Chamber and committees

I refer the member to question S5W-19666 on 13 November 2018 which provided applicants monitoring information in relation to Ethnic group for Social Security Scotland’s Executive Advisory Body.

Posts within the agency’s Senior Management Team were filled in line with the Scottish Government’s selection policy. In equalities monitoring, no applicant identified as black or minority ethnic in relation to ethnic group.

Over 4,000 applications were received for Best Start Grant on the first day applications opened. That is around the same number of UK Government Sure Start Maternity Grant payments, which Best Start Grant replaces, for the whole of 2017-18 in Scotland. Statistics will be published which will provide the total number of applications received and payments made in 2019, this will include applications for a third or greater child.

The Scottish Government has written on numerous occasions to the UK Government requesting that the two child limit be scrapped and have made clear our total opposition to the policy. This policy is part of Universal Credit which is a fully reserved benefit the Scottish Government has have no control over and cannot change.

By 2020-21 UK government cuts are expected to take around £3.7 billion out of the Scottish welfare system. It is not our policy to mitigate all of these UK Government welfare cuts, which are the equivalent of three times the Police Scotland budget. Pressure should be maintained on the UK Government to make changes to the policy and we will continue to call for such changes.

We are already investing over £125m in 2018-19 to mitigate the effects of UK Government welfare cuts and to protect people on low incomes - £20 million more than last year. The fact the Scottish Government has to take such action was described by the United Nation Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights as “outrageous”.

Comments made by the Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Economy and Fair Work referred to the legitimate assumption that any policies to directly top-up reserved benefits would need the agreement and cooperation of the DWP. Mr Mackay also said that “the best way to resolve it is to address the problem at source”.

The Tackling Child Poverty Delivery Plan sets out the many actions we are taking to increase family incomes and reduce living costs. That includes a commitment to work towards introducing a new income supplement, to provide additional financial support for low income families.

Recruitment to Social Security Scotland’s Senior Management Team were made in line with the Scottish Government’s selection policy. The personal characteristics of panel members is not monitored or reported.

Appointments to the Executive Advisory Body mirrored the Ministerial Appointments process. The ethnicity of interviewers was not recorded.

Scottish Government responded to the questions (a) S5W-20346 and (b) S5W-20333 on 20 December 2018.

The Social Security Programme Board considers dates for implementation, and associated Go/No Go decisions, as part of managed programme planning. They will give a formal view on Go/No Go in advance of implementation dates.

The Social Security Directorate has worked with the Scottish Government Programme and Project Management Centre of Expertise to undertake three Social Security Programme Gateway 0 (Strategic Assessment) reviews (September 2015, March 2016, November 2017) and an Agency Gateway Review Healthcheck (May 2018).

We have no specific definition of a delivery partner, however, we will be engaging with Police Scotland through the local community planning partnerships and will work with them and all other relevant public and third sector organisations to ensure awareness of Social Security Scotland’s services. Additionally, in Social Security Scotland’s commitment to the safety of clients, the public and staff, which is reflected in our public protection policies, we will engage with Police Scotland where it is deemed appropriate.

We are actively working with health boards to ensure that promotion of the Best Start Grant Pregnancy and Baby Payment is embedded in their maternity and health visiting pathways and in relevant publications such as "Ready Steady Baby".

Health boards are best placed to decide the approach to promotion in their individual areas. We have not placed an explicit requirement for them to provide applications to new mothers in hospital but some may choose to do so.

The Best Start Grant’s case management systems have been built to automate processes where possible. We are minimising both manual processing and the evidence that a client is required to provide with electronic checks being made where appropriate.

For example, with evidence gathering, there are automatic checks on postcode, bank details and pregnancy details.

For decision making, automatic rules have been built into the system where possible. There are manual checks in place for quality assurance.