Social Security Scotland and adult disability payment process review: FOI Review
- Published
- 21 January 2025
- Directorate
- Social Security Directorate
- FOI reference
- FOI/202400442653 Review of 202400431413
- Date received
- 27 November 2024
- Date responded
- 19 December 2024
Information request and response under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002.
Information requested
Orginal Request 202400431413
On June 27, 2023, Shirley-Anne Somerville in the Scottish Parliament (https://www.theyworkforyou.com/sp/?id=2023-06-27.3.0) said:
“There is an end-to-end process review being undertaken, and some procedures have already been put in place” with regards Social Security Scotland and adult disability payment.
Request for Information 1: Was this process review undertaken by external consultants?
Request for Information 2: If so, how much was paid to these external consultants for this work?
Request for Information 3: Have external consultants been engaged to undertake other work for Social Security Scotland?
Request for Information 4: Would this sort of external consultancy work come under the type of discretionary spend that is now on hold under the government's emergency spending controls?
Request for Information 5: Can you provide sight of the report mentioned by Shirley-Anne Somerville?
Response
I have now completed my review of our response to your request under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 (FOISA) for sight of an “end-to-end process review” that was carried out in relation to Social Security Scotland and Adult Disability Payment.
Response to Review
I have concluded that a different decision should be substituted.
In reviewing this request I have revisited all documents that fall within the scope of your request and ensured all of these, including that of external consultants, have been considered. The document being released is an agreed output which provides headings of the overarching end to end review, of which the consultancy input referred to in our previous response was a part of.
In releasing this document, I have concluded an exemption under section 30(c) of FOISA (prejudice to effective conduct of public affairs) applies to some of the information requested. Disclosing this information would substantially prejudice our ability to deliver disability benefits because, it would damage our relationship with other organisations we rely upon to process our benefits. This would constitute substantial prejudice to the effective conduct of public affairs in terms of the exemption.
This exemption is subject to the ‘public interest test. Therefore, taking account of all the circumstances of this case, we have considered if the public interest in disclosing the information outweighs the public interest in applying the exemption. We have found that, on balance, the public interest lies in favour of upholding the exemption. We recognise that there is a public interest in disclosing information as part of open, transparent and accountable government. However, there is a greater public interest in protecting the process of paying disability payments to the people of Scotland and ensuring that the Scottish Government is able to conduct this aspect of its business effectively.
About FOI
The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at https://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.
- File type
- File size
- 46.9 kB
Contact
Please quote the FOI reference
Central Correspondence Unit
Email: contactus@gov.scot
Phone: 0300 244 4000
The Scottish Government
St Andrew's House
Regent Road
Edinburgh
EH1 3DG
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