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 Carer Benefits Policy
• Sarah Wotton, Scottish Government Carer Benefits Policy
• Kate Thomson-McDermott, Scottish Government Carer Benefits Policy
• Jane Sterry, Scottish Government Carer Benefits Policy
• Victoria Boal, Scottish Government (Secretariat)
• Sharon McGuire, Scottish Government Carers Policy 
• David Leslie, Scottish Government Carers Policy
• Miranda Ralston, Social Security Scotland
• Angela Bathgate, Social Security Scotland
• Oonagh Fraser, Scottish Government, Social Security Analyis, Forecase and Evaluation (SSAFE)
• David Anderson, Scottish Government, Social Security Analyis, Forecase and Evaluation (SSAFE)
• Evelyn Bowes, Scottish Government, Social Security Analyis, Forecase and
• Ellie Wagstaff, Marie Curie
• Wendy Rizza, Social Security Scotland
• Fiona Collie, Carers Scotland
• Paul Traynor, Carers Trust
• Margaret Chiwanza, MECOPP
• Mike Brown, 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
• John Cunningham, Convention of Scottish Local Authorities
• Catherine Henry, Scottish Government, Social Security Social Research
• Evelyn Bowes, Scottish Government, Social Security Analysis, Forecasting and Evaluation

Publications