fuel allowance.
Social security minister Jeane Freeman met with older people in Bellshill on Tuesday, 4 October to seeks their views on the future of Scotland’s social security system.
The new powers cover issues particularly relevant to older people, such as Carer’s Allowance, Cold Weather Payments, Funeral Payments and Winter Fuel Payments.
Age Scotland’s helpline Silver Line Scotland helps people with around 100 benefit enquiries every week, and many are about Attendance Allowance, which is one of the key benefits to be devolved.
Many of the powers which will be devolved to Scotland are particularly relevant to older people – including winter fuel payments
Age Scotland has organised events throughout the country to help older people feed into the Scottish Government consultation process on the new powers, which runs until 28 October. The events will inform the charity’s own submission, which will focus on changes to the system which could help older people.
The charity is also surveying older people on the consultation.
Freeman said: "We want to build a fairer social security system that treats people with dignity and respect and we need to hear from people of all ages from across the country to help us do that. None of us know when the day might come when we will need support and thousands of people across Scotland rely on social security – in one form or another.
"Many of the powers which will be devolved to Scotland are particularly relevant to older people – including winter fuel payments, the range of disability benefits and cold weather payments, and that is why I am so keen to gather views from older people on how the current system could be improved.
"I am looking forward to hearing directly from older people at the Age Scotland event in Bellshill on how social security affects them, and how the Scottish system can improve on what is already in place.”
Brian Sloan, chief executive of Age Scotland, said: "The future of our social security system in Scotland is of huge importance for older people.
"Attendance Allowance, Winter Fuel Payments and other key benefits make a big difference for many older people, particular those who are just getting by. As the Scottish Government considers how it will use its new powers in this area, it is very welcome that Ministers have embarked on this extensive consultation and that we can look together at how a new system could better meet the needs of older people in Scotland."
