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The Scottish Government recognises the pressure on household budgets which is why both last year and this, we have allocated almost £3bn to support policies which tackle poverty and protect people as far as possible during the ongoing cost of living crisis.

Our commitment to ongoing investment and the support measures implemented are, not specific to, but inclusive of, people with a learning disability as valued citizens of Scotland.

In addition we have launched a dedicated Cost of Living portal, signposting to helpful information across a range of subjects including energy and bills; debt and money; children and families; and health and wellbeing.

The Scottish Government also continue to fund a variety of key stakeholder organisations such as Scottish Commission for People with Learning Disabilities (SCLD), Down’s Syndrome Scotland (DSS) and PAMIS who provide general specialised support and advice for people with learning disabilities and their families and carers across a number of platforms and in a range of accessible formats.

In 2019 there were 23,584 adults with learning disability known to local authorities across Scotland, 956 (4.1%) were in employment, 10,483 (44.4%) were not in employment and 12,145 (51.5%) did not have their employment status recorded. Learning-Disability-Statistics-Scotland-2019.pdf (scld.org.uk)

The ONS Annual Population Survey (APS) is the official source for measuring the number of people in employment. Estimates for the number of people with a severe or specific learning difficulty (lasting 12 months or more) who are employed can also be obtained from the APS. Learning disabilities are included in the health problem severe and specific learning difficulty. In 2022, it was estimated that there were 13,100 people aged 16 and over who reported having a severe or specific learning difficulty and were in employment.

Social Security Scotland works with individuals and disability organisations to design services so that everyone who may be eligible for benefits understands how they can apply for and receive them.

Clients can apply in ways that suit them best either by paper or online application, by telephone or they can receive application support from our Local Delivery team who can arrange a face-to-face appointment in a client’s home, a community setting or video call.

We have tested every stage of the application process with people and are committed to making adjustments based on feedback.

Social Security Scotland is committed to continuously improving to deliver benefits for the people of Scotland based on dignity, fairness and respect.

Social Security Scotland is committed to giving people decisions as quickly as possible, while allowing time to make sure they have the information required to get decisions right first time.

Most recent statistics show that since the introduction of Adult Disability Payment, less than a year ago, most people have had a decision within four months. However we know others have waited longer. This is unacceptable, and work to make sure people get faster decisions is already underway.

This includes a comprehensive look at every step in the journey from people applying for a disability benefit to getting paid.

One of Social Security Scotland's key principles is making sure people can access and understand all the information relating to their benefits. Easy Read was identified as a solution to help clients to engage with materials in a format best suited to them, and ensure that the processes and ways of communicating could be adapted to meet the wide-ranging needs of clients.

In addition the Local Delivery service, provided by Social Security Scotland, has teams of specially trained Client Support Advisers based in every Local Authority across Scotland. The service offers a range of support to suit people’s needs, including appointments in clients’ homes, at local community venues, by video appointment or by telephone.

The Scottish Government is engaged in ongoing discussions with Public Health Scotland and the Scottish Commission for Learning Disabilities (SCLD) on how the Learning Disability Statistics Scotland (LDSS) report can be improved to provide the most precise picture of people with learning disabilities across Scotland. This includes consideration of publication timescales.

We understand the importance of reliable evidence and data about people with learning disabilities and are committed to improving the evidence base through our autism and learning/intellectual disability transformation plan 'Towards Transformation'.

Scottish Government expenditure is allocated across portfolios to various sectors, including the third sector, to improve a wide range of outcomes. Some Scottish Government funding will be issued through third sector intermediary organisations. Spending is not all specifically classified as to whether or not it is allocated to third-sector organisations to deliver services. Consequently the figures requested are not available.

a) In financial year 2021-2022, £1 million was allocated to organisations working to tackle social isolation and loneliness. This funding has supported work including helplines, befriending, and practical support.

Many of the 48 organisations funded through the Equality and Human Rights Fund also work on tackling social isolation. The Equality and Human Rights Fund will distribute up to £7 million annually for the three years from October 2021 to September 2024.

The Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund for adults launched in October 2021 and has invested £21 million in supporting grass roots community groups in building resilience and tackling social isolation, loneliness and mental health inequalities made worse by the pandemic and, more recently, the cost crisis.

The Connecting Scotland digital inclusion programme delivered a Winter Support Package and two Fast Track schemes with a focus on social isolation in 2021-22. £6.8 million was spent on devices, connectivity and skills support across 32 local authorities in Scotland.

b) In 2022-23, over £1 million was provided to organisations working to tackle social isolation and loneliness and mitigate the impact of the cost crisis.

The Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund, for which social isolation and loneliness is one of the priority areas, was funded with a further £15 million in 2022-23.

In the first two years of the Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund, approximately 3300 grants were made to local organisations across Scotland to a wide range of grassroots community projects including those based around peer support, physical activity, arts and crafts activities, social interaction and befriending, with a strong emphasis on the key themes of prevention and early intervention, suicide prevention and addressing social isolation.

The Social Isolation and Loneliness Fund was launched in March 2023 and will run to the end of July 2026 providing £3.8 million over the three-year period to support activity directly tackling social isolation and loneliness. £2 million has already been distributed to organisations directly since August 2021 for work including helplines, befriending, youth work and provision of warm spaces and group activities.

Since October 2021, the Scottish Government has invested £36 million in the Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund for adults, with around 3,300 grants being made to local organisations across Scotland in the first two years. A further £15 million is committed in 2023-24. The Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund supports grass roots community groups in building resilience and tackling social isolation, loneliness and the mental health inequalities made worse by the pandemic and, more recently, the cost crisis.

We are also investing over £300,000 in programmes which recognise the role that sports clubs and hubs play in improving physical, mental and social health, including the ‘Changing Room – Extra Time’ and ‘Gain the Advantage’ programmes, and Scotland’s Mental Health Charter for Physical Activity and Sport.