Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) Between Scottish Ministers (SM) and Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (SSWP) on joint working arrangements

6. Escalation and Dispute Resolution

6.1. Where a dispute arises about the operation of this MoU, all parties will seek to resolve it informally through the identified SPoCs. SPoCs may initially refer the matter to relevant Directors in each organisation (namely Hilda Massey for DWP, Stephen Kerr for the Social Security Programme and Colin Cook for the Employment Services Programme). The relevant Directors are to be copied into all escalation correspondence.

6.2. Individual agreements that sit as Annexes to this MoU can have their own escalation routes.

6.3. In exceptional circumstances, where a dispute cannot be resolved informally at Director level, in the case of welfare benefits it may be escalated to the Joint Ministerial Working Group on Welfare (JMWGW) or individual Ministers. The appropriate SPoCs will, at all times, keep each other informed of any planned escalation, prior to the escalation happening.