Spending on social security: FOI release

Information requested

In a previous FOI request's
https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/855756/response/2038218/attach/html/3/Response%20202200295570.pdf.html

It's claimed by SNP Governemnt, Scotland financed (despite covid & without borrowing)

• £8,783bn = Social protection (no breakdown or box number provided)
• £8,517bn = State pension (box 3.2)
• £3,170bn = Universal credit (box 3.2)
• £20,470bn = Total (social protection+state pension+universal credit)

I note your very own compiled and published by SNP Gov, Box 3.2 total social protection spending of

• £26,017bn.
• £20,470bn = claimed paid for by snp gov from day to day spending (without borrowing and despite covid)

Leaving

• £5,547bn = Not paid for by Scotland (despite covid and no borrowing)

Of the £8.783bn Social protection spend above, which lines of box 3.2 can the sum be attributed to?

Which lines of box 3.2, were not paid for by the snp governemtnt (despite covid and without borrowing)?

Response

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the Scottish Government does not have the information you have requested. The reasons why we don't have the information are explained below.

Of the £8.783bn Social protection spend above, which lines of box 3.2 can the sum be attributed to?

The £8.783 billion of social protection spend relates to devolved current expenditure. In contrast, Box 3.2 shows all social protection expenditure, both current and capital.

Box 3.2 is not produced from the Government Expenditure & Revenue Scotland (GERS) spending database. It is instead produced by drawing on a range of data sources on social security expenditure, such as information published by the Department of Work and Pensions. These data sources are not all separated into current and capital spending, and as such, the Scottish Government does not hold a breakdown of the figures in Box 3.2 into current and capital spending.

However, almost all social security expenditure is current expenditure. In 2020-21, total devolved expenditure on social security in was £8.9 billion, meaning that almost 99% of this was current expenditure. In Box 3.2, the following lines consist exclusively of devolved spending in GERS:

Devolved expenditure lines in Box 3.2 (current and capital, 2020-21)

Housing benefit	£1,380 million
Scottish Government social security	£3,897 million
Social care for the elderly and disables	£2,206 million
Sub-total	£7,983 million

This spending is likely to be almost entirely current expenditure. The remainder of the £3.783 billion will be spread across the 'net public sector pensions' and 'other' lines in Box 3.2.

Which lines of box 3.2, were not paid for by the snp governemtnt (despite covid and without borrowing)?

As set out in previous correspondence (for example: GERS 2021 Box 3.2 - a Freedom of Information request to Scottish Government - WhatDoTheyKnow), as taxation is not hypothecated or ring-fenced to particular spending lines, it is not possible to say how much of particular spending lines are financed by taxation or borrowing, or by different parts of government.

This is a formal notice under section 17(1) of FOISA that the Scottish Government does not have the information you have requested.

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