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Publications

  1. The Social Security (Scotland) Act 2018 Amendment Bill
    Erica Young Social Justice Team
    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.

  2. 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.

  3. David Scott
    Publication date:
    July 2022

    The last few years have been extraordinarily tough. The pandemic left 1.8 million people in Scotland financially worse off, and even before the most recent increase in the energy price cap one in three people found their bills unaffordable. Now people are faced with a perfect storm of soaring prices and flat or falling incomes, which risks sweeping tens of thousands of people across the country into poverty, problem debt, and destitution.


    Those relying on the social security system are particularly vulnerable to poverty. Just over 447,500 people across Scotland are on UC – equivalent to more than one in ten working age adults in Scotland and almost double the number before the pandemic. Getting social security right is vital to help these people weather the storm.

    Recent data from across the Citizens Advice network in Scotland shows the hardship people are facing every day:

    • Advice need for food banks has grown by almost a third (31%) since September 2021.
    • Advice need for other charitable support, including fuel bank referrals, saw a sharp increase of 23% between September 2021 and December 2021, likely reflecting the additional pressure of winter heating bills.
    • Advice on UC sanctions has grown by 53% over 2021-22.
    • Advice on UC Budgeting Advances has risen by 25% over 2021-22.
    • Advice on UC Overpayments nearly doubled from the average across 2020/21 to Q4 of 2021/22.

    Behind each of these statistics are real people. In this report we highlight four real Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) client stories which show the incredible difficulties many people on UC are facing daily. Their names have been changed to protect their anonymity, but their stories demonstrate the reality of the cost of living crisis and the need for further support.

  4. David Scott
    Publication date:
    June 2022

    The cost of living crisis is squeezing household finances across the country. Across the Citizens Advice network in Scotland, we’ve seen an uptick in advice need for energy bills, debt, and food bank referrals. Since September 2021:

    • Advice need for food banks has grown by almost a third (31%)
    • For other charitable support, including fuel bank referrals, advice need has increased by 23%
    • Advice on Budgeting Advances has increased by 25% over 2021–22
    • Advice on sanctions has grown by 53% since the start of 2021-22

    While one-off payments will have provided some relief to people in the short-term, the further planned energy price cap increase in October and higher energy needs in winter mean that the cost of living crisis is unlikely to end in the next few months. Long-term thinking is needed to ensure our social security system is accessible to everyone and offers the right level of support for today’s skyrocketing prices.

    CAS recommends:

    • An immediate uprating of Universal Credit’s basic allowance to present inflation rates and the implementation of a more responsive system to keep track with inflation.
    • Further emergency targeted support for those on the lowest incomes.
    • A continuous review of the adequacy of social security payments to ensure they meet everyone’s needs.
    • Scrapping the benefit cap and the two-child limit.
    • Ensuring any uprating of Universal Credit is extended to all legacy benefits.
    • Reduce all deductions for DWP and HMRC debt to the 5% minimum until the DWP’s debt recovery process can be replaced with a revised system based on a robust holistic affordability check that better reflects people’s ability to pay, such as the Common Financial Statement.
    • Writing-off historic Tax Credit debt and other historic benefit overpayment debt.
    • Abolishing the five week wait by introducing a non-repayable assessment period grant at the beginning of all UC claims.
    • Suspending the use of sanctions until the cost of living crisis is over.
    • Automating where possible the process for claiming the State Retirement Pension and Pension Credit.
    • Developing and publishing an uptake strategy for the DWP to increase claims for pension-age support.
  5. David Scott
    Publication date:
    June 2022

    Key Points

    • CAS is pleased to respond to this call for evidence on health assessments. We have long been calling for fairer processes which put people’s rights at the heart of it, and we want to see a fairer system of dignified, accessible, timely, and fair medical assessments that provide disabled people with the support they are entitled to.
    • Although there will be no new claims for PIP due to the full implementation of Adult Disability Payment across Scotland from 29 August, we have responded to the questions relating to the future of PIP as we have a wealth of data and experience on the administration of PIP.
    • CAS has restricted its responses to those where we have robust data to inform our responses.

    Recommendations

    • A range of assessment types should be available, face-to-face, telephone and in person, and the client should be able to choose their preferred method. Outcomes for each method should be monitored to ensure parity.
    • Descriptors for both PIP and ESA should be reviewed to better reflect social and human rights models of disability and move beyond assessing a lack of functionality.
    • The use of lived experience panels and user groups involved in the design and development of any changes made to the claims and assessment processes.
    • Consideration should be given to the Social Security Scotland approach to assessment, in particular:
      • The use of specialist assessors;
      • Bringing the assessment 'in-house';
      • Gathering evidence on behalf of the client; and
      • Making a medical assessment the last resort.
  6. David Scott
    Publication date:
    January 2022

    A new CAS report looks at how UC supported five groups who seek advice from CAB every day: people who are newly out of work; people who are looking for work; people who are in work; people who are unable to work due to caring responsibilities or a disability; and finally people with children.

    Our research found real gaps in the support UC offered to these people. But our report also suggests fixes. Five policy changes would strengthen UC significantly, ensuring our social security system remains accessible and effective for everyone.

    With the cost of living continuing to rise, we need to ask if UC is a strong enough safety net. Investing in social security is the right thing to do for our economic recovery.

  7. David Scott
    Publication date:
    January 2022

    This report, the last in a three-part series on UC during the pandemic, sets out what lessons can be learned from the past 18 months to future-proof UC. Updating and contextualising our survey with data drawn from the Citizens Advice network across Scotland, this report outlines the fixes that are needed for UC to properly support five groups of people who seek advice from CAB every day:

    > People who are newly out of work
    > People who are looking for work
    > People who are in work
    > People who are unable to work due to caring responsibilities or a disability
    > People with children

    Citizens Advice Scotland is calling for:

    > Safe access to UC by introducing a non-repayable assessment period grant at the beginning of all UC claims and replacing the DWP’s debt recovery process with a revised system that better reflects people’s ability to pay
    > A permanent increase to the basic allowance of UC
    > A review of UC as an in-work benefit, including reintroduction of Work Allowances for everyone, to make sure UC properly supports those in employment
    > Protecting and uprating support for people with disabilities and caring responsibilities
    > Scrapping the benefit cap and the two-child limit

  8. Publication date:
    October 2021

    Citizens Advice Scotland is pleased to respond to this Green Paper consultation on the future of disability support. Last year, the Citizens Advice network in Scotland gave out over 168,500 pieces of advice on disability benefits, making it our biggest area of advice.

    The experience of clients coming to the Citizens Advice network in Scotland for advice shows that Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) disability benefits are often inadequate, difficult and complex to access, and can feature distressing and undignified medical assessments - all while being too restrictive in their eligibility criteria. Throughout this response, we draw on case examples from across Scotland and suggest solutions which would profoundly improve clients’ experiences.

    We welcome this Green Paper as the beginning of a discussion to improve the benefits and support available to people with disabilities, but caution that this should not be seen as a cost-saving exercise and should seek to maximise options and supports rather than limit them. As we will go into in more depth in the course of this paper, some of the proposals made in the Green Paper could lead to a better experience for many people, but more detail is required. Importantly, independent advice and advocacy should always be available for all who wish to access it.

  9. David Scott
    Publication date:
    September 2021

    The Scottish Campaign on Rights to Social Security (SCoRSS) is a coalition of organisations who advocate for a reformed social security system that reflects the five principles set out in our Principles for Change. SCoRSS (previously the Scottish Campaign on Welfare Reform) encompasses over 40 organisations from key third sector organisations, charities, faith groups, and unions. Our members have a diverse range of experience and expertise and a strong understanding of social security and its impact on the people and communities we work with.

    Focusing on the impact the £20-a-week cut to UC will have to Scotland, our briefing shows that:

    • Nearly three quarters (74%) of Scottish Citizens Advice Bureau clients on UC will struggle if the cut goes through;
    • 1 in 4 people claiming UC in Scotland say they are ‘very likely’ to need to skip meals when the cut hits, and 17% say they are very likely to use a food bank;
    • As many as 4,000 low-income households (8,000 children) will lose entitlement to Scottish Child Payment if the cut goes ahead, due to the passporting of Scottish Child Payment from UC, meaning these families may face an income cut greater than £20-a-week; and
    • More than half a billion pounds a year will be removed from the Scottish economy, cutting support for some of the most deprived parts of the UK.

    SCoRSS is calling for the £20 weekly increase to Universal Credit to be made permanent.

  10. David Scott
    Publication date:
    September 2021

    This report, the second in a three-part series on UC during the pandemic, covers our clients’ experiences living on UC during the pandemic. Our research found that rising costs during the pandemic have pushed an already-too-low social security system to breaking point:

    • 67% of people surveyed said the UC payment they received was inadequate for their needs, with more than half of these people (55%) describing UC as ‘very inadequate’.
    • Over seven out of ten (71%) said the amount of UC they received was lower than they are used to living on.
    • More than a third (38%) said their outgoings had increased in the period before they had to claim for UC and now, with a majority (56%) reporting that their spending had gone up on necessities like heating and electricity (50%), food (40%), and housing costs aside from rent (27%).
    • Almost two in three (64%) had to cut down on at least one basic necessity during their UC claim, with one in five (20%) cutting down on food.
    • Over one in four (27%) had to borrow money in order to pay for essentials.

    With this in mind, the UK Government’s decision to cut UC by £20 a week in September is a step in the wrong direction. Our research found that:

    • Most said they would be unable to cope if their UC income dropped, with 61% unable to cope if it dropped by £10 per week, 74% unable to cope if it dropped by £20 per week, and 78% unable to cope if it dropped by £30 per week.
    • If these cuts went ahead, 26% said they would be unable to pay for essentials and 14% said they would be unable to buy food.

    The UK Government must urgently review and uprate the level of support UC offers to ensure no-one is left without essentials. Increasing UC is the right thing to do, both to protect individuals from hardship and to support our post-pandemic economic recovery.

  11. David Scott
    Publication date:
    September 2021

    The UK Government is proposing to cut Universal Credit by £20 a week from October 6th, reinstating it to pre-pandemic levels. CAS research shows that even with the increase, people on UC have struggled. Any cut will hurt people on UC and harm the government’s own Plan for Jobs and levelling up agenda.

    CAS recommends cancelling the cut and permanently increasing UC’s basic allowance.

  12. Publication date:
    September 2021

    Following CAS’ initial 2021 submission to the Low Pay Commission, we had further engagement from advisers in the Citizens Advice Bureau Network’s Employment Specialist Forum. Advisers shared additional insight and evidence from their frontline experience on issues for low paid workers, including:

    • Low pay and non-payment of statutory minimum wage rates
    • Furlough and Covid-19 changes
    • Social security
    • Enforcement of employment rights
  13. Publication date:
    September 2021

    Citizens Advice Scotland (CAS) gathers evidence from the more than 171,000 clients a year supported by our network. Many of the problems faced by our clients are rooted in or linked to their incomes not being enough to meet their needs and live a dignified life. For many people coming to see us they simply do not have enough money to make ends meet: YouGov in May of this year indicated 1 in 7 Scots is struggling on their present income even with the temporary financial support measures put in place as a result of the pandemic. In fact, 56% or half a million pieces of advice provided by our network every year can be attributed to income maximisation. During the pandemic CABs unlocked £147million for people through things like social security payments, employment entitlements and lower bills for utilities. A Minimum Income Guarantee would mean the Citizens Advice network could ensure people have even more security and opportunity.

    This evidence base, from over 80 years as Scotland’s largest free, impartial and confidential advice network, gives CAS a unique understanding of the issues that IPPR proposes could be addressed by a Minimum Income Guarantee. In addition, our experience supporting clients over the course of the pandemic shows that even those who were coping before the crisis still found themselves vulnerable if their income dropped or costs went up even slightly.

  14. Publication date:
    August 2021

    Citizens Advice Scotland welcomes the positive changes made so far in the latest version of the regulations, but based on evidence from clients and advisers with experience of the current social security system, some concerns remain in a number of areas.

  15. Publication date:
    July 2021

    Between December 2020 and March 2021, the Scottish Government consulted on the first draft of new regulations for Adult Disability Payment (ADP). In June 2021, the Scottish Government published their response to this consultation. Citizens Advice Scotland welcomed encouraging signs in the latest government proposals, but CAS is calling for further change to get Adult Disability Payment right for disabled people in Scotland.

  16. Publication date:
    July 2021

    Citizens Advice Scotland (CAS) warmly welcomes the increased payment of the Carer’s Allowance Supplement. CAS recommended that the Carer’s Allowance Supplement be doubled again, to provide additional financial support to carers, in our October 2020 response to the Social Security Committee’s COVID-19 inquiry and are pleased to see this recommendation taken forward by the Scottish Government.

    CAS believes the main purpose of carer’s social security payments should be to equally to compensate carers for income that would have been earned through employment, recognising the equal value of the work that is caring. Whilst there is more to be done to ensure that carers have the financial support they need and social security system they deserve, this further additional payment is a welcome step in the right direction.

  17. Publication date:
    July 2021

    CAS supports in principle Scottish Ministers having the ability to suspend payment of disability assistance in certain prescribed circumstances, particularly when it would prevent a claim being closed altogether. CAS welcome the safeguards introduced and have one recommendation as to how safeguarding could be improved.

    The absence provision to suspend can create particular difficulties for children whose parents separate, for example due to domestic violence, and the parent in receipt of the benefit is not the parent who has custody of the child. However, CAS hope this power will only be used in limited circumstances. CAS welcome that entitlement will be maintained in suspension cases prescribed.

  18. David Scott
    Publication date:
    July 2021

    This report, the first in a three-part series on UC during the pandemic, covers our clients’ experiences applying for UC and the circumstances that led them to seek advice from CAB. Our research found that, despite UC performing well under the strain of the pandemic in some respects, there is significant need for improvement, with many long-standing issues with its design causing stress, anxiety, and hardship:

    • Over 7 in 10 people (72%) found the application process for UC stressful.
    • More than a third (36%) encountered at least one problem during the application process, including problems gathering supporting evidence and dealing with UC’s digital-by-default design.
    • Nearly 3 in 10 (29%) found it difficult to get information on applying for UC, before they sought help from CAB.
    • Almost 1 in 4 (24%) reported that the information they found from DWP on applying for UC was unhelpful.
    • Almost half (47%) did not find it easy to contact the DWP.
    • Almost half (48%) said they had to borrow or take an advance to get through the five week wait.
    • Among clients that borrowed to get them through the five week waiting period, the majority (65%) said they will find it difficult to repay the loan.
    • Overall, less than half (41%) were satisfied with the default process of applying for UC, with 14% very dissatisfied.

    Our research highlights that difficulties with the application process are disproportionately encountered by older people, disabled people, single parents, and those who are currently unemployed or economically inactive. Making positive changes to these elements would increase the accessibility of social security for all.

  19. Debbie Horne
    Publication date:
    June 2021

    Citizens Advice Scotland recommends the draft regulations are amended to change or clarify a number of areas to improve the social security support provided to disabled adults in Scotland through Adult Disability Payment. 

  20. Publication date:
    May 2021

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