Chamber and committees

Analysis of management information shows that the most common reason for Job Start Payment applications being denied is that the applicant did not meet one or both of the key eligibility criteria i.e. that the applicant was not out of work and in receipt of a qualifying benefit for at least 6 months prior to being offered a job.

An initial evaluation of the benefit is currently being carried out which may shed further light on why applicants who do not meet the eligibility criteria apply for Job Start Payment.

Yes, we will continue to encourage rail operators in their use of new media tools to improve levels of customer service. Since ScotRail launched their Whatsapp facility in September 2019, they have received approximately 45,000 messages via WhatsApp.

ScotRail advise that messages concerning ticket buying accounted for around 20 per cent of all messages. 134 messages in total related to accessibility. WhatsApp remains the least used of ScotRail’s three main channels, with incoming messages on Twitter for the same period at around 438,000, and Facebook at 80,000.

Caledonian Sleeper is introducing a Live Chat facility. While being rolled out on a ‘soft launch’ basis it is already receiving 50+ messages a day, and it is planned that this will be adopted on a formal basis in the coming months.

Caledonian Sleeper has the facility to text all of its guests and also regularly messages them on social media as requested.

We currently have no plans to collect information on how many applicants for Young Carer Grant have No Recourse to Public Funds.

In response to the question regarding the locations of recruitment campaigns for Social Security Scotland at advertisement and interview stage as of 18 February 2022, please find below a breakdown of current campaigns and roles by location. For the purposes of this response, we have interpreted the term roles to mean the number of full time equivalent posts we intend to fill through recruitment.

My officials have worked closely with VoiceAbility, and continue to support them to develop comprehensive training packages for their advocates. This training will be delivered through VoiceAbility’s newly established training centre and Scottish headquarters in Glasgow.

Training provides all necessary information on Scottish benefits; the application and appeals process; and the Scottish Social Security Principles set out in the Social Security (Scotland) Act 2018 and underpinned by Social Security Scotland’s Charter. In return, VoiceAbility Learning and Development leads have supported Social Security Scotland counterparts to develop training resources for client advisors – setting out the principles of advocacy, as well as the client journey following referral to the service.

Officials will continue to monitor the service as it develops to ensure that all training packages are relevant and up to date.

There are a number of actions in place to promote Best Start Grant School Age Payment. We are promoting this payment as part of the Five Family Payments campaign. This campaign focuses on the three Best Start Grant payments, Best Start Foods and Scottish Child Payment. It includes paid-for television and radio advertising that encourages parents and carers to access the support to which they are entitled.

We are also promoting the School Age Payment through tailored and targeted social media posts, as well as news stories and press releases. This includes interviews containing School Age Payment case studies which ran on TV last year when the new school year started. Through all of this activity, we have been highlighting the deadline for applications which is the 28 February 2022.

Using information from DWP and HMRC, Social Security Scotland writes directly to families who may be eligible, inviting them to apply for School Age Payments. This proactive approach to maximising benefit uptake is a first for Social Security Scotland.

Social Security Scotland has written to all nurseries and primary schools in the country, ahead of the application deadline, to raise awareness of the payment. Through their monthly stakeholder newsletter, Social Security Scotland continually promotes the School Age Payment.

Motability is currently the only provider accredited under the Accessible Vehicle and Equipment Scheme. The Scottish Government plans to begin work to re-open the Scheme to additional applicants later this year.

We will announce a timetable for this in due course. We will work with any new accredited providers to integrate and test their service, to ensure disabled people benefit from high standards of service.

The Scottish Government will shortly begin the first stage of the Adult Disability Payment Review. Priority will be given to identifying proposals for alternative ways of understanding the mobility needs of individuals, and planning stakeholder engagement to feed into decisions regarding the scope and remit of the second stage of the review.

A commitment has been made to commence stage two of the review in 2023, once Adult Disability Payment has been delivered for one year. The timeline for completion will be set in collaboration with the independent group members undertaking the review.

A further update will be provided to parliament in due course.

The Government’s spending plans are set out in the budget. We are already investing £361 million in Scottish benefits above the level of funding to be received from the UK Government through Block Grant Adjustments.

Increases to Scottish Child Payment, Adult Disability Payment, Child Disability Payment and Best Start Grant are made by Scottish Statutory Instrument under powers in the Social Security (Scotland) Act 2018. Increases to Best Start Foods are made under section 13 of the Social Security Act 1988. The procedures for scrutinising proposed legislation are set out in the Standing Orders of the Parliament. Bridging Payments are made by local authorities on behalf of Scottish Ministers, the value of payments is set out in guidance to local authorities, published in April 2021.

In due course we will deliver the Scottish replacement for Winter Fuel Payment. It remains a reserved benefit until then.

refer the member to the answer to question S6W-06847 on 11 March 2022. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers