Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government was liable for paying all compliant claims submitted by Lead Partners. The figure at 31 December 2023 was £73.7m.

The final European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) expenditure figures and reimbursements will not be known until the second half of 2025 when the figures will be published.

At no time were payments to those Lead Partners who submitted a fully compliant and verifiable claims paused. All audit findings were resolved with both programmes being successfully lifted from suspension by the European Commission.

Social Security Scotland is focused on continually reviewing and improving its services. People are encouraged to give feedback, whether this is positive or negative, through the official Social Security Scotland feedback process to capture the experiences of their clients.

The Charter, developed with clients, sets out a range of standards for their performance and each year they publish the Charter Measurement Framework to share how they are delivering against their Charter commitments.

The Local Delivery appointments process was developed using feedback from their clients and stakeholders. The service is client led with clients having full control over the type of appointment (home visit/outreach location/video/telephone), the time of the appointment and whether they feel they will need more than one appointment to complete the activity.

To ensure Scottish Security Scotland continue to deliver against the Charter, and meet the needs of their clients, they conduct regular surveys with their clients. These surveys cover all aspects of the service, including clients experience of appointments, whether the service meets their needs and where they can improve. This allows Social Security Scotland to continually review and adapt their service to meet the needs of their clients, regardless of their location or individual needs.

Social Security Scotland works closely with individuals and disability organisations to design it’s services. Every stage of the application process has been tested to ensure that Social Security Scotland are taking a human rights-based approach to what they do, as set out in Our Charter. This means treating everyone without discrimination and in line with their values. This includes finding processes that work and are inclusive and fully accessible.

Social Security Scotland is committed to delivering a social security system that is inclusive. They do this by carrying out user research and testing with people who have lived experience of the benefit system, people who communicate in different ways and relevant stakeholders across Scotland. This is to embed inclusive communications across the entirety of Social Security Scotland. Social Security Scotland work with these stakeholders to influence how they develop their services and processes.

Social Security Scotland clients understand information and express themselves in different ways. To accommodate this, Social Security Scotland provide different channels clients can use to contact them in a way that suits them. Social Security Scotland can make written communications available in different formats and languages such as Braille and Easy-Read. Social Security Scotland can also arrange for interpreters for clients who request that level of support as well as support for clients who are non-verbal.

Social Security Scotland provide in-person support to clients who need it when accessing their services at a place and time that suits them. Social Security Scotland have specially trained advisors based in every local council area across Scotland who can support clients with appointments at home, in local community venues or by telephone or video call.

Social Security Scotland services were designed in consultation with clients and stakeholders. In shaping the design and Policy underpinning the service, staff consulted with the Disability and Carers Benefits Expert Advisory Group. As benefits launched the Agency Implementation Group and latterly the Operational Reference Group were created to ensure that they continually learn from those who interact and use their services. Social Security Scotland has also engaged with the clients that use the service, initially through Experience panels and then as benefits launched, the Client Experience panels. Their Inclusive Communication Group worked with clients to understand the challenges they face in dealing with Organisations and the barriers to getting the support they need. Through this direct feedback, and understanding of client’s needs, Social Security Scotland have built a client led, flexible service that supports clients in a way that meets their individual needs.

The Scottish Government is committed to progressing a Fairer Funding approach for the third sector to improve the transparency and consistency of our funding relationships.

Improving grant-making practices across the Scottish Government is a significant undertaking and we are at the beginning stages of this process. The measures that we have prioritised to date – early notification of funding, increased multi-year agreements, improved relationship practices and grant conditions – do align with the SCVO’s principles. However, we have been clear that the implementation of Fairer Funding within the current financial context is challenging and that our ability to deliver on every aspect of SCVO’s ask is constrained.

I set out progress towards our priorities, the challenges that we have met and our next steps, in a letter to the Social Justice and Social Security Committee of 20 May and have committed to keep them updated as our work continues.

Since launching in October 2019, 12,305 Young Carer Grant payments worth £4.0 million have been made to young carers in Scotland.

Social Security Scotland promotes Young Carer Grant in a targeted way, including by working in partnership with local carers centres in each local authority, encouraging young carers to apply. Social Security Scotland have also delivered multiple marketing campaigns across digital channels that young people engage with most - including a joint campaign with Young Scot.

When designing marketing campaigns, Social Security Scotland carry out primary research with eligible people. A series of focus groups and interviews with young carers has ensured the campaigns resonate with and reach those eligible for the payment.

Social Security Scotland also attends the Scottish Young Carers Festival, organised by the Carers Trust, to promote Young Carer Grant, talk to young carers about their experiences and encourage them to apply. To mark this year’s Young Carer Action Day, Social Security Scotland re-ran their digital Young Carer Grant campaign, including sharing a stakeholder toolkit with carer organisations, and worked with STV and a young carer on a broadcast feature.

This latest campaign activity helped drive the highest number of applications in a month since the payment launched - with 790 applications received from young carers in March alone this year. In the last financial year, over 3,700 young people received Young Carer Grant payments worth £1.4 million, almost 60% more than the year before.

Social Security Scotland publishes official statistics for the number of payments for Young Carer Grant by Local Authority but not at constituency level. In the financial year 2023-24, Social Security Scotland made 280 payments totalling £99,217 to clients in the Fife Local Authority.

The Scottish Government published estimates of take-up rates for a number of devolved benefits in November 2023. Take-up rates are estimates of the number of people who are eligible for a benefit that receive it. The latest estimated take-up rate for Young Carer Grant in Scotland for 2022-23 is 75%. This figure is for Scotland nationally.

The latest take-up rate estimates and further detail on the methodology can be found at: Take-Up Rate Estimates - Take-up rates of Scottish benefits: November 2023 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

The latest statistics published for Young Carer Grant can be found at: Social Security Scotland - Young Carer Grant: high level statistics to 31 March 2024 .

The Bank receives funding through Grant in Aid which it uses to cover operating costs and fund its investments. From launch in November 2020 to the end of March 2023, the Bank received a total of £325m and has invested £304m. The annual breakdown is detailed below. The amount of cash invested in 2023-24 will be confirmed in the Bank’s audited Annual Accounts which will be published in the coming months.