Scottish Government evaluation: having your benefit moved to Social Security Scotland

The Scottish Government has asked an independent research organisation, The Lines Between, to find out about people’s experiences and impacts of having their disability benefits transferred from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to Social Security Scotland.

The researchers would like to speak with people whose benefits have transferred from DWP to one of the following Social Security Scotland benefits (see table below). They would also like to speak to parents, carers or other representatives that manage someone else's disability benefit on their behalf. The table below shows the benefits people have moved from and to:

DWP Benefit	Social Security Scotland Benefit
Disability Living Allowance for Children (DLAC)	Child Disability Payment (CDP)
Personal Independence Payment (PIP)	Adult Disability Payment (ADP)
Disability Living Allowance (DLA)	Adult Disability Payment (ADP) or Scottish Adult Disability Living Allowance (SADLA)
Attendance Allowance	Pension Age Disability Payment (PADP)

What taking part involves

If you decide to take part, there are three ways to do so: 

1. Complete an online survey and register your interest for an interview (link to survey below)

2. Complete an online survey only (link to survey below)

3. Register your interest for an interview by contacting the Lines Between (details on how to do this below) 

Please quote the code we included in the email, letter or text message we sent you when prompted. Taking part in any of this is completely voluntary and you can change your mind about participating at any stage.

The online survey

This is available to do online on a smartphone, tablet or computer. The survey will include questions about how you found different aspects of the transfer process. It will take about 10 to 15 minutes to complete.

The interviews

These involve speaking to a researcher from The Lines Between by telephone, online or in-person for around 30-45 minutes. People who take part in an interview will be given a £40 gift card for Amazon or Love2Shop.  

The interview will cover your overall experience of having your benefit transferred to Social Security Scotland. 

The researchers are interested in things like how you found the process and whether you felt informed about what was happening. There are no right or wrong answers, the aim is to understand how the process has been for you. You can have a family member, friend or someone else that supports you with you during the interview if you would like. 

How to sign up

The survey and further information is available online.

(Please use the code we included in the email, letter or text message we sent you when prompted) 

The survey will ask you whether you would like to take part in an interview too.   

If you would prefer to only take part in an interview, please contact The Lines Between by:  

• emailing: casetransfer@thelinesbetween.co.uk and quoting the code we sent you in the subject line 
• phoning: 0131 235 2012 
• writing to: Ian Christie, The Lines Between, 3 Piershill Place, Edinburgh, EH8 7EH and quoting the code we sent you 

If you have any questions about this study, please contact The Lines Between using the details above. 

How taking part could affect your benefits

Taking part will not affect your benefits. No one involved in making benefit decisions now or in the future will have access to your answers or know if you have taken part. Nobody will be able to identify you in any of the reported results and taking part will not affect any of your applications or benefits.   

Volunteering for an interview and selection

There is a maximum number of interviews The Lines Between can do, so it may not be possible to interview everyone who wants to take part, and they might have to be selective to make sure they speak to a diverse range of people across the country.  

Thank you for your interest in this important research study.  

If you have questions about your benefits

The research team do not have access to your case information and can’t give advice. You can contact Social Security Scotland by:

• web chat
• freephone: 0800 182 2222 (8am to 5pm, Monday to Friday). If you're a British Sign Language user, you can use the contactSCOTLAND app to contact Social Security Scotland by video relay
• or post: Social Security Scotland, General Enquiries, PO Box 10301, Dundee, DD1 9FY