- Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 30 May 2019
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Current Status:
Answered by Jeane Freeman on 13 June 2019
To ask the Scottish Government what provision the GP contract makes for (a) the work involved with and (b) fees in relation to providing benefits certification and supporting evidence, including letters, medical records, reports and care plans, to assist with PIP claims, and what discretion the contract allows GPs to exercise in relation to this.
Answer
The GP contract does not make provision for the work involved with and fees in relations to providing benefits certification and supporting evidence. The GP contract does allow GPs to charge fees for this work and they are required to provide some certificates by legislation.
The Scottish Government supports the placing of welfare advisors in health and social care settings. Welfare advisers sited in primary care can provide significant returns in terms of additional welfare benefits claimed by patients. Social Security Scotland's local services will support this network by working collaboratively with advisors so referrals can be made to support clients with their Scottish benefits; helping maximise their incomes. Additionally at the beginning of the new Disability Assistance application process there will be a focus on gathering supporting information to aid quality decision making, using existing data where possible. We are currently exploring a range of options for other public agencies to provide supporting document for client claims, lessening the administrative burden on individuals.
- Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 June 2019
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 20 June 2019
To ask the Scottish Government for what reason there is a median disability pay gap of 26% in Social Security Scotland.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 20 June 2019
- Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 May 2019
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Current Status:
Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 12 June 2019
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answers to questions S5W-23032 and S5W-23034 by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 16 May 2019, when the review process began or is due to begin, and when it is expected to conclude.
Answer
There is no specific start or end date to the consideration and review of guidance, case law and regulations as it is part of
the iterative policy and legislative development process.
- Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 03 June 2019
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Current Status:
Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 11 June 2019
To ask the Scottish Government what social security experience panel projects have been planned for April 2019 to March 2020, and whether it will publish an updated research plan.
Answer
The Experience Panel's research plan has been published on the Scottish Government website. This contains details of
Experience Panel projects planned between April 2019 to March 2020.
The plan can be accessed here:
https://www.gov.scot/publications/social-security-experience-panels-index-of-publications/
- Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 03 June 2019
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Current Status:
Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 11 June 2019
To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the social security experience panels research on seldom-heard groups did not take place as planned in 2018-19.
Answer
The social security experience panels research with seldom heard groups is currently taking place as planned.
- Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 May 2019
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Current Status:
Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 11 June 2019
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-22836 by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 8 May 2019, how many recipients of Carer's Allowance have had (a) recovery action and (b) criminal proceedings taken against them as a result of having had overpayments going undetected because of reduced compliance checks.
Answer
Under section 10 of the Carer’s Allowance Agency Agreement:
DWP will not create new management information reports that detail performance specifically for customers resident in Scotland.
Management information will only be supplied showing performance, at a Great Britain level, of delivering the functions discharged on behalf of the Scottish Ministers. (DWP will not supply data specific to Scotland unless it is currently available and easy to access)
The information requested is not currently produced by the DWP.
The agency agreement can be found at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/carers-allowance-in-scotland-agency-agreement-and-service-level-agreement/carers-allowance-in-scotland-agency-agreement#management-information .
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Current Status:
Withdrawn
- Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 May 2019
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Current Status:
Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 6 June 2019
To ask the Scottish Government how it works with the private and third sectors to report on their disability pay gap.
Answer
As employment law is currently reserved, the Scottish Government cannot oblige employers in the third and private sector to report their disability pay gaps. However, the Scottish Government is committed to working with stakeholders to deliver improvements in equality. In December last year, we published ‘A Fairer Scotland for Disabled People: Employment Action Plan’ , which, among other things, sets out our ambition to work with employers to support them in recruiting and retaining disabled people. The plan was developed in close collaboration with disabled people’s organisations, and the third sector.
The plan also commits the Scottish Government to showing leadership in this issue, that is why this year we will publish a Recruitment and Retention plan, setting out the actions we will take as an employer to support disabled people in the workplace. Upon publication, we will share learning from this experience to encourage other organisations to follow our example.
- Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 May 2019
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Current Status:
Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 6 June 2019
To ask the Scottish Government what the disability pay gap is in (a) the Scottish Government, (b) its agencies, (c) NHS boards and (d) all other public bodies, broken down by public body.
Answer
Table 1 shows the mean and median disability pay gap for a) Scottish Government core and b) the agencies for which it holds pay data. Data for the Scottish Housing Regulator, the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR) and Revenue Scotland has been withheld, due to the small number of staff within these organisations that have self-declared a disability, and the challenges that this would represent in preserving anonymity for those who have self-declared a disability.
For the purposes of this table, pay includes both salary and on-going allowances such as pay supplements, but does not include overtime. Part-time staff are reckoned at their full-time equivalent salary.
Table 1
Disability Pay Gap as at 31 Dec 2018 | Pay Gap |
| | | Mean | Median |
SG Core | SG Core | 14.23% | 12.56% |
Executive Agency | Accountant in Bankruptcy | 11.40% | 7.11% |
Disclosure Scotland | 17.93% | 21.88% |
Education Scotland | 14.97% | 33.88% |
Student Awards Agency for Scotland | 19.67% | 8.14% |
Scottish Public Pensions Agency | -4.13% | 10.21% |
Social Security Scotland | 20.76% | 25.81% |
Transport Scotland | 10.51% | 17.89% |
Non-ministerial offices | Food Standards Scotland | 7.72% | 13.18% |
National Records Scotland | 4.25% | 12.69% |
The Scottish Government does not hold relevant payroll data relating to: b) agencies, other than those which are outlined above; c) NHS boards; or d) all other public bodies. A list of public bodies, and their contact details, are available at: https://www.gov.scot/publications/national-public-bodies-directory/pages/introduction/
- Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 May 2019
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Current Status:
Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 6 June 2019
To ask the Scottish Government how it measures the disability pay gap of (a) it and its agencies and (b) the (i) third and (ii) private sectors.
Answer
The Scottish Government measures the disability pay gap of its own workforce and that of the agencies for which it holds relevant information, by analysing payroll data. Analysis of the disability pay gap is dependent on the voluntary declaration of disability, or non-disability by employees. Employees that do check ‘Prefer not to say’ are excluded from the pay gap calculation, as are those who have not made any declaration.
The Scottish Government does not directly measure the disability pay gap of the third and private sector. However, we can estimate the median disability pay gap using Annual Population Survey data. The disability pay gap represents the difference between disabled and non-disabled full-time hourly earnings, expressed as a percentage of non-disabled full-time hourly earnings.
