Chamber and committees

Social Security Scotland has not been subject to any denial of service (DoS) attacks during the period between the 1st of May 2021 and the 30th of June 2023. During that same period, our security controls protected against 314,285 cyber events, the majority of which being attackers scanning our internet facing benefit systems to identify potential weaknesses.

Social Security Scotland is committed to ensuring that the experience of applying for the benefits it administers is accessible and inclusive to support people who experience digital exclusion. In designing the social security system, Scottish Government worked closely with stakeholders, support groups and clients to ensure that the service we create works for the people who will use it, regardless of their geographical location, background or experience of the welfare system.

By design, all Social Security Scotland benefits are accessible through a variety of channels. In addition to the digital options on offer, clients can make contact by telephone or in writing to get support or information on Social Security Scotland benefits. Claims can be made on clerical forms and are available in braille and a variety of languages other than English on request, as are our information leaflets.

Specially trained Client Support Advisers based in each of the 32 Local Authority areas across Scotland, provide a local, accessible service to that area. Advisers can provide clients with face-to-face support to claim Social Security Scotland benefits, gather and provide supporting information, report change of circumstances or provide general benefit advice. Appointments can be arranged for clients in their home, in local outreach venues, or by video or telephone, ensuring that the service is as accessible as possible, at a time and place that meets clients' individual needs, especially for those that are digitally excluded.

Social Security Scotland listens to feedback from clients and continually evaluates call handling processes and systems.

The agency has made changes to the way in which they handle calls, including better real-time monitoring of call volumes to enable more efficient queue management and a simplified options menu that makes it easier for clients to connect with the correct agent to support or deal with their enquiry more quickly.

The most recent Scottish Fiscal Commission forecast, published on 25 May 2023, shows Social Security expenditure of £4.2 billion in 2022-23, and forecast to be £5.3 billion in 2023-24. The SFC highlight that the OBR have forecast the Block Grant Adjustment for Social Security to be £4.4 billion in 2023-24, with the Scottish Government investing £756 million above the level of funding received through the Block Grant Adjustment, which includes funding for new payments only available in Scotland.

The Scottish Fiscal Commission’s May 2023 publication can be found at: https://www.fiscalcommission.scot/download/2023/06/Scotland_s-Economic-and-Fiscal-Forecasts-May-2023-full-report-revised-June-2023.pdf .

There are no immediate plans to update our current educational resources into the Scots language. Our language policy is under review and once approved by the SPCB, it will determine what languages we offer resources in for the future.

Our current policy position is: “The SPCB publishes information in different languages to facilitate the engagement of people who live in Scotland with their Parliament. Languages selected for translation are reviewed on a regular basis and are updated to reflect population trends and perceived need.”

As part of our review, we have engaged with, and continue to engage with, stakeholders and monitor educational and linguistic trends. There are currently some resources in Scots and to date, these have met the level of demand we have from schools and MSPs.

I will update the Member as our review progresses and when it is approved. In the meantime, our Education Services team are happy to work with the Member and schools to see which resources that would be of use in Scots and to provide these within the school year that starts in August.

The identification, assessment and management of people with long-term effects of COVID-19 in Scotland is guided by the recommendations of an evidence-based UK-wide clinical guideline developed by the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN), the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) and the Royal College of GPs (RCGP). The guideline provides clinical case definitions for ‘Acute COVID-19’, ‘Ongoing symptomatic COVID-19’ and ‘Post-COVID-19 syndrome’, to support the identification and diagnosis of long-term effects of COVID-19.

The guideline was first published on 18 December 2020, was last updated on 11 November 2021 and is being reviewed as new evidence, policy and practice emerges. The guideline can be accessed at https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng188 .

The recommended clinical case definition to identify and diagnose Post-COVID-19 syndrome is signs and symptoms that develop during or after an infection consistent with COVID-19, continue for more than 12 weeks and are not explained by an alternative diagnosis. It usually presents with clusters of symptoms, often overlapping, which can fluctuate and change over time and can affect any system in the body. Post-COVID-19 syndrome may be considered before 12 weeks while the possibility of an alternative underlying disease is also being assessed. In addition to the clinical case definitions, the term ‘long COVID’ is commonly used to describe signs and symptoms that continue or develop after acute COVID-19. It includes both ongoing symptomatic COVID-19 (from 4 to 12 weeks) and post-COVID-19 syndrome (12 weeks or more).

The International Classification of Diseases provides a common language that supports health professionals to share standardised information across the world, containing around 17,000 unique codes for injuries, diseases and causes of death.

The World Health Organization made available a diagnostic code for ‘Post COVID-19 Condition’ within the International Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems 10 th Revision (ICD-10) in January 2021. Further information can be accessed at https://www.who.int/publications/m/item/updates-3-4-in-relation-to-covid-19-coding-in-icd-10 .

On 11 February 2022, the World Health Organization’s Eleventh Revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11) came into effect. Post COVID-19 Condition has the code RA02 and is listed in Section 25 ‘International provisional assignment of new diseases of uncertain aetiology and emergency use’.

The Scottish Government recognises the inclusion of Post COVID-19 Condition in the International Classification of Diseases and the importance of coding diagnoses to support a range of processes that require classification of diseases.

It is the statutory duty of local authorities to manage and maintain their own buildings. Scottish Government officials continue to engage with local authorities affected by reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete.

The Scottish Government has provided Chest Heart and Stroke Scotland with £60,020 in 2019-20, £60,000 in 2020-21, £50,000 in 2021-22 and £59,085 in 2022-23 in relation to stroke, to support thrombectomy education training.

The Scottish Government has provided no funding to the Stroke Association in relation to stroke since 2018-19.

The New Build Heat Standard ( Building (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2023 ) prohibits the installation of direct emissions heating systems that produce more than a negligible amount of direct greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. This is to ensure that new buildings no longer contribute emissions to climate change, and do not require future retrofit to support net zero.

Hydrocarbon gas produces more than a negligible amount of direct emissions, as demonstrated in research completed by ClimateXChange: Direct greenhouse gas emissions from low and zero carbon heating systems (climatexchange.org.uk) .

Any hydrogen-ready technology is likely to operate on hydrocarbon gas for the foreseeable future. This means that these systems would not be permitted under the Standard, as they continue to emit significant direct emissions.

More than £711 million has been spent in the last five financial years to mitigate the effects of UK Government policy. It included investment in Discretionary Housing Payments, the Scottish Welfare Fund, money advice services, and Universal Credit Scottish choices.

The Scottish Government uses Discretionary Housing Payments (DHPs) to fully mitigate the bedroom tax and we have recently provided funding to mitigate the benefit cap as far as is possible within devolved powers. DHPs are also used to support those affected by the ongoing freeze to local housing allowance rates.

In 2023-24 we are making £83.7 million available to local authorities to spend on DHPs. Since 2018 (including 2023-24) we have invested over £452 million in DHPs, and a further £8.7 million to assist local authorities with the administration of the scheme.

The Scottish Welfare Fund (SWF) is an essential source of occasional support for those most in need. In 2023-24 we are investing £35.5 million in the SWF. Since 2018 (including 2023-24) we have invested over £210 million in the fund and a further £32 million to assist local authorities with the administration of the scheme.

From 2018 to late 2022, the Scottish Government allocated funding from its overall welfare and debt advice budget for advice relating to UK Government welfare reforms. From October 2022, this funding stream was brought together with previously separate funding streams to support the Money Talk Team service delivered by Citizens Advice Scotland. Since 2018, £6.58 million has been invested in money advice services specifically relating to UK Government welfare reforms.

Since 2017, the Scottish Government has been giving people in Scotland the choice to receive their Universal Credit award either monthly or twice monthly and to have the housing costs in their Universal Credit award paid directly to their landlord. Since 2018, the cost to the Scottish Government of providing these choices has been £0.8 million.

A breakdown of spend on Discretionary Housing Payments, the Scottish Welfare Fund, money advice services, and universal credit Scottish choices in the last five financial years and the current financial year is provided in the following table.