Social Security (Scotland) Act 2018

CHAPTER 1 ELIGIBILITY IS TO DEPEND ON HAVING, OR HAVING HAD, A DISABILITY

1 (1) The regulations must be framed so that (subject to any provision of the kind described in paragraph 2) an individual’s eligibility in respect of a given period depends on the individual having, during that period—

(a) a physical or mental impairment that―

(i) has a significant and not short-term adverse effect on the individual’s ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities, or

(ii) otherwise gives rise to a significant and not short-term need, or

(b) a terminal illness.

(2) The regulations must provide that an individual is to be regarded as having a terminal illness for the purpose of determining entitlement to disability assistance if, having had regard to the guidance mentioned in sub-paragraph (3), it is the clinical judgement of a registered medical practitioner that the individual has a progressive disease that can reasonably be expected to cause the individual’s death.

(3) The Chief Medical Officer of the Scottish Administration is—

(a) following consultation with registered medical practitioners, to prepare and from time to time revise, and

(b) to make publicly available by such means as the Chief Medical Officer considers appropriate,

guidance that sets out when a progressive disease can reasonably be expected to cause an individual’s death for the purpose of determining entitlement to disability assistance.

2 (1) The regulations may be framed so that, despite the criterion described in paragraph 1(1) not being fulfilled in respect of a given period, an individual may nevertheless be eligible in respect of that period.

(2) Where the regulations allow an individual to be eligible in respect of a period in relation to which the criterion described in paragraph 1(1) is not fulfilled, they must be framed so that the individual’s eligibility depends on the individual having had, during some other period, a physical or mental impairment of the kind described in paragraph 1(1)(a).