Part 2 – Applications for Assistance
Section 3: Repeal of section 52B of the 2018 Act
16.Section 52B of the 2018 Act was inserted by the Coronavirus (Scotland) Act 2020, passed on 1 April 2020 during the height of the coronavirus pandemic. Its effect is to allow the relaxation of the relevant deadline in an application for assistance under the 2018 Act where that deadline was missed for a reason related to coronavirus. Given the passage of time since the pandemic this provision is no longer necessary and so section 3 of the Act repeals section 52B.
Section 4: Power to make provision about late applications for assistance
17.Section 4 of the Act provides a power to allow late applications for assistance for each kind of assistance under the 2018 Act – inserting provision in each relevant schedule of the 2018 Act to the effect that if the regulations on assistance contain an application deadline, they may also make provision about the circumstances in which an application made after the deadline may be treated as if it had been made by that deadline. Section 1 of the Act contains equivalent provision for schedule 6A on childhood assistance.
