A Study of Best Practice
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The Scottish Welfare Fund: Strengthening the Safety Net A Study of Best Practice David Hilber and Dr Mary Anne MacLeod CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ........................................................................................... pg3 INTRODUCTION....................................................................................................... pg4 METHODOLOGY ...................................................................................................... pg5 QUANTITATIVE FINDINGS ........................................................................................ pg6 QUALITATIVE FINDINGS........................................................................................... pg8 CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS.............................................................. pg13 APPENDICES .......................................................................................................... pg15 2 A Menu for Change Executive Summary Background of the Study Research Approach A Menu for Change: Cash, Rights, Different methods were used to examine best practice in SWF delivery, Food is a three-year project funded including: by The National Lottery Community • Quantitative analysis of Scottish Government, Scottish Public Services Fund and managed by Oxfam Scotland, Ombudsman (SPSO), and local authority data; Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) in • Semi-structured interviews with SWF staff; Scotland, Nourish Scotland and Poverty Alliance. The project aims to improve • Focus groups with SWF staff, welfare rights advisors, and people who Scotland’s response to food insecurity. have applied to the SWF; • Analysis of qualitative data from the wider Menu for Change project. Launched in January 2017, the project’s overarching aim is to support a reduction in the need for emergency food aid by Key Findings and Recommendations encouraging national and local action In considering best practice in Scottish Welfare Fund delivery, this study to prevent food insecurity and enhance has identified that all local authorities should: and evolve the response for those experiencing crisis. The project believes 1. When taking crisis grant applications by phone, have the same member the best way to do this is to promote of staff take the application and make the award decision; and improve the accessibility of high 2. Not use an “eligibility checker” for online applications; quality advice services and cash-based 3. Re-evaluate what evidence from applicants is deemed to be “essential” responses available to someone who and reduce this, where appropriate; has run out of money for food. 4. Make active referrals to advice and support services rather than simply The Scottish Welfare Fund (SWF) is the signpost people in crisis; major source of cash available to people 5. Pay all applicants in cash as opposed to vouchers; in Scotland who find themselves without 6. Give all applicants their decision over the phone initially, followed by a enough money for food. Funded by the written decision. Scottish Government and administered by local authorities, it provides non- In order to maximise the capacity of local authorities to deliver the best repayable grants to people in crisis so practice identified in this study, the Scottish Government should: they can choose how best to meet their 1. Consult local authorities to determine the budget they need to own needs.1 administer the fund to a high standard, including implementing the above recommendations; The SWF is a unique source of support in the UK. The absence of similar local 2. Increase the SWF administrative budget based on the findings of this welfare assistance schemes outside consultation process; Scotland is linked to increased pressure 3. Increase the overall SWF programme budget to meet increased on food banks to help people in crisis.2 demand; As part of its research into food 4. Provide opportunities for sharing best practice between SWF frontline insecurity and the cash-based responses staff; available to people in income crisis, A 5. Review and revise statutory guidance on the SWF to reflect the Menu for Change set out to identify recommendations in this report; and and promote examples of good practice 6. Review the existing monitoring and evaluation of the SWF to ensure in the administration of the Scottish an approach based on best practice is being delivered across Scotland Welfare Fund, specifically with regards and provide additional support to local authorities where required. to crisis grants. 1 https://www.gov.scot/policies/social-security/income-related-benefits/ 2 https://www.trusselltrust.org/2017/07/04/local-welfare-provision-local-jigsaw/ The Scottish Welfare Fund: Strengthening the Safety Net 3 1. Introduction A Menu for Change is a partnership project led by Oxfam In many ways, A Menu for Change builds on the work of Scotland, Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) in Scotland, the Independent Short Life Working Group on Food Poverty, Nourish Scotland and Poverty Alliance and funded by The which was set up by the Scottish Government in 2015. National Lottery Community Fund. It has been working In its 2016 report, the Working Group set out a number since 2017 to reduce the need for emergency food aid in of recommendations for addressing food insecurity in Scotland. To do this, the project encourages national and Scotland.6 Two of those recommendations focused on the local action to prevent food insecurity and enhance and Scottish Welfare Fund: evolve the response for those experiencing income crises. • The Scottish Government, along with local authorities The project believes the best way to do this is to promote and all those responding to acute food insecurity, should and improve the accessibility of high quality advice services ensure widespread use of the Scottish Welfare Fund as and cash-based responses available to someone who has the first port of call for emergency support and ensure run out of money for food. the fund is administered in a way that allows this. The project partners recognise social security as a basic • If demand for the Scottish Welfare Fund grows, the human right and an important source of protection against Scottish Government should increase investment in it food insecurity. In order to ensure an adequate standard of accordingly. living, the social security system needs to be responsive to The Scottish Welfare Fund (SWF) was established in people’s needs and rising living costs. It should also provide 2013 after responsibility for the Department of Work and mechanisms to protect people from destitution when they Pensions administered Discretionary Social Fund was do fall through the safety net. Inadequacies in the current transferred to the devolved governments. It provides two social security system have been widely reported as kinds of grants, crisis grants and community care grants, driving food insecurity and the growth in food bank use in which act as a safety net to people on low incomes. Crisis Scotland and across the UK.3 While key policy levers for grants are for helping someone get through a disaster or strengthening the social security system are controlled by emergency situation, such as running out of money for food. the UK Government, the Scottish Government holds powers Community care grants provide help to establish or maintain capable of making a significant impact on food insecurity in a settled home. Scotland. The SWF is funded by the Scottish Government but The Scottish Government has stated its commitment to administered by individual local authorities.7 While there are reducing poverty and inequality, including by taking a rights- national regulations and statutory guidance, local authorities based approach to social security. It has taken steps to are given significant discretion over how they administer the mitigate the impacts of UK welfare reforms, including the fund so it can be tailored to local needs. development of the Scottish Welfare Fund. The Scottish Welfare Fund is a unique source of social security crisis As part of its commitment to improving the accessibility of support in the UK. The absence of similar local welfare cash-based crisis response, A Menu for Change examined assistance schemes outside Scotland is linked to increased how the SWF is administered by local authorities. The pressure on food banks to help people in crisis.4 research aimed to identify examples of good practice that indicated: Despite some achievements, the Poverty and Inequality Commission has recently highlighted the importance of • Fast decision making; social security and called on the Scottish Government to • High quality decision making; and adopt bolder steps and to increase investment to deliver on • Easily accessible applications. its social justice commitments.5 Strengthening the Scottish Welfare Fund has the potential to help Scotland make The research focused on crisis grants as those are most better progress in reducing poverty and, with it, to reduce likely to be awarded to someone who might otherwise need the number of people facing food insecurity. to access emergency food aid. 3 Loopstra & Laydor (2017) Financial insecurity, food insecurity, and disability: The profile of people receiving emergency food assistance from The Trussell Trust Foodbank Network in Britain; Perry et al. (2014) Emergency Use Only Oxfam, Child Poverty Action Group, Church of England and the Trussell Trust. 4 Trussell Trust (2017) Local Welfare Provision: Local Jigsaw. 5 The Poverty and Inequality Commission’s response to the Scottish