Social Security Scotland

Social Security Scotland (Scottish Gaelic: Tèarainteachd Shòisealta Alba) is an executive agency of the Scottish Government with responsibility for social security provision.[1]

Social Security Scotland
Tèarainteachd Shòisealta Alba
Executive Agency overview
Formed2018
Preceding agencies
JurisdictionScotland
HeadquartersDundee
Glasgow
MottoDignity, fairness, respect.
Minister responsible
Deputy Minister responsible
Executive Agency executive
  • David Wallace, Chief Executive
WebsiteSocial Security Scotland

History

The Scottish Parliament was re-established in 1999 with legislative authority over many areas of social policy. However, social security remained a reserved matter of the UK Government through the Department for Work and Pensions. The Smith Commission following the ‘No’ vote to independence in the 2014 referendum recommended that authority over several areas of social security be transferred to the Scottish Parliament under a revised devolution settlement for Scotland.[2]

This was put into statue through the Scotland Act 2016.

Legislation
Main article: Social Security (Scotland) Act 2018

With the Scotland Act 2016 transferring authority over some elements of social security, the Scottish Government introduced the Social Security (Scotland) Bill. This Bill introduced a different approach to administering social security in Scotland compared to the approach of the United Kingdom. The Bill set out 8 principles of social security, putting into statute that social security is a human right, it is to be delivered as a public service and that it is to contribute to the reducing of poverty and provide dignity and respect to Scottish citizens.[3]

The Bill sets out the need for a Scottish social security charter, which sets out the expectations of Scottish Ministers when developing social security policy, the expectations of Social Security Scotland when administering policies, and the expectations on individuals who are receiving assistance from Social Security Scotland.

The Bill established the Scottish Commission on Social Security, which is a corporate body independent of the Scottish Government. The Commission's purpose is to scrutinise Scottish Government policy decisions and to ensure that the Scottish Government and Social Security Scotland are fulfilling the legal requirements under the Bill.

This Bill was passed on 25 April 2018 and received Royal Assent on 1 June 2018 as the Social Security (Scotland) Act 2018. It is the first Scotland wide social security agency in the nation's history.[4]

Ministers

The Minister of the Scottish Government with responsibility for Social Security Scotland is the Cabinet Secretary for Social Security and Older People, supported by the Minister for Older People and Equalities.[5]

Minister for Social Security

Jeane Freeman 18 May 2016 26 June 2018 Scottish National Party Nicola Sturgeon

Cabinet Secretary for Social Security and Older People

Shirley-Anne Somerville 26 June 2018 incumbent Scottish National Party Nicola Sturgeon

Benefits

Best Start Grant

Best Start Grant replaces the Sure Start Maternity Grant and is made up of three payments: Pregnancy and Baby Payment, Early Learning Payment, and School Age Payment. Best Start Foods is also under the Best Start Grant umbrella. The benefits are aimed at providing parents or carers who receive certain benefits or tax credits with extra financial support during key stages of a child's life.[6]

Funeral Support Payment

Funeral Support Payment replaces the Funeral Payment and aims to reduce funeral poverty in Scotland by providing people who receive certain benefits or tax credits with a payment that can be used to help pay funeral costs, burial or cremation costs, travel costs, and medical costs.[7] Payments have been increased in line with inflation for applications submitted from 1 April 2020.[8]

Carer’s Allowance Supplement

An extra payment to carers in Scotland who are receiving a full or partial Carer's Allowance payment from the Department for Work and Pensions. Social Security Scotland pays this every six months, in June and December, until Scottish Government plans for a new Carer's Allowance are in place. Each six monthly payment will be £226.20, uprated annually with inflation.[9] From 6 April 2020, Carer's Allowance Supplement will increase to £230.10 for each payment.[10]

Young Carer Grant

Young Carer Grant is a grant for young carers, aged 16 to 18 years old, who care for someone for at least 16 hours a week but do not qualify for Carer's Allowance. The grant provides a payment of £300 every year to young carers up until the age of 19.[11] From 1 April 2020, Young Carer Grant will increase from £300.00 to £305.10.[12]

Job Start Payment

A payment intended to help young people aged 16–24 who are returning to work after a period of six months unemployment. It will provide a payment of £100, or £250 for those who have children.[13] Initially scheduled to launch in March 2020, this payment has been delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[14]

Scottish Child Payment

Scottish Child Payment is a new payment announced by the Scottish Government in mid-2019 as a means to help reduce the prevalence of childhood poverty in Scotland.[15]

The payment was to be introduced early for families with children under six years old, starting in early 2021, with all remaining eligible families with children under 16 years old receiving the payment by the end of 2022.[16] However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the introduction has been postponed, with the Scottish Government aiming to have applications open for families by the end of 2020.[17]

Disability Assistance

Cold Spell Heating Assistance

Winter Heating Assistance

Employment Injury Assistance

Locations

Social Security Scotland operates from a Headquarters in Dundee and a large office on High Street, Glasgow.[18] The agency also has local level operations in conjunction with local authorities to ensure accessibility throughout Scotland for face-to-face service provision.[19]

Budget

In 2019–20, the Scottish Government budget for Social Security policy totalled at over £434 million.[20]

Social Security reserved to the United Kingdom
See also: Department for Work and Pensions

With the Scotland Act 2016 only devolving some aspects of social security provisions, most services remain reserved to the U.K. Government, administered through the Department for Work and Pensions based on UK Government policy decisions. These include:[21][22]

References
  1. BBC. "Holyrood approves social security bill". Retrieved 24 April 2018.
  2. SPICe - Scottish Parliament (21 January 2015). "The Smith Commission's Welfare Proposals - Scottish Parliament" (PDF). Scottish Parliament. Retrieved 4 October 2019.
  3. "Holyrood approves social security bill". 2018-04-25. Retrieved 2019-10-04.
  4. "Social Security (Scotland) Act 2018". www.legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 2019-10-04.
  5. "Cabinet and ministers - gov.scot". www.gov.scot. Retrieved 2019-10-04.
  6. "Social security: Best Start Grant - gov.scot". www.gov.scot. Retrieved 2019-10-04.
  7. "Social Security Scotland". Funeral Support Payment. Retrieved 2019-10-04.
  8. Social Security Scotland (2020-04-01). "Benefit payments are increasing". socialsecurity.gov.scot. Retrieved 2020-04-01.
  9. Scottish Government (2019-06-11). "Carer's Allowance Supplement". mygov.scot. Retrieved 2019-10-07.
  10. Social Security Scotland (2020-04-01). "Benefit payments are increasing". socialsecurity.gov.scot. Retrieved 2020-04-01.
  11. "More support for Young Carers". gov.scot. Retrieved 2019-11-10.
  12. Social Security Scotland (2020-04-01). "Benefit payments are increasing". socialsecurity.gov.scot. Retrieved 2020-04-01.
  13. Social Security Scotland (2019-02-01). "Building a better benefits system for Scotland" (PDF). Social Security Scotland. Retrieved 2019-10-07.
  14. "Coronavirus (COVID-19) - update on devolved benefits: Cabinet Secretary speech". gov.scot. Retrieved 2020-04-01.
  15. "The Scottish Child Payment will turn the tide on child poverty". JRF. 2019-06-28. Retrieved 2019-10-04.
  16. "Scottish Child Payment". Retrieved 2019-11-10.
  17. "Coronavirus (COVID-19) - update on devolved benefits: Cabinet Secretary speech". gov.scot. Retrieved 2020-04-01.
  18. News, Scottish Housing. "Location revealed for Social Security Scotland's Dundee base". Scottish Housing News. Retrieved 2019-10-04.
  19. "First local jobs for Social Security Scotland". Social Security. 2018-04-27. Retrieved 2019-10-04.
  20. "Scottish Budget 2019-2020 - gov.scot". www.gov.scot. Retrieved 2019-10-04.
  21. "Devolution settlement: Scotland". GOV.UK. Retrieved 2019-10-04.
  22. "Benefits - GOV.UK". www.gov.uk. Retrieved 2019-10-04.
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