Carer Benefits Advisory Group

Overview

This group was set up in November 2015 to advise Scottish ministers on developing policy for social security benefits for carers.

The group advises on:

• the evidence base to support policy decisions
• carer user and stakeholder engagement
• fit with the emerging policy landscape
• interaction with wider Scottish and UK social security benefits

The group meets around every six months, with workshops in between as needed to support policy making.

Members

• Ellen Searle, Scottish Government (Chair)
• Jane Sterry, Scottish Government Scottish Carer’s Assistance Policy Lead
• Sohel Ahmed, Scottish Government Live Carer Benefits Policy Lead
• Victoria Boal, Scottish Government (Secretariat)
• Sharon McGuire, Scottish Government Carers Policy lead
• Joanne Pierce, Scottish Government Carers Policy
• David Leslie, Scottish Government Carers Policy
• Michelle Gallacher, Social Security Scotland lead
• Gail Wilson, Social Security Scotland
• Wendy Rizza, Social Security Scotland
• Fiona Collie, Carers Scotland
• Paul Traynor, Carers Trust
• Margaret Chiwanza, MECOPP
• Mike Brown, Social Work Scotland
• Jennifer Rezendes, Social Work Scotland
• Shirley Morris, VOCAL
• Roisin Connolly, Connecting Carers
• Anne Baldock, One Parent Families Scotland
• Angela Toal, Child Poverty Action Group
• Jill Wood, Engender
• Stephanie Millar, Citizens Advice Scotland
• Aoife Deery, Citizens Advice Scotland
• Nina Ballantyne, Citizens Advice Scotland
• David Scott, Citizens Advice Scotland
• John Cunningham, Convention of Scottish Local Authorities
• Fran Holligan, Convention of Scottish Local Authorities
• Catherine Henry, Scottish Government, Social Security Social Research
• Evelyn Bowes, Scottish Government, Social Security Analysis, Forecasting and Evaluation

Publications