Next up is amendments regarding the recovery of assistance given in error.

Ms Freeman says these are technical amendments for when individuals do not notify the agency of a change in circumstances leading to over-payment, including if a person had passed away.

She does not support Labour MSP Mark Griffin's amendments, saying a test for recovering over-payments should not be subjected to a test of whether an error was obvious or not.

She suggests this would introduce an "inherent unfairness" to the system.

The minister will back Tory MSP Jeremy Balfour's amendments 146 and 147, but not amendment 137.

Image source, bbc

Labour MSP Jackie Baillie says she will withdraw her amendments on hearing the minister will back Pauline McNeill's amendement.

Ms Baillie welcomes the improvements but says the barriers still remain.

MSPs agree to Mark Griffin's amendment 62, 9 and 10.

Ms Baillie volunteers to withdraw all her amendments in this group to save time and there is no demur from her colleagues in the chamber.

Social Security Minister Jeane Freeman confirms she will support Ms McNeill's amendment.

Turning to Ms Baillie's amendments, she says these will not be supported.

Currently, the Bill requires support for people who decided they want to appeal she says.

Ms Freeman argues this means the individual will retain control about what happens to their cases, while Ms Baillie's amendments remove this control by only putting the agency in charge.

The minister also suggests that an automatic appeal would mean it starts off without any additional information to the first decision.

Image source, Scottish Parliament

Labour MSP Pauline McNeill speaks to her amendment on the right to appeal.

Ms McNeill says she is concerned about the number of people who may not proceed to appeal.

She says there remains a very serious concern about this.

The Labour MSP insists her amendment would mean the information in the annual report would include the volume of appeals, "the very least that parliament can accept on this matter".

The next group is on appeals to first-tier tribunal against ministers' determination.

Labour MSP Jackie Baillie says the two-stage access to an appeals process introduced by the Conservative government has led to an 83% reduction in appeals.

This is not because of an increase in decisions being made right first time, she argues, but instead is evidence of a barrier.

Ms Baillie explains her amendments attempt to address these barriers.

Noting the Scottish government is not supportive of her amendments, she offers to withdraw if amendment 132 is supported as it will allow MSPs to return to the issue later.

Image source, bbc

Green MSP Mark Griffin speaks to his amendment relating to reports used in determining entitlement.

Mr Grffin says applicants should have a clear indication as to why a determnination has been made.

Social Security Minister Jeane Freeman supports the amendments and amendment 57 is unanimously agreed to.

Mr Griffin then moves on to amendments relating to Record of Minister's and associated information.

Again the minister backs the amendments and they are agreed to.

Amendments 58 to 61 are unanimously agreed to.

We now move to amendments relating to the application process and appealing against rejection of applications and re-determination requests.

Ms Freeman says is it important that regulations do not "trip up" applicants, warning the changes made at stage 2 hide applicant rights in regulations.

People should not have to wade through legalese to understand processes, she argues.

Labour MSP Markin Griffin says his party will not support 54 and 55, but will support the rest in the group.

He says the two amendments will reverse changes he made at stage 2 which mandated the government to provide clarity on what a satisfactory applications looks like.

Amendments 54 and 55 are agreed (yes 95, no 26).

Image source, bbc

SNP MSP George Adam says his wife Stacey, who is in the parliament today promoting MS Awareness Week, may face this issue personally as she suffers from the progressive disease.

Mr Adam say says it is not for politicians to decide an arbitrary time, that should be for clinicians.

The social security minister says the central principle of this approach is to ensure those given a terminal diagnosis are given the support they need, when the need it.

She thanks clinicians and MSPs for working together on this solution.

Ms Freeman says it will allow the most vulnerable to access the benefits they deserve quickly.

Image source, SP

Green MSP Alison Johnstone welcomes the new amendment 148 from the government.

Lib Dem MSP Alex Johnstone also welcomes the new amendment.

Image source, SP

Labour MSP Mark Griffin confirms his party will support the amendments and the change in the Scottish government's stance.

He also urges ministers to ensure regulations on terminal illness benefits are considered out in the open.

Image source, bbc

Tory MSP Jeremy Balfour agrees with the minister that this has been the hardest part of the Bill to get right.

Mr Balfour says he thinks that we have ended up in the right place and cites his previous experience sitting on tribunals.

He says it is very difficult for a GP to say with any clarity to someone they might live for less than six months.

Mr Balfour says progress has been made and says the guidance will be very important and he welcomes the assurances from the minister.

He pays credit to Marie Curie and MND for the work they have done on this issue.

SNP MSP Ben Macpherson says his amendments seek to ensure young people with a terminal illness qualify for the highest rate.

He says the minister's amendments 148 and 113 encompass this and therefore confirms he will withdraw his.

Image source, bbc

We now move to the contentious amendments on the disability assistance for the terminally ill.

Social Security Minister Jeane Freeman says this area has been the most challenging issue she has faced in all the work on this Bill.

Ms Freeman says amendemnt 111 will not be pressed and amendment 148 will replace it.

'Voluntarily ending entitlement to assistance' is the next grouping, again containing only one amendment.

Labour MSP Mark Griffin explains his amendment will allow individual's to end their entitlement.

He says this will be useful in cases where people qualify for two benefits but can only receive one.

One more agreed unanimously.

The next grouping is on the meaning of the Scottish social security system, for which there is only one amendment.

Tory MSP Adam Tomkins says the definition of the system in section 7 is "deficient" in one particular area.

He says his amendment fixes this, ensuring the definition embraces benefits to be devolved in full, the power to top-up reserved benefits and the power to create new benefits.

It is unanimously agreed.

Labour MSP Pauline McNeil speaks to her amendments in group 6, 'preparation and approval of Charter'.

She wants to ensure the Social Security Charter and any subsequent changes are approved by parliament.

Ms Freeman confirms the Scottish government's support for the amendments.

All amendments to Section 3 of the Bill are unanimously agreed, as are amendments to Section 5 and 5A.