Scotland Rachael McKechnie Head of Client Experience Housing - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Dignity, fairness, respect.

Social Security Scotland

Rachael McKechnie

Head of Client Experience Housing Support Enabling Unit Event 19 September 2019

What I’ll talk about

• Role of Social Security Scotland and how we’re structured.
• what we’ve done so far.
• How that’s benefitted our clients.
• How we’re ensuring our service meets clients’ needs.
• What’s next.
• Working together.

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What we’ve done so far

• Established our central offices, online and telephony channels
• Building a diverse workforce with the right attitude and necessary skills.
• 6 benefits now in operation:
• Carer’s Allowance Supplement.
• Best Start Grant Pregnancy and Baby Payment.
• Best Start Grant Early Learning Payment.
• Best Start Grant School Age Payment.
• Best Start Foods.
• Funeral Support Payment.
• Working closely with partners to raise awareness and increase uptake.

Achievements in in Numbers

• Carer’s Allowance Supplement

(Sept 2018 to June 2019):

• 235,405 payments have been

made.

• 91,550 carers have received at

least one payment.

• Best Start Grant (to 30 June 2019):
• Around 63,875 Best Start Grant

applications processed.

• Of these, around two thirds

(42,515, 67%) were authorised.

• In total, £12.9 million of Best Start

Grant payments issued.

• Latest telephony service client

feedback (to March 2019, n=300):

• 89% felt their call was answered

quickly.

• 80% felt that they got what they

needed from the call.

• 86% were happy with the overall

service they received.

• 1,700 people on our Stakeholder

Contact List

Dignity, fairness, respect.

Ensuring the system that meets cli lient need

• Experience Panels
• User research
• Client feedback
• Stakeholder engagement
• Continuous improvement

Looking to the Future…

• Delivery of increasingly complex benefits.
• Significant staff recruitment.
• Establishment of our face to face pre-claims support (Summer 2020)
• Development of strong partnership working
• Continually reviewing and improving

Scottish Social Security: Delivery Timetable (1)

Benefit Client Group Implementation Date

Carers Allowance Supplement Carers in receipt of Carer’s Allowance Paid every 6 months based on a qualifying date Best Start Grant People on low incomes and receiving certain qualifying benefits with young children

• Pregnancy and Baby Payment
• pened 10 December 2018
• Early Years Payment opened 29

April 2019

• School Payment opened 3 June

2019 Best Start Foods People on low incomes and receiving certain qualifying benefits from pregnancy through to when the child is 3 years old 12 August 2019 Funeral Support Payment People on low incomes and receiving certain qualifying benefits 16 September 2019 Young Carer Grant Young people aged 16, 17 or 18 who do at least 16 hours of caring a week and don’t receive Carer’s Allowance. Autumn 2019

Scottish Social Security: Delivery Timetable (2)

Benefit Client Group Implementation Date Disability Assistance for Children and Young People (new claims) Under 18s needing additional care or with mobility difficulties Summer 2020 Scottish Child Payment Low income families for children under 6 years old Autumn 2020 Disability Assistance for Working Age People People aged under state pension age needing additional care

• r with mobility difficulties

2021 Disability Assistance for Older People (new claims) Over state pension age with a physical or mental disability that necessitates support from a carer or supervision 2021 Winter Heating Assistance Eligible older people in Scotland who receive another type of payment from us Winter 2021 Cold Spell – Winter Heating Assistance Winter 2021 Scottish Child Payment Low income families with children under 16 years old 2022 Carer’s Assistance People under state pension age providing more than 35 hours care a week to a person receiving particular disability benefits 2022

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