Social Security Scotland automated review notifications for Adult Disability Payment (ADP): FOI Review

Information requested

Original request 202600503214

Request for information 1:

The criteria, rules, or conditions that trigger the sending of automated reminder communications (including emails and SMS messages) to clients in relation to ADP reviews.

Request for information 2:

Whether such automated reminder communications are automatically suppressed, paused, or cancelled once review information or evidence is marked as “received” on internal case management systems.

Request for information 3:

A - If suppression, pausing, or cancellation exists:

the specific circumstances in which automated reminders may nevertheless continue to be issued after review information is recorded as received.

or

B - If no such suppression, pausing, or cancellation exists confirmation of this fact and any documented rationale or risk assessment supporting the continued issuing of automated reminders after receipt of review information.

Request for information 4:

Any internal guidance, policy documents, or operational instructions currently in force that govern the interaction between automated reminder systems and the receipt or processing status of ADP review information.

Response

I have now completed my review of our response to your request under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 (FOISA). You are dissatisfied that we did not provide you with specific information.

You originally asked for:

1. The criteria, rules, or conditions that trigger the sending of automated reminder communications (including emails and SMS messages) to clients in relation to ADP reviews.

2. Whether such automated reminder communications are automatically suppressed, paused, or cancelled once review information or evidence is marked as “received” on internal case management systems.

3. If suppression, pausing, or cancellation exists:

Confirm the specific circumstances in which automated reminders may nevertheless continue to be issued after review information is recorded as received.

If no such suppression, pausing, or cancellation exists: Confirmation of this fact, and any documented rationale or risk assessment supporting the continued issuing of automated reminders after receipt of review information.

4. Any internal guidance, policy documents, or operational instructions currently in force that govern the interaction between automated reminder systems and the receipt or processing status of ADP review information.

This review request is in relation to our response to your Freedom of Information request with case number 202500503214.

You have contacted Social Security Scotland to express your dissatisfaction in that you disagree and consider that the response provided is inaccurate and believe that we have not provided the information they have requested.

Decision:

I have concluded that the original decision should be upheld with modifications, as I am providing further information regarding automated reminder communications.

Revised decision:

Request for information 1:

The automated communications process, whether a client applied directly to Social Security Scotland, or was transferred through a managed transfer from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), is as follows:

Day 1 (review date) - The client is issued with a review pack.

Day 6 (5 working days after issue) - If the client has opted in to SMS notifications and provided a mobile phone number, they receive a message advising that their review pack should have arrived and asking them to return the completed form promptly.

Day 28 – If no review form, or a Change of Circumstances form has been received the client is sent a reminder letter. An SMS or email is also issued on the same day.

Day 56 – If the required documentation has still not been returned, a further reminder letter is issued. An SMS or email is also issued on the same day.

Please note that the timetable differs slightly for unplanned case transfer cases from DWP, which are typically initiated by a Change of Circumstances form.

For these cases, the 28 and 56 day reminders are calculated from the Entitlement Start Date, rather than the Review Date used in the process detailed above.

Request for information 2:

When the required documentation is received and logged on our system, automated reminders stop.

Request for information 3:

Automated reminders will continue to be issued where the information received is insufficient to be reconciled with the client's record.

If the documentation cannot be reconciled automatically, reminders will continue to be issued on day 28 and 56. These automated reminders will stop once the response documentation has been verified and manually matched to the client's record.

Request for information 4:

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance Social Security Scotland does not have the information you have requested. We do not have any specific guidance for this. As this is referencing a system automated process, there would not be any guidance required for our Case Managers to follow.

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

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.