Scottish Welfare Fund - statutory guidance update: equality impact assessment - April 2025

Stage 2: Data and evidence gathering, involvement and consultation

Include the results of your evidence gathering, including qualitative and quantitative data and the source of that information, whether national statistics, internal surveys, workforce data or consultation with Unions or engagement with diversity networks or external equality organisations.

Equality groups^[10]: Age

Evidence gathered and strength/quality of evidence

• The data coverage for this protected characteristic is 99% across all 32 local authorities^[11].
• In the majority of local authorities, most applicants to the SWF are in the 30-39 age group (31%). This has been consistent since 2013^[12].
• Community Care Grant applicants have been consistently distributed by age since the scheme began in 2013^[13].
• There has been a decline in SWF applications from people aged 18-24 since the fund began^[14].
• Those aged 60 or over apply for more Community Care Grants than they do Crisis Grants^[15].
• The number of SWF applicants declines steeply by age until the mid-sixties, at which rates flatten^[16].
• There is a correlation between age and rate of award. In general, the older an applicant, the more likely they are to succeed with their application (both Community Care Grants and Crisis Grants)^[17].
• For those over 70, it is more likely a Community Care Grant will be successful compared to a Crisis Grant^[18].
• 37% of female applicants are under 35, compared to 32% of males^[19].

Data gaps identified and action taken

N/A

Equality groups: Disability

Evidence gathered and strength/quality of evidence

• There appears to be mixed use of the ‘no disability’ and ‘refused’ categories on application forms.
• The number of applicants reporting a ‘physical or mental health condition or illness lasting or expected to last 12 months’ or more varied by local authority, sitting at fewer than 10% of applicants in two local authorities to 75% in another^[20].
• Some local authorities were over 50% in this area, with the Scotland average sitting at 33%^[21].
• There has been a slight increase in people who report a disability since the fund began in 2013^[22].
• Disability appears to be less significant with relation to award rates than other protected characteristics. 63% of those who declared a disability received awards, compared to 63% who declared no disability and 67% of those who refused to provide this information^[23].
• Of those who declared a disability, 59% were under 45 compared to 70% without a disability^[24].
• 31% of males and 35% of females declared a disability^[25].

Data gaps identified and action taken

• The data coverage for this protected characteristic for SWF applicants is 69% from all 32 local authorities. Further work is required to explain the wide range of disability reporting among local authorities as some report a high level, while others are quite low^[26].

Equality groups: Sex/Gender

Evidence gathered and strength/quality of evidence

• 49% of SWF applicants are male^[27].
• Since 2013, 42% of Community Care Grant applicants and 51% of Crisis Grant applicants are male^[28].
• Very little data is currently available on people who identify as non-binary, although this is now an option for people to select as of 2023/24^[29].
• There is little difference between males and females when it comes to award rates. Females have a 1% higher success rate for both Community Care Grants and Crisis Grants^[30].
• 1 in 3 working-age women without children are in poverty^[31].
• Engender and Shelter published a joint report in October 2024. Within this, there were asks of the Scottish Government to create targeted streams of the fund to support marginalised women, including migrant women, women with no recourse to public funds and unpaid carers^[32].
• Scottish Government officials are currently engaging with the Home Office to explore the removal of the SWF from the immigration rules which could benefit women with no recourse to public funds.
• Updating the statutory guidance to ensure that it is clearer, easier to understand and more accessible could help further support marginalised women, such as those with no recourse to public funds or caring responsibilities.
• To ensure the lived experience of people living in poverty, we engaged with the Poverty Alliance ‘Get Heard Scotland’ Citizen Panel on specific actions relating to accessibility of the guidance and ensuring key principles around dignity and respect. The panel was made up of 6 women, 4 men and one person who identified as non-binary.
• Scottish Government statistics between 2020 – 2023 show that 19% of women and 20% of men were in relative poverty after housing costs^[33].
• In 2020-2023, 23% of single female pensioners and 16% of single male pensioners were in relative poverty after housing costs^[34].

Data gaps identified and action taken

• There are some data gaps for this protected characteristic. The SWF equalities summary for 2024 focuses primarily on men and this makes it hard to determine the percentage of women and people who identify as non-binary. The Scottish Government rely on local authorities to provide us with this data. As part of workstream 3 of the action plan, there is further work being undertaken to improve data and strengthen reporting. External data has been sought to offer further context.

Equality groups: Pregnancy and maternity

Evidence gathered and strength/quality of evidence

• Relative poverty rates have been historically higher for single mothers, but are gradually declining compared with other single household types^[35].
• Households with children where the mother is under 25 are at a high risk of poverty^[36].

Data gaps identified and action taken

N/A

Equality groups: Gender reassignment

Evidence gathered and strength/quality of evidence

• A report published in July 2024 by Scottish Trans detailing trans and non-binary experiences highlighted that 44% of respondents felt the rising cost of food and fuel had impacted them a lot. A large majority of respondents (42%) felt this had affected them a little in the last 12 months^[37].
• 11% of people had used a food bank or similar service in the last 12 months^[38].
• A minority of respondents felt that their trans status or gender identity had a negative impact on their ability to claim benefits (13%)^[39].
• A third of people surveyed by Scottish Trans were currently claiming benefits^[40].

Data gaps identified and action taken

• There are some data gaps for this protected characteristic. As such, external data has been sought. We will continue to consider impacts ahead of implementation.

Equality groups: Sexual orientation

Evidence gathered and strength/quality of evidence

• The poverty rate has been consistently higher for LGB+ adults compared to straight/heterosexual adults. Statistics from 2020-23 show that 25% of LGB+ adults were in poverty compared to 19% of straight adults^[41].
• LGB+ people are more likely to live in deprived areas^[42].

Data gaps identified and action taken

• There are some data gaps for this protected characteristic. As such, external data has been sought. We will continue to consider impacts ahead of implementation.

Equality groups: Race

Evidence gathered and strength/quality of evidence

• More than half of children from minority ethnic families (53%) are living in poverty according to a 2024 Joseph Rowntree Foundation report^[43].
• Just 46% of applicants to the SWF across 30 local authorities have provided information about their ethnicity^[44].
• In the first quarter of 2024, white ethnicities made up 90% of applicants to the SWF – similar to the average for the lifetime of the fund^[45].
• Increases have been seen in the amount of applications from mixed and black ethnic groups, although this group of people still make up a small proportion of applications overall^[46].
• The Independent review into the SWF highlighted that there were some gaps in data received by the Scottish Government from local authorities, including on ethnicity^[47].
• There is a higher award rate among applicants who refuse to offer information on their ethnicity (67%) versus those from a white ethnic background (63%)^[48].
• Mixed heritage applicants showed the largest proportion of younger applicants, with 77% under 45. This group also have the largest proportion of under-25 applicants at 25%^[49].
• Applicants of Chinese ethnicity have the largest proportion of over-55 applications at 10%, no other groups have over 5%^[50].
• Currently people with No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF) are not entitled to SWF grants. Scottish Government officials are currently engaging with the Home Office to explore the removal of the SWF from the immigration rules.
• According to Citizens Advice, 1.4 million people in the UK have NRPF, with the burden of restrictions falling on Black or Asian people, or people from other minority ethnic groups (82%)^[51].
• People from non-white minority ethnic groups were more likely to be in relative poverty after housing costs compared to those from ‘white – British’ and ‘white-other’ groups^[52].

Data gaps identified and action taken

N/A

Equality groups: Religion and belief

Evidence gathered and strength/quality of evidence

• Only 42% of applicants to the SWF across 30 local authorities have provided information about their religion and beliefs^[53].
• Of 307,000 people who have declared a religion, 90% are Christian, 3% Muslim, 1% Pagan, 1% Buddhist and 4% other religions. These all make up fewer than 1% of applications since the fund began^[54].
• Within the Christian denominations, 49% were Roman Catholic, 39% Church of Scotland and 12% ‘Other Christian’^[55].
• The number of Muslims applying to the SWF has increased from around 1% to 5% since 2013. The proportion of applications from Christians and other religions has declined slightly over this same period^[56].
• There is a slight difference in award rate for applicants who refuse to offer information on their religion (67%) versus applicants who either have a religion or have declared no religion (both 63%)^[57].
• Where religion was declared, only two groups had fewer than 50% of applicants under 45 years old (Church of Scotland and Sikh)^[58]
• Within the Christian categories, most Church of Scotland applicants (88%) are white Scottish. This is 83% for Roman Catholic.
• The largest proportion of Muslim applicants have Pakistani ethnicity (31%). Many other ethnicities are in this category, including Arab (13%).

Data gaps identified and action taken

N/A

Equality groups: Marriage and civil partnership

(The Scottish Government does not require assessment against this protected characteristic unless the policy or practice relates to work, for example Human Resources policies and practices - refer to Definitions of Protected Characteristics document for details)

Evidence gathered and strength/quality of evidence

• In 2020-23, the relative poverty rate after housing costs was highest for single adults (30%) and divorced adults (28%). Married (15%) and cohabiting adults (16%) were the least likely to be in poverty^[59].

Data gaps identified and action taken

N/A

Equality groups: Socio Economic Background

(In the Fairer Scotland Duty we must actively pay due regard to how we can reduce inequalities of outcome caused by socio-economic disadvantage, when making strategic decisions).

Evidence gathered and strength/quality of evidence

• The distribution methodology for the SWF is based on the income domain of SIMD (i.e. the numbers of people receiving low income benefits) and has been agreed in conjunction with CoSLA as set out in the Scottish Local Government Finance ‘Green Book’^[60].
• This allows the funding to be weighted more favourably to areas with the highest proportion of low income households where people in those communities may be less able to meet an unexpected financial crisis should it arise.
• The annual statistics for 2023/24 show that awards tend to go to applicants living in the most deprived areas of Scotland^[61].
• Around 1 in 5 people in Scotland live in the 20% most deprived areas in Scotland, defined by the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD). In 2023/24, around half of Community Care Grants (52%) and Crisis Grants (49%) were awarded to people living in these areas^[62].
• A Fairer Scotland Duty has been carried out on the proposed changes.

Data gaps identified and action taken

N/A