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  Scotland Bill - Clause 19 - Threshold for Disability Benefits
  
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  @ MP voted aye to allow the devolved Scottish administration to pay disability benefits in respect of lower level conditions. 
  @ MP voted no against allowing the devolved Scottish administration to pay disability benefits in respect of lower level conditions. 
  
  The majority of MPs voted against allowing the devolved administration in Scotland to pay disability benefits in respect of short term conditions and conditions which do not meet a threshold of being significant. 
  
  MPs were considering the Scotland Bill[1]
  
  The amendment rejected in this vote was:
  
  :Amendment 128, page 21, line 39, leave out from âofâ to the end of line 7 on page 22 and insert
  
  :âa disabled person or person with a physical or mental impairment or health condition in respect of effects or needs arising from that disability, impairment or health condition.â
  
  Had it not been rejected this would have impacted clause 19 of the Bill[2]. Clause 19 included a provision to devolve responsibility for disability benefit to Scotland. This rejected amendment sought to change that definition. The definition of disability benefit present in the Bill at the time of the vote stated:
  
  :"Disability benefitâ means a benefit which is normally payable in respect ofâ
  :(a)    a significant adverse effect that impairment to a personâs physical or mental condition has on his or her ability to carry out day-to-day activities (for example, looking after yourself, moving around or communicating), or 
  :(b)    a significant need (for example, for attention or for supervision to avoid substantial danger to anyone) arising from impairment to a personâs physical or mental condition; and for this purpose the adverse effect or need must not be short-term.
  
  The rejected amendment sought to remove the requirement that a health condition in respect of which a disability benefit could be payable must have significant effect, or gave rise to a significant need; and also to remove the requirement that a condition not be short-term. 
  
  An explanatory note accompanying the rejected amendment stated:
  
  :The current definition of âdisability benefitâ used in the Bill is restrictive and could place unnecessary limits on the kind of replacement benefit the Scottish Government has the power to introduce. It may not, for example, allow the Scottish Government to introduce a benefit to assist people with very low level disabilities or those for whom the effect of their disability is largely financial
  
  
  
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  * [1] [http://services.parliament.uk/bills/2015-16/scotland.html Parliament's webpage on the Scotland Bill]
  * [2] [http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/bills/cbill/2015-2016/0003/cbill_2015-20160003_en_4.htm#pt3-pb1-l1g19 Clause 19 of the Scotland Bill at the time of the vote]
  
  
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  (put thoughts and notes for other researchers here)
  