Top Earners employed within Social Security Scotland: FOI release

Information requested

Request for information 1: The five highest salaries paid to individuals who work for Social Security Scotland. Please state the salary amount and the title of the Social Security Scotland post.

Request for information 2: Confirmation of whether or not the top five highest paid individuals are entitled to salary bonuses.

Request for information 3: If it is the case that the top five highest paid individuals are entitled to salary bonuses then please reveal the record of each bonus paid since to them since 2019. Please include a breakdown of amount and date of bonus payment.

Response

Social Security Scotland is an Executive Agency of the Scottish Government and all permanent employees are Civil Servants employed by the Scottish Government under their standard terms and conditions. Its senior employees are members of the Senior Civil Service employed by the Scottish Government. Social Security Scotland is subject to the Scottish Public Sector Pay Policy Paragraph 76 in Social Security Scotland Framework Document which can be found here https://www.gov.scot/binaries/content/documents/govscot/publications/adviceandguidance/2018/09/frameworkdocument/documents/00539939-pdf/00539939-pdf/govscot%3Adocument/00539939.pdf states, Senior Civil Service (SCS) is reserved to the UK Government. SCS pay will be in line with the UK Cabinet Office pay and performance management framework.

Request for information 1:
The five highest paid salaries can be found on page 53 of Our Annual Report and Accounts which is published on our website. https://www.socialsecurity.gov.scot/asset-storage/production/downloads/Social-Security-Scotland-Annual-Report-and-Accounts-2022-to-2023_2023-11-14-140921.pdf
Social Security Scotland do not publish individual salaries, we publish salary ranges in line with the Financial Reporting Manual. A copy of the Financial Reporting Manual can be found here, MASTER_FINAL_2022-23_FReM.pdf (publishing.service.gov.uk)

Request for information 2:
The Scottish Public Sector Pay Policy does not permit the payment of bonuses to Scottish Government staff. The Public Sector Pay Strategy can be found on the gov.scot website Public sector pay strategy 2023 to 2024 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot). Section 4 of the strategy states that it – “maintains the suspension of non-consolidated performance related pay (bonuses);”

Request for information 3:
As stated above, staff of the Scottish Government are not paid bonuses.

About FOI

The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at http://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.