Social Security Programme 2017-2026: Delivery Report
This delivery report outlines work carried out by the Scottish Government’s 2017-2026 Social Security Programme to build Scotland’s new devolved benefits system
Background to the Social Security Programme
Following the referendum on Scottish independence held on 18 September 2014, a Commission was set up to deliver cross-party agreement on enhanced devolution for the Scottish Parliament in line with commitments made by the three largest UK political parties.
The Commission was overseen by Lord Smith of Kelvin and included representation from all the main Scottish political parties as well as more than 400 civic institutions, organisations and groups providing a broad range of views on which powers should be devolved. More than 18,000 members of the public contributed their views to this process, and on 27 November 2014 the Commission reported its findings proposing a package of new powers to be devolved.[2]
As part of the Commission’s objective of “delivering prosperity, a healthy economy, jobs, and social justice”, the Commission Heads of Agreement set out recommendations in relation to social security in Scotland. Among them were the following new powers:
The complete autonomy to determine the structure and value of (i) benefits for carers, disabled people and those who are ill, namely Attendance Allowance, Carer’s Allowance, Disability Living Allowance (DLA), Personal Independence Payment (PIP), Industrial Injuries Disablement Allowance and Severe Disablement Allowance; (ii) benefits which comprised the Regulated Social Fund, namely Cold Weather Payment, Funeral Payment, Sure Start Maternity Grant and Winter Fuel Payment; and (iii) Discretionary Housing Payments.
The administrative power to change the frequency of Universal Credit payments, vary the existing plans for single household payments, and pay landlords direct for housing costs in Scotland.
The power to create new benefits in areas of devolved responsibility and to, essentially, ‘top-up’ those reserved benefits remaining with the UK Government.
Those recommendations were formalised in the Scotland Act 2016.[3] This Act, and the subsequent Social Security (Scotland) Act 2018 – unanimously approved by the Scottish Parliament and which came into force on 1 June 2018 – put in place the legislative framework for Scotland’s devolved social security system.
The 2018 Act also prescribed eight overarching principles which were to define the system which Parliament had legislated for.
As part of the Programme’s commitment to transparency, we published a full Programme business case in February 2020 setting out the Programme’s initial forecast costs, objectives and proposed delivery timetable.