Page 22 - Reforming Benefits Decision-Making

1.15 In drafting the Social Security (Scotland) Act 2018 and designing the
devolved system, the Scottish Government undertook a consultation process
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to garner public opinions on how devolved benefits should be delivered. The
focus upon dignity and respect was in part driven by the responses from these
consultations, with these two characteristics frequently identified as missing
from the reserved system, which has been described as ‘stressful,
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complicated, and inhumane’. The Scottish Government has resolved to “do
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things differently.” We have therefore looked towards the devolved Scottish
benefits system to understand how the Scottish Government has attempted to
realise a social security system focused on the principles of dignity and
respect in practice. Although it is still in a nascent stage, where possible, we
have sought to draw lessons from it.

Language

1.16 We use the term claimants throughout this report to describe individuals who
apply for, or are in receipt of, benefits, as well as those challenging benefits
decisions. We appreciate this term is not ideal, as it minimises the fact that
individuals are entitled to certain benefits in order to ensure a minimum
standard of living - a fundamental human right. However, we use the term for
clarity and prefer it to the term “customer”, used by the DWP/DfC which
implies that the process is a commercial transaction and not about people’s
lives, dignity and rights.

28 Scottish Government, Analysis of Written Responses to the Consultation on Social Security in
Scotland (2017).
29 Ibid. p.2.
30 Scottish Government and Social Security Scotland, ‘Our Charter’ (see n. 26 above) p.3.
31 Ibid.

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