Benefit Take-Up Strategy 2026-2031: Fairer Scotland Duty impact assessment

Summary of aims and expected outcomes of strategy, proposal, programme or policy

The Social Security (Scotland) Act 2018 places a statutory duty on Scottish Ministers to promote and maximise the take-up of devolved Scottish social security benefits. The Benefit Take-up Strategy 2026 sets out the Scottish Government’s approach to ensuring that people who are entitled to support are aware of it, feel able to apply for it, and can access it through a system designed around dignity, fairness and respect.

The 2026 Strategy builds on previous benefit take-up activity and evidence, including learning from the 2019^[1] and 2021^[2] Benefit Take-up Strategies and the Seldom-Heard Groups Action Plan^[3]. It focuses on a more joined-up and person-centred approach to benefit take-up, with priority areas covering data sharing, signposting and referrals, pre-application support, engagement, awareness raising and outreach, accessible processes and automation.

The 2026 Strategy is expected to improve awareness, understanding and take-up of devolved social security benefits, particularly among people and communities who face the greatest barriers to accessing support. It aims to reduce practical, communication, accessibility and trust-related barriers; increase household income and financial resilience; and contribute to wider action to reduce poverty and inequalities of outcome caused by socio-economic disadvantage.