Benefit Take-Up Strategy 2026-2031 - EQIA

Equality Impact Assessment for Benefit Take-Up Strategy 2026

Title of policy:

Benefit Take-Up Strategy 2026

Summary of aims and desired outcomes of Policy:

The Social Security (Scotland) Act 2018 places a statutory duty on Scottish Ministers to actively promote and maximise the take-up of devolved Scottish social security benefits. The Benefit Take-Up Strategy 2026 will set out the Scottish Government’s approach to increasing awareness, accessibility and take-up of social security support among people who are entitled to assistance but may not currently be accessing it.

The 2026 Strategy aims to ensure that by 2031, people can access the support they are entitled to through a more integrated, person-centred system that identifies need earlier, removes barriers to access, and connects individuals to relevant information, advice, advocacy and wider support services. It is intended to improve equality of access, strengthen financial resilience and support timely, accessible and tailored assistance based on individual needs.

The 2026 Strategy builds on the 2019 Benefit Take-Up Strategy, the 2021 Benefit Take-Up Strategy and the Seldom-Heard Groups Action Plan 2025-2026 by ensuring that by 2031, people can access the support they are entitled to through an integrated system that identifies need earlier, removes barriers to access, and connects individuals to relevant information, advice, advocacy and wider services. Underpinned by responsible data sharing across public services and trusted partner organisations, the 2026 Strategy aims to improve equality of access to support, strengthen financial resilience, and enable people to receive timely, accessible and tailored assistance that meets their needs.

Directorate: Social Security Directorate

Division: Social Security Policy

Team: Supporting Access and Reserved Benefits Unit

Executive summary

The Benefit Take-Up Strategy 2026 is intended to increase the take-up of devolved Scottish social security benefits by improving awareness of entitlements, reducing barriers to access and strengthening routes to advice, advocacy and wider support. The 2026 Strategy is rooted in the Scottish social security principles of dignity, fairness and respect and reflects the statutory requirement on Scottish Ministers to publish a Benefit Take-Up Strategy every five years.

The EQIA considered the likely impact of the 2026 Strategy on people with protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010, with particular attention to age, disability, sex, pregnancy and maternity, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, race, and religion or belief. Marriage and civil partnership is not considered a key protected characteristic for this assessment, as the 2026 Strategy does not propose changes to benefit entitlement or access based on an individual's marital status or whether they are in a civil partnership.

The assessment found that the 2026 Strategy is expected to have broadly positive impacts across protected characteristic groups considered during the assessment. These positive impacts include improved access to clear and accessible information, more targeted outreach, strengthened partnership working with trusted intermediaries, improved referral pathways, and increased availability of advice and advocacy support. These actions are expected to help reduce barriers that can prevent eligible people from accessing social security support.

The EQIA also identified risks that could prevent the intended outcomes from being fully realised. These include digital exclusion, inaccessible or culturally inappropriate communications, complex application processes, stigma, lack of trust in public services, and the continued underrepresentation of seldom-heard groups in policy development and service design. The evidence also identified data gaps, particularly around the intersectional experiences of disabled people, minority ethnic communities, LGBT+ people, women and people experiencing multiple forms of disadvantage.

No direct or indirect unlawful discrimination was identified. However, the EQIA has highlighted the need for ongoing monitoring, engagement and evidence gathering throughout implementation of the 2026 Strategy. This includes working with Social Security Scotland, public services, advice agencies, trusted community organisations and the third sector to improve understanding of barriers to take-up and to support continuous improvement during the lifetime of the 2026 Strategy.

Background

The Social Security (Scotland) Act 2018 requires Scottish Ministers to actively promote and maximise the take-up of devolved Scottish social security benefits. This reflects the Scottish Government’s commitment to ensuring that people who are eligible for support are aware of their entitlements, feel able to apply, and can access support through a system designed around dignity, fairness and respect.

Benefit take-up is not experienced equally across the population. Barriers such as limited awareness of entitlements, stigma, mistrust, complex application processes and challenges accessing advice and support can affect anyone. However, evidence considered in the EQIA indicates that these barriers are often compounded by wider social and economic inequalities and may be more pronounced for seldom-heard groups.

The 2019 Benefit Take-Up Strategy identified three main categories of barriers experienced throughout the client journey: learning barriers, compliance barriers and psychological barriers. The 2021 Strategy continued work to address these issues through activity including pre-application support, benefit promotion, accessible communications, advice, independent advocacy, local delivery support, signposting, referrals and automation of processes where possible.

Following a commitment in the 2021 Strategy to improve understanding of, and respond to, the barriers experienced by seldom-heard groups, the Scottish Government worked with Social Security Scotland to develop the Seldom-Heard Groups Action Plan^[i], which was published in August 2025. The Action Plan aimed to improve outcomes for seldom heard communities by strengthening staff awareness and training, improving accessibility and inclusivity of services and communications, improving data collection and enhancing cross-organisational collaboration.

The 2026 Strategy builds on this previous work and seeks to develop a more joined-up and person-centred approach to supporting benefit take-up, underpinned by responsible data sharing. It aims to promote earlier identification of need, improve access to information, advice and advocacy, and strengthen pathways to wider support through partnership working across national and local government, public services, advice agencies, trusted community organisations and the third sector.

The 2026 Strategy will affect people across Scotland who are eligible for devolved social security support, with a particular focus on those who face barriers to accessing the benefits to which they are entitled. This includes people from minority ethnic communities, disabled people and people with chronic ill health, people living in remote and island communities, children and vulnerable family groupings, people with communication needs, and others who have historically been underrepresented in policy design or service delivery.

The Scope of the EQIA

This EQIA considered the impact of the Benefit Take-Up Strategy 2026 on the following protected characteristics:

• Age;
• Disability;
• Sex;
• Pregnancy and maternity;
• Gender reassignment;
• Sexual orientation;
• Race; and
• Religion or belief.

The EQIA considered the three needs of the Public Sector Equality Duty:

• Eliminating unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation;
• Advancing equality of opportunity; and
• Fostering good relations between people who share a protected characteristic and those who do not

Opportunities to promote equality in respect of age, disability, gender reassignment, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation were considered, including removing or minimising barriers, meeting different needs, encouraging participation and fostering good relations.

Approach and methodology:

A full EQIA was undertaken following discussions with Social Security Scotland and Scottish Government colleagues. This was required in order to assess the impact of applying the revised 2026 Strategy against the needs set out in section 149(1) of the Equality Act 2010 and Regulation 5 of the Equality Act 2010 (Specific Duties) (Scotland) Regulations 2012. The EQIA also drew on qualitative and quantitative evidence, including national statistics, published research, stakeholder engagement, lived experience evidence, Social Security Scotland client and applicant data, and policy learning from previous benefit take-up activity.

The assessment considered how barriers to take-up may affect people with protected characteristics, including barriers related to awareness, accessibility, communication, stigma, trust, digital exclusion, complex processes, evidential requirements and engagement with public services.

Evidence gathering and engagement:

The evidence base included learning from previous Benefit Take-Up Strategies, the Seldom-Heard Groups Action Plan, Social Security Scotland applicant diversity and equalities analysis, research into seldom-heard groups, evidence on people with communication needs, and wider research on poverty, disability, ethnicity, gender, pregnancy and maternity, LGBT+ experiences, transport poverty and rural disadvantage.

The EQIA also drew on stakeholder and lived experience engagement. This included feedback from young people, organisations supporting disabled people, women and families, groups supporting families following miscarriage, stillbirth and neonatal death and stakeholders with experience of rural and remote communities and stakeholder groups supporting them. Gaps in evidence, particularly in relation to intersectionality and the experiences of groups who may be underrepresented in national datasets or service data were identified and the EQIA noted that these gaps will be addressed through ongoing engagement, improved data collection and collaboration with relevant stakeholder and representative organisations as the 2026 Strategy is developed and implemented.

Key Findings

Overview:

The EQIA found that the 2026 Strategy is likely to have a positive impact on people with protected characteristics by improving awareness of entitlements, supporting access to advice and advocacy, increasing inclusive communications, and strengthening referrals and partnership working.

The assessment did not identify direct or indirect unlawful discrimination under the Equality Act 2010. However, it did identify potential risks that could limit the 2026 Strategy’s positive impact if they are not addressed through implementation. These include inaccessible communications, digital exclusion, stigma, mistrust of public services, complex application processes, underrepresentation of seldom-heard groups and limited data on intersectional experiences.

The 2026 Strategy’s impact on protected characteristics:

• Age: The 2026 Strategy is expected to have a positive impact across different age groups by improving awareness of entitlements and strengthening access to support through trusted, accessible channels. Evidence indicates that older people are not always receiving benefits for which they are eligible including pension related benefits^[ii] due to barriers including lack of awareness and stigma^[iii]. This was reflected in engagement sessions where older people described difficulties accessing support including limited availability of accessible or face to face support, digital exclusion, geographical isolation (especially those living in remote and rural communities), stigma and the complexity in the application process.

  Engagement with young people, including carers, also highlighted limited knowledge of the social security system and the importance of referrals to trusted third sector organisations that can provide face-to-face support to help young people understand their entitlements, navigate the benefits system, complete applications and access wider support, particularly at times where seeking financial support can feel overwhelming. This is supported by available evidence on the needs and experiences of young people engaging with social security support^[iv].

  The 2026 Strategy can help address these barriers by ensuring that people can access information, advice and practical support in ways that reflect different needs and preferences across age groups. Engagement with both older people and young people highlighted the value of trusted intermediaries and face-to-face support throughout the benefit application process, from raising awareness of potential entitlements to helping people complete and submit forms. There was also clear support for maintaining both digital and face-to-face options, so that people can access support in the way that works best for them.

  By reflecting the findings of the EQIA, the 2026 Strategy will advance equality of opportunity by protecting non-digital and face-to-face routes for people who may be digitally excluded or isolated, while strengthening referral pathways through trusted services and third sector organisations for young people, carers and others who may be less familiar with the social security system. By making support available through trusted and accessible channels, Social Security Scotland and its partners can improve access to wider forms of support.

• Disability: Evidence indicates that poverty is more prevalent in households that include a disabled person^[v]. Disabled people may be at greater risk of poverty and financial insecurity due to the additional costs associated with disability, barriers to employment and health-related impacts^[vi]. These financial pressures increase the importance of disabled people being able to access social security support they are entitled to. However, evidence suggests that people face a range of barriers when trying to access the benefits they are entitled to, which include stigma, complex application processes, inaccessible communications, difficulties gathering supporting information, and the physical and mental effort involved in seeking advice and completing applications^[vii]. These issues were reflected in engagement sessions with disabled people and organisations that represent them. Participants highlighted the impact that navigating the benefits system can have on people’s wellbeing, particularly where they are already managing health conditions, impairment-related barriers or financial stress. They also raised concerns about the availability of face-to-face advice, pressure on welfare advice services, limited access to local delivery support in some areas, and the challenges of completing complex applications without trusted, practical assistance.

  The 2026 Strategy will have a positive impact by addressing the barriers disabled people identified through both evidence and engagement in the EQIA. This includes promoting accessible communication formats, improving signposting to advice and advocacy, and supporting more flexible, targeted and practical assistance throughout the application process.

  The EQIA identified a need to strengthen the evidence base on the intersectional experiences of disabled people. While there is evidence that disabled people with other protected characteristics can experience distinct and compounded barriers when accessing services, the evidence is uneven and does not always provide detailed insights into how barriers affect people with protected characteristics including disabled LGBT+ people^[viii], disabled women^[ix], disabled older people^[x] and disabled people living in remote, rural and island communities^[xi].

• Sex: The EQIA identified gendered patterns in poverty and benefit access. Statistics show that women make up 65% of benefit applicants compared to 27% men and have higher approval rates^[xii]. The reasons for this lower male engagement are unclear and indicate a need to better understand the barriers faced by men in benefit take-up. However, these statistics also reflect the gender disparity in poverty; women are more likely to experience domestic abuse, poverty, lone parenthood, caring responsibilities and low-paid or part-time work^[xiii]. These factors can increase financial vulnerability and the importance of access to social security support^[xiv].

  Reflecting the findings of the EQIA, the 2026 Strategy aims to improve equality of opportunity by supporting inclusive communications, targeted outreach and non-stigmatising approaches to benefit take-up such as promoting family related benefits through services used by parents and carers such as education and healthcare settings.

• Pregnancy and Maternity: Pregnancy and maternity were identified as periods of increased financial vulnerability^[xv], particularly where they intersect with priority family characteristics such as younger mothers, lone parenthood, disability or minority ethnic background^[xvi]. The EQIA noted evidence that pregnancy and early parenthood can be associated with reduced employment and increased financial pressure.

  The 2026 Strategy is expected to have a positive impact by reflecting EQIA findings and improving promotion of maternity and early years financial support and by supporting signposting through pivotal settings such as healthcare, maternity services and early years services, especially during heightened vulnerability such as the loss of a baby. Engagement with organisations supporting families following miscarriage, stillbirth and neonatal death highlighted the need for clearer signposting to financial assistance and better resources for support organisations.

• Gender reassignment: The EQIA found that evidence on gender reassignment, poverty and benefit take-up is limited, particularly in relation to quantitative data. However, qualitative evidence suggests that this group may experience barriers linked to dignity, discrimination, confidence and trust when engaging with services, including concerns about respectful treatment, accurate use of personal details and the handling of name or identity records^[xvii].

  The 2026 Strategy is expected to have a positive impact by reflecting EQIA findings and promoting respectful, confidential and inclusive services, inclusive communications and engagement through trusted third sector organisations. The EQIA identified further engagement with LGBT+ organisations as an opportunity to improve understanding of specific barriers and enablers for benefit take-up.

• Sexual Orientation: The EQIA found that that lesbian, gay, bisexual and other minority sexual orientation groups may experience specific barriers linked to hardship, stigma, discrimination and inequality^[xviii]. This suggests that these experiences can affect people’s confidence in approaching public services, especially where personal information is disclosed. Quantitative evidence on the benefit journey remains limited. Social Security Scotland applicant diversity data cited in the EQIA shows that most applicants identified as heterosexual, while smaller proportions identified as bisexual, gay, lesbian, or in another way^[xix]. While this data is useful, it does not provide a full picture of whether people from minority sexual orientation groups experience different outcomes at each stage of the benefits journey.

  The 2026 Strategy is expected to have a positive impact by reflecting EQIA findings by promoting positive, inclusive communication, strengthen inclusive service delivery, and improve equality monitoring through improved data collection.

• Race: The EQIA identified substantial evidence that some minority ethnic groups are more likely to experience poverty and structural inequalities relating to employment, income, housing, healthcare and access to social security services^[xx]. The evidence has also highlighted that some groups such as Roma and Gypsy/Traveller communities remain underrepresented in national datasets while facing higher risks of poverty, reduced life expectancy and limited access to services^[xxi]. This may mean that available data may not fully reflect the scale or nature of the disadvantage experienced by these communities.

  The EQIA also found that minority ethnic groups, particularly recent migrants, may face barriers when accessing social security and advice services. These barriers include limited awareness of entitlements, language barriers, limited interaction with public services, discrimination and mistrust of public bodies^[xxii]. Social Security Scotland diversity data cited in the EQIA indicates that minority ethnic groups are underrepresented among applicants and may experience lower approval rates than White applicants^[xxiii].

  Evidence on outreach has often focused on healthcare initiatives and highlights that take-up is more likely to improve where services are designed to be inclusive, culturally sensitive and delivered in partnership with trusted community intermediaries. For example, evaluations of vaccination outreach^[xxiv] and cancer screening^[xxv] initiatives highlight the importance of co-designed messages, community-led delivery, faith-based or culturally appropriate settings, and trusted local voices in addressing barriers such as mistrust, low awareness, language needs and stigma. Applying learning from healthcare outreach suggests that the 2026 Strategy could have a positive impact if it supports targeted, community-based engagement, works with trusted intermediaries, and ensures communications are inclusive, accessible and responsive to the needs of different minority ethnic communities.

  In response to the EQIA evidence, the 2026 Strategy will support culturally competent engagement, targeted outreach through trusted community and third sector organisations, accessible information, and stronger signposting to welfare rights advice and advocacy for minority ethnic communities.

• Religion or Belief: The EQIA found that religion or belief closely intersects with race and ethnicity. Evidence indicates that some religious communities in the UK experience disproportionately high levels of poverty, particularly where there is strong representation from Pakistani, Bangladeshi and Black African ethnic groups. These patterns mean that disadvantage experienced by some religious groups, including Muslim, Sikh and Hindu communities, cannot be understood in isolation from wider structural inequalities linked to race, income, employment, housing and access to public services^[xxvi].

  Social Security Scotland diversity data also indicates that benefit approval rates for Sikh and Hindu applicants were lower than for some other religious groups^[xxvii]. While this data does not by itself explain the reasons for lower approval rates, it suggests that there may be barriers within the benefit journey that require further investigation.

  As a result of the EQIA findings and stakeholder engagement, the 2026 Strategy is expected to have a positive impact on this group by working closely with trusted intermediaries, including faith-based organisations who are often well placed to reach communities who may be less likely to engage directly with public bodies due to low awareness of entitlements, language barriers, mistrust, previous experiences of discrimination, or uncertainty about eligibility. Working with these organisations can help ensure that communication is inclusive, accessible, culturally appropriate and delivered through channels that communities already know and trust.

Intersectional impacts:

The EQIA found that barriers to benefit take-up are often cumulative rather than experienced in isolation. Characteristics and circumstances such as age, disability, sex, pregnancy and maternity, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, race, religion or belief, caring responsibilities, geography, poverty, trauma and social isolation can combine to create barriers to awareness, confidence, engagement and successful completion of applications.

The EQIA identified groups who may face overlapping barriers, including disabled people from minority ethnic communities, younger mothers and lone parents, older people with poor health or caring responsibilities, LGBT+ people experiencing disability or social isolation, and people in remote and rural communities affected by transport barriers, isolation, limited advice provision and stigma in close-knit communities. The EQIA has shown that action to improve take-up is more effective where it recognises the complexity of people’s lives and does not rely on a single route to support.

As a result, the 2026 Strategy has been developed to take a more person-centred and intersectional approach. This includes improving accessible and inclusive communication, strengthening signposting and advice, supporting targeted outreach, and working with trusted intermediaries such as advice services, community organisations, disabled people’s organisations, carers’ organisations, minority ethnic organisations, LGBT+ organisations and faith-based groups where appropriate. The 2026 Strategy will also use equality data, lived experience and feedback to better understand where barriers occur across the benefit journey and to support action to reduce unequal access to social security support.

Human Rights considerations:

The 2026 Strategy is grounded in Scotland’s rights-based approach to social security, which is underpinned by the principles of dignity, fairness and respect. By improving access to financial support, advice, advocacy and wider services, the 2026 Strategy aims to help people understand and realise their social security entitlements. This is expected to reduce poverty-related barriers that can affect wellbeing, participation and equality of opportunity, while supporting the aims of Scotland’s social security system and the public sector equality duty under the Equality Act 2010.

Conclusions:

The EQIA did not identify direct or indirect unlawful discrimination. However, it identified a number of actions that should be taken forward through implementation of the 2026 Strategy to maximise positive equality impacts and reduce the risk of persistent barriers to benefit take-up.

As set out in the evidence above, previous research and engagement highlighted that people may be less likely to access benefits where they face barriers such as low awareness of entitlement, communication needs, language barriers, mistrust of public services, stigma, discrimination, digital exclusion, trauma, caring responsibilities or limited access to advice. The EQIA has therefore shaped the 2026 Strategy by highlighting the need for inclusive communications, targeted outreach, partnership working, improved referral pathways, accessible advice and advocacy, and ongoing evidence gathering.

The 2026 Strategy will continue to prioritise accessible, inclusive and targeted communications, including information in accessible formats and approaches that reflect the needs of people with communication needs, people for whom English is not a first language, disabled people, older people, young people, minority ethnic communities and people for whom standard communication routes may be ineffective.

The 2026 Strategy will also build on evidence discussed earlier in the EQIA about the importance of trusted intermediaries including advice agencies, third sector organisations, local partners, community organisations and faith-based organisations where appropriate. These organisations are important because they can provide trusted routes into support, help address mistrust or stigma, support culturally appropriate communication, and assist people to understand entitlements and navigate application processes.

The Scottish Government and Social Security Scotland should continue to strengthen referral pathways, signposting and joined up working across public services, advice services, advocacy provision and wider support services. This is particularly important for people who face multiple barriers and may otherwise be required to navigate complex systems on their own.

Further evidence gathering should be undertaken to address data gaps identified in the EQIA, particularly around intersectionality and the experiences of disabled people, minority ethnic communities, LGBT+ people, women, people with communication needs, people in remote and rural areas, and seldom-heard groups.

Implementation of the 2026 Strategy will continue to include engagement with people with lived experience and with organisations representing affected groups. This will support continuous improvement and help ensure that barriers are identified and addressed as delivery progresses.

Overall, the EQIA has helped shape the 2026 Strategy by identifying practical steps needed to improve equality of access to social security support. These actions should be embedded throughout implementation and monitored over time to ensure the 2026 Strategy is reducing barriers and improving benefit take-up for groups most at risk of being excluded.

Monitoring and Review:

Monitoring and review will be embedded throughout delivery of the Benefit Take-Up Strategy 2026 to 2031. Individual actions, projects, pilots and service improvements will include appropriate monitoring and evaluation arrangements to assess delivery, understand impact and identify opportunities for improvement as well as to understand how effectively they improve access to support and reduce barriers for different groups. Annual benefit take-up estimates will continue to be published where robust data is available.

The review approach will draw on stakeholder engagement, lived experience, client insight, operational data and wider evidence on people’s experiences of Scotland’s social security system, including the Charter Measurement Framework^[xxviii]. This will help assess whether the 2026 Strategy is supporting dignity, fairness and respect and whether further action is needed to improve accessibility, inclusion and person-centred delivery.

Insights from continuous learning, monitoring and evaluation will be used to refine delivery, build on successful interventions, respond to emerging challenges and support continuous improvement throughout the lifetime of the 2026 Strategy.

Recommendations and Conclusion

The EQIA concludes that the Benefit Take-Up Strategy 2026 is expected to have a positive impact on equality by improving access to social security support for people who are entitled to benefits but may face barriers to take-up. The 2026 Strategy is particularly relevant for people with protected characteristics and for seldom-heard groups who may experience compounded disadvantage due to poverty, disability, age, ethnicity, gender, communication needs, geography, stigma, trauma or mistrust of public services.

No unlawful discrimination has been identified. The EQIA has, however, shaped the policy by highlighting the need for inclusive communications, targeted outreach, strengthened partnership working, improved referral pathways, accessible advice and advocacy, and ongoing evidence gathering. These actions will help the 2026 Strategy advance equality of opportunity, remove or minimise barriers, foster good relations and support better outcomes for people and communities across Scotland.