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Spotlight on: Social Security Scotland
News
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13 Apr 2024
by Emma Jackson, CAS Strategic Lead for social justice.
This article was first published in the Herald on 13 April, 2024.
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6 Oct 2023
The introduction of the Adult Disability Payment means that the way that claims for extra costs disability support are evidenced has changed and the choice to request a consultation is available to clients. We have created some notes on consultations for advisers and a Social Security Scotland guidance document is available to download.
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1 Apr 2023
by Stephanie Millar, CAS social policy manager.
This article was first published in the Herald on 1 April 2023.
Publications
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The Social Security (Scotland) Act 2018 Amendment Bill
Publication date: January 2024
Citizens Advice Scotland (CAS) welcomes this opportunity to provide our overview of the impact of the Scottish Social Security landscape to inform scrutiny of this Bill proposing to amend the law governing the administration of social security in Scotland. As the amendments largely reflect our views expressed in the consultation process, including our recommendations, we have limited our response to those aspects of the Bill that are of the most direct concern to the Citizens Advice network in Scotland. We have expressed views where we believe there is scope for further amendments, or significant wrap around work needed to achieve the policy intent.
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CAS Responds
Publication date: April 2023
We have responded to the Scottish Government's consultation on how the mobility component of the new Adult Disability Payment is working.
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Publication date: October 2022
CAS has responded to the Scottish Government's Consultation on Improving Scotland's Social Security.
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Publication date: January 2022
Citizens Advice Scotland (CAS) is supportive of the proposed approach to ending poverty and the need for food banks. The twin emphasis on prevention and response ensures the reasons for food bank use are tackled at source, rather than focusing only on how emergency support is delivered, and overall CAS would agree that moving towards a cash-first approach to food aid is a positive step. Measures which enable people to choose their own food can restore dignity in emergency food provision, enable people to buy food they enjoy and choose the items that will make the most difference to themselves and their families.
However, there are additional dimensions to the need for food banks that CAS would call for further consideration of. These include:
› The role of advice services in food bank referrals
› Availability of social security support for different types of people
› Debt as a driving factor in food bank use
› Fuel poverty as a driving factor in food bank use
› Housing costs as a driving factor for food bank use
› Potential barriers to a cash-first scheme
