Second Report - Welfare policy in Scotland

Select Committee
Scottish Affairs Committee HC 55 23 June 2021
Report Status Government responded
Conclusions & Recommendations 148 items (37 recs)
Source View on Parliament website
Government Response (AI assessment · 148 of 148 classified)
Accepted 40
Accepted in Part 1
Acknowledged 33
Deferred 20
Not Addressed 27
Rejected 27
Government response
First Special Report - Welfare policy in Scotland: UK and Scottish Government Responses to the Committee’s Second Report · published 19 Nov 2021
Read the government response ↗ Response on the tracker
Clear

Recommendations & Conclusions

20 results
5 Recommendation Deferred
Para 52
We recommend that the Scottish Government liaise with the DWP before announcing new welfare policies.
Recommendation
We recommend that the Scottish Government liaise with the DWP before announcing new welfare policies. This will allow any complex issues to be ironed out before the announcement.
Government Response Summary
The UK government redirected the recommendation, stating it is a matter for the Scottish Government to address.
Scotland Office
View Details
8 Recommendation Deferred
We recommend that Social Security Scotland consider all mechanisms for acquiring their own data where...
Recommendation
We recommend that Social Security Scotland consider all mechanisms for acquiring their own data where possible if they are requesting data which DWP does not hold. DWP and Social Security Scotland should develop a shared protocol and agreement about data … Read more
Government Response Summary
The government redirects responsibility for Social Security Scotland acquiring its own data to the Scottish Government, and, regarding a shared data protocol, describes existing DWP data sharing boards and forums, without committing to developing a new protocol or shared team.
Scotland Office
View Details
11 Recommendation Deferred
Para 69
We recommend that the Joint Ministerial Working Group consider developing new communications materials and guidance...
Recommendation
We recommend that the Joint Ministerial Working Group consider developing new communications materials and guidance in the form of a Scottish welfare service directory to be updated annually. This would allow claimants, organisations (including housing associations and Local Authorities & … Read more
Government Response Summary
The government stated that DWP and Social Security Scotland have established an Operational Reference Group to review service delivery issues and consider future improvements for shared customers, but did not specifically commit to developing a Scottish welfare service directory as recommended.
Scotland Office
View Details
12 Recommendation Deferred
Para 70
We also recommend that Social Security Scotland fully engage with the independent benefit calculators currently...
Recommendation
We also recommend that Social Security Scotland fully engage with the independent benefit calculators currently signposted by the UK Government on its website and for both governments to learn from communications that have taken place throughout Welfare policy in Scotland … Read more
Government Response Summary
The UK government redirected the recommendation, stating it is a matter for the Scottish Government to address.
Scotland Office
View Details
13 Conclusion Deferred
Para 79
We welcome the Scottish Government’s intention to move away from face to face assessments as...
Conclusion
We welcome the Scottish Government’s intention to move away from face to face assessments as part of the process for administering disability benefits from this summer onward, and we note the support this initiative has from mental health and inclusion … Read more
Government Response Summary
The UK government redirects the item, stating that it pertains to the Scottish Government's responsibilities and intentions regarding disability benefit assessments.
Scotland Office
View Details
14 Recommendation Deferred
We recommend that Social Security Scotland should provide more information on how they will gather...
Recommendation
We recommend that Social Security Scotland should provide more information on how they will gather the relevant data required to make decisions on the amount of money given to claimants in order to ensure that the move away from face … Read more
Government Response Summary
The government states that this is a recommendation for the Scottish Government.
Scotland Office
View Details
52 Recommendation Deferred
We recommend that the Scottish Government liaise with the DWP before announcing new welfare policies.
Recommendation
We recommend that the Scottish Government liaise with the DWP before announcing new welfare policies. This will allow any complex issues to be ironed out before the announcement.
Government Response Summary
The UK government states this recommendation is for the Scottish Government, indicating it is not within their remit.
Scotland Office
View Details
54 Recommendation Deferred
We recommend that the DWP should prioritise delivering the six to 16-year-old data required by...
Recommendation
We recommend that the DWP should prioritise delivering the six to 16-year-old data required by the Scottish Government, or work with the Scottish Government to find an alternative type of data, so that the Scottish Government are able to roll … Read more
Government Response Summary
The government outlines existing data sharing efforts but states data for older children are not always readily available and redirects responsibility to the Scottish Government to establish data needs and consider acquiring their own data from other sources.
Scotland Office
View Details
61 Conclusion Deferred
We heard how a wide range of organisations supported people to understand their eligibilities and...
Conclusion
We heard how a wide range of organisations supported people to understand their eligibilities and access benefits and poverty relief. Local Authorities have invested funds and developed services to help people experiencing poverty navigate the various benefits 128 Q102 129 … Read more
Government Response Summary
The government states that DWP and Social Security Scotland have established an Operational Reference Group to continuously improve the benefits experience and review service delivery issues for future benefit delivery.
Scotland Office
View Details
64 Conclusion Deferred
As discussed in detail in Chapter five, most people applying to the DWP for Universal...
Conclusion
As discussed in detail in Chapter five, most people applying to the DWP for Universal Credit in Scotland will initially apply through an online digital process. Once a claim is processed, they will meet with an assigned Jobcentre Plus work … Read more
Government Response Summary
The government established a regular Operational Reference Group with Social Security Scotland to review service delivery issues and consider improvements for the shared benefits experience.
Scotland Office
View Details
65 Conclusion Deferred
Policy in Practice submitted written evidence outlining how there are practical issues for claimants to...
Conclusion
Policy in Practice submitted written evidence outlining how there are practical issues for claimants to address in accessing job centres and their services in the more rural areas of Scotland. In their research, Policy in Practice found that uptake of … Read more
Government Response Summary
The government established an Operational Reference Group with Social Security Scotland to review service delivery issues and consider improvements to the benefits experience, including accessibility challenges.
Scotland Office
View Details
67 Recommendation Deferred
We understand that the devolution of benefits has left a ‘tricky’ landscape of Scottish social...
Recommendation
We understand that the devolution of benefits has left a ‘tricky’ landscape of Scottish social security. There should be an improvement of communications to claimants on what measures are available to them and a review of how Jobcentres work in … Read more
Government Response Summary
The government stated that DWP and Social Security Scotland have established an Operational Reference Group to review service delivery issues and consider future improvements for shared customers, deferring direct action on communication and Jobcentre reviews.
Scotland Office
View Details
69 Recommendation Deferred
We recommend that the Joint Ministerial Working Group consider developing new communications materials and guidance...
Recommendation
We recommend that the Joint Ministerial Working Group consider developing new communications materials and guidance in the form of a Scottish welfare service directory to be updated annually. This would allow claimants, organisations (including 159 Policy in Practice (WPS0010) 160 … Read more
Government Response Summary
The government stated that DWP and Social Security Scotland have established an Operational Reference Group to review service delivery issues and consider future improvements for shared customers, but did not specifically commit to developing a Scottish welfare service directory.
Scotland Office
View Details
70 Recommendation Deferred
We also recommend that Social Security Scotland fully engage with the independent benefit calculators currently...
Recommendation
We also recommend that Social Security Scotland fully engage with the independent benefit calculators currently signposted by the UK Government on its website and for both governments to learn from communications that have taken place throughout the covid-19 pandemic to … Read more
Government Response Summary
The UK government redirected the recommendation, stating it is a matter for the Scottish Government to address.
Scotland Office
View Details
75 Conclusion Deferred
The DWP’s preferred approach for administering disability benefits in the UK centres on a contracted-out...
Conclusion
The DWP’s preferred approach for administering disability benefits in the UK centres on a contracted-out assessment process, involving face to face assessments to gain information and assess a claimant’s capability for work to determine the level of entitlement. The Minister … Read more
Government Response Summary
The government states that this item is a recommendation for the Scottish Government.
Scotland Office
View Details
76 Conclusion Deferred
The Cabinet Secretary told us in her evidence that the Scottish Government were, in this...
Conclusion
The Cabinet Secretary told us in her evidence that the Scottish Government were, in this instance, moving away from the DWP’s system of using contracted out face to face assessments as part of the information gathering process to administrate disability … Read more
Government Response Summary
The UK government states this observation is for the Scottish Government, indicating it is not within their remit.
Scotland Office
View Details
77 Conclusion Deferred
The Scottish Association for Mental Health ‘welcomed the Scottish Government’s commitment that no one will...
Conclusion
The Scottish Association for Mental Health ‘welcomed the Scottish Government’s commitment that no one will be subject to a face to face reassessment’190 once the Scottish 177 Scottish Government, Social Security, Disability Assistance, accessed 26 April 2021 178 Scottish Government, … Read more
Government Response Summary
The government stated that this item is a recommendation for the Scottish Government, indicating it is not within their remit.
Scotland Office
View Details
78 Conclusion Deferred
The UK Government’s Minister for Disabled People, Health and Work, however, told us that he...
Conclusion
The UK Government’s Minister for Disabled People, Health and Work, however, told us that he had reservations about the Scottish Government’s ‘potential changes to adult PIP [Personal Independence Payment]’192 and how he felt the potential changes ‘would replicate the limitations … Read more
Government Response Summary
The government redirects responsibility by stating that this is a recommendation for the Scottish Government.
Scotland Office
View Details
79 Conclusion Deferred
We welcome the Scottish Government’s intention to move away from face to face assessments as...
Conclusion
We welcome the Scottish Government’s intention to move away from face to face assessments as part of the process for administering disability benefits from this summer onward, and we note the support this initiative has from mental health and inclusion … Read more
Government Response Summary
The government stated that this item is a recommendation for the Scottish Government, indicating it is not within their remit.
Scotland Office
View Details
80 Recommendation Deferred
We recommend that Social Security Scotland should provide more information on how they will gather...
Recommendation
We recommend that Social Security Scotland should provide more information on how they will gather the relevant data required to make decisions on the amount of money given to claimants in order to ensure that the move away from face … Read more
Government Response Summary
The UK Government states that this recommendation is for the Scottish Government, thereby redirecting responsibility for providing more information on data gathering and impact.
Scotland Office
View Details