Social security: policy research and evaluation

Introduction

The Scotland Act 2016 gave the Scottish Government new powers relating to social security, including responsibility over certain benefits. This collection of publications outlines research and evaluation activity which has supported the development, implementation and evaluation of the Scottish Government’s social security policies.  

Evaluation strategies

• Devolved benefits: evaluating the policy impact
• Devolution of disability benefits: evaluation strategy

Take-up

• Take-up Rates of Scottish Benefits: October 2025
• Take-up Rates of Scottish Benefits: October 2025 - easy read
• Take-up rates of Scottish benefits: November 2024
• Take-up rates of Scottish Benefits: November 2024 - easy read
• Take-up rates of Scottish benefits: November 2023
• Take-up rates of Scottish benefits: October 2022
• Social Security (Scotland) Act 2018 - benefit take-up strategy - October 2021: measuring take-up of low-income benefits

Carer Allowance Supplement

• Carer's Allowance Supplement: evaluation
• Carer's Allowance Supplement - evaluation: qualitative research (annex A)

Best Start Grant

• Best Start Grant: interim evaluation
• Best Start Grant - interim evaluation: qualitative research (annex B)

Young carer grant

• Young Carer Grant: interim evaluation
• Young Carer Grant - interim evaluation: qualitative research (Annex A)

Scottish Child Payment

• Scottish Child Payment and the labour market
• Scottish Child Payment: interim evaluation
• Scottish Child Payment - interim evaluation: annex B - qualitative research
• Scottish Child Payment - estimating the effect on child poverty
• Income supplement: analysis of options

Five Family Payments

• Five Family Payments: evaluation
• Five Family Payments evaluation: annex A - mixed methods research

Child Disability Payment to Adult Disability Payment

• Disability benefits: evaluation report
• Devolved disability benefits evaluation: research

Best Start Foods

• Best Start Foods: evaluation
• Best Start Foods - evaluation: annex B - qualitative research

Funeral Support Payment

• Funeral Support Payment: evaluation
• Funeral Support Payment: evaluation - qualitative research

Job Start Payment

• Job Start Payment: evaluation
• Job Start Payment evaluation: annex B - qualitative research

Accessible Vehicles Scheme

• Accessible Vehicles Scheme: disability benefits evaluation
• Accessible Vehicles and Equipment Scheme evaluation - devolved disability benefits: research

Child Winter Heating Assistance

• Child Winter Heating Assistance: evaluation report
• Child Winter Heating Assistance: evaluation report - qualitative research

Universal Credit Scottish Choices evaluation

• Universal Credit Scottish choices: evaluation
• Universal Credit Scottish choices: evaluation - qualitative research - annex b

Carer Benefits Evaluation

• Carer benefits evaluation: phase 1 - case transfer and Carer Support Payment
• Carer benefits evaluation: phase 1 - annex A - mixed methods research

Case transfer

• Disability benefits evaluation - case transfer: evaluation
• Disability benefits evaluation - case transfer: qualitative research - annex A

Supporting information

• Disability benefits evaluation: supporting information
• Disability benefits - supporting information: qualitative research

Related analysis

• Social Security official statistics
• analysis on the impacts of welfare reform in Scotland
• publications relating to the social security experience panels
• Universal Credit dashboard

• Up-rating devolved Social Security assistance: multi criteria decision analysis

Information for participants

• Disability benefits evaluation research: privacy notice
• Scottish Government evaluation: having your benefit moved to Social Security Scotland

Decision-making

• Devolved disability benefits: decision making evaluation
• Devolved disability benefits: decision making – commissioned research report - annex A

Special Rules for Terminal Illness (SRTI)

• Disability benefits evaluation: Special Rules for Terminal Illness in the context of the devolved disability benefits
• Devolved disability benefits evaluation: Special Rules for Terminal Illness (SRTI) - commissioned research report – annex A