(This note is not part of the Regulations)
Each local authority is required under section 21 of the Carers (Scotland) Act 2016 (“the Act”) to set local eligibility criteria which are to apply in its area. Local eligibility criteria are the criteria by which a local authority must determine whether it is required to provide support to a carer to meet that carer’s identified needs.
Under section 22(2) of the Act, each local authority is required to publish its local eligibility criteria within a period of 6 months beginning with the day prescribed by the Scottish Ministers.
Regulation 2 prescribes 1st October 2017 as the day from which the 6 month period for publication of the local eligibility criteria commences.
Under section 22(3) of the Act, each local authority must carry out a first review of its local eligibility criteria before the end of a prescribed period which begins with the day on which the criteria are published.
Regulation 3 prescribes a period of 3 years within which a first review of local eligibility criteria is to take place.