The Committee reports to the Parliament as follows -

1. The Scottish Social Security Charter [draft] was laid before the Parliament on 10 January 2019 and referred to the Social Security Committee. The Social Security (Scotland) Act 2018, requires that Scottish Ministers may publish the Charter only if it has been approved by the Scottish Parliament.

2. The Charter is subject to the affirmative procedure and it is for the Social Security Committee to recommend to the Parliament whether it should be approved.

3. During Stage 3 of the Social Security (Scotland) Bill, Pauline McNeill MSP put forward a successful amendment that required the Social Security Charter to be approved by the Scottish Parliament.

4. The Charter is intended to be a publicly accessible document, communicating in clear terms what people are entitled to expect from the Scottish Government and Social Security Scotland. According to the Act, the Charter should:

   • reflect the eight social security principles set out in Section 1 of the Act,

   • reflect a Human Rights approach to Social Security, and

   • be co-designed with people who have experience of the social security system.

5. The Delegated Powers and Land Reform Committee considered the Scottish Social Security Charter at its meeting on 22 January 2019 and did not raise any issues.

6. At its meeting on 31 January 2019, the Social Security Committee took evidence on the Charter from Shirley-Anne Somerville, Cabinet Secretary for Social Security and Older People.

7. Following the evidence session, the Cabinet Secretary moved motion S5M-15598:

   That the Social Security Committee recommends that that Scottish Social Security Charter [draft] be approved.

   The motion was agreed to without division.

8. The Official Report of the meeting is available on the Parliament's website.