Disability benefits evaluation - case transfer: qualitative research - annex A

Appendix three: Discussion guides

Phase 1: DLAC – CDP client guide

Questions/probes

Introduction / warm-up

Time: 5 minutes

• Interviewer to introduce self & thank participant for taking part. Explain the purpose of the session/research.

We (Ipsos Scotland, an independent research organisation) are carrying out some research about your experiences of the transfer process which moved your benefit from DWP to Social Security Scotland.

The research is being conducted on behalf of the Scottish Government

The purpose of this study is to understand how the transfer process is working, what’s going well and what could be improved. We are also talking to some Social Security Scotland staff who work on the transfers.

The discussion will last for around 45 minutes and, as you know, you will receive £30 as a thank you for your time. We can sort that out at the end.

Conversation will be relaxed and informal

• No right or wrong answers, just keen to hear what you think.
• Explain independence of Ipsos and that everything shared will be treated anonymously. No identifying information will be included in report.
• Taking part completely voluntary, don’t have to answer any questions you don’t want to.
• Explain audio-recording and ask for consent to use.
• Confirm consent with parent and child individually if both present.

Warm-up questions:

To start us off, can you tell me a bit about where you live and who you live with…

• Where do you live? How long have you lived there?
• Who do you live with?
  • How old is/are your child/children?
  • Could you tell me just a little bit about your child’s condition or disability?

And what’s a typical day for you – if there’s such a thing?

Remind participant that they do not have to go into detail if they do not want to

• We’ll go into more detail about the different aspects of the case transfer process in a minute, but could you just tell me how you found it overall?
• Probe: What aspects worked well or went smoothly?
• And were there any problems or anything you didn’t think worked well?

Section 1 – First contact about case transfer

Time: 10 minutes

I want to start by asking you about when you were first contacted about the transfer of your child’s disability benefit from DWP to Social Security Scotland. This might be going back a while now, but I’d be interested to know what the earliest part of the transfer process was like for you, from what you remember.

• When did you first hear about your child’s disability benefit being transferred from Social Security Scotland to DWP – just roughly?
• And how old would [name of child] have been at that point? What month is their birthday?
• When you first heard about the transfer, can you remember what your immediate reaction was?
• How did you hear about the transfer?
  • Did you receive a letter?
  • If not mentioned: Can you remember who the letter came from?
  • What do you remember about what the letter said?
  • Had you heard anything previously about benefits being transferred?
  • If yes, where from? did you realise it would affect you?
• How did you feel about the transfer when you first heard about it?
• Had you heard of Social Security Scotland before hearing about the transfer of your child’s disability benefit to them?
  • If yes – what was your impression/experience of Social Security Scotland?
• [if not mentioned] You might remember receiving a goodbye letter from DWP?
• If yes: What was your initial reaction to that letter from DWP? How did it make you feel?
• What can you remember about what the letter said?
  • Was there anything about the letter that particularly stood out?
  • Was there anything in the letter that was unclear to you?
  • Did you know where you could go if you needed further information or support?
  • And did you look for further information or support?
  • Where from? [Probe on how they knew about this source of info/support]
  • Did you find/get what you needed?
• How did the letter make you feel about the transfer process, overall?
• Did you have confidence in the process? if needed: Did you feel clear about what was going to happen next from the details in the letter?

[if not mentioned] You might remember receiving a hello letter from Social Security Scotland.

• What was your initial reaction to the letter you received from Social Security Scotland? How did it make you feel?
• What can you remember about what the letter said?
  • Was there anything about the letter that particularly stood out?
  • Was there anything in the letter that was unclear to you?
  • Did you know where you could go if you needed further information or support?
  • And did you look for further information or support?
  • Where from? Probe on how they knew about this source of info/support.
  • Did you find/get what you needed?
• How did the letter make you feel about the transfer process, overall?
• Did you have confidence in the process? if needed: Did you feel clear about what was going to happen next from the details in the letter?

Section 2 – Actual transfer process

Time: 15-20 minutes

I’d now like to talk about the transfer process itself.

• After you received the first letters from DWP and Social Security Scotland about your transfer, can you talk me through what happened next? Allow participant to speak freely first before going through probes.
• How did you feel about it all?

Probe: Were there points where you felt anxious or worried about it?

Did you feel confused at any point or unsure what was happening?

Did you feel confident that everything would go smoothly?

• How did you feel about Social Security Scotland throughout the process?
• Did your attitude towards them change at all?
• Were you contacted by Social Security Scotland or DWP at any point during the transfer process?
  • If yes – Who contacted you?
  • Why did they contact you?
  • How did they contact you?
  • Was any action required by you?
  • If yes, probe:
  • Was it clear what they needed from you?
  • How easy or difficult was it to provide what they needed?
  • Did you feel that their requests were reasonable?
  • How long did it take to resolve? Was this timescale acceptable for you?
  • Was there any contact after that?
  • How did you feel about your contact with the person dealing with your case? Why is that?
  • Do you feel that you were treated well by the person dealing with your case? Why/why not?
  • Probe fully for of all contacts made by SSS/DWP, but with a focus on how this made the client feel
• Did you contact Social Security Scotland or DWP at any point during the transfer process?
  • If yes – Which? Why did you contact them?
  • How did that go?
  • How did you contact them? (webchat, telephone, letter)
  • How long did they take to respond? How did you feel about that?
  • How was the person you spoke to? Were they helpful?
  • How long did it take to resolve your query? How did you feel about that?
  • Was there any contact after that?
  • How did you feel about your contact (or lack of contact) with them?
  • Do you feel that you were treated well by the person dealing with your case? Why/why not?
  • Probe fully for of all contacts made to SSS/ DWP, but with a focus on how this made the client feel.
• Were you aware of any issues with your child’s transfer?
  • If yes – how were these dealt with?
  • Were you satisfied with the support or assistance you received? Why/why not?
  • How did you this issue/these issues make you feel?
• How long did it take for the transfer process to be completed? How did you feel about that?
• Did you report a change in your child’s circumstances or a change in their condition during the transfer process?
  • If yes – how did you go about that?
  • When did you report the change?
  • Did you report this to DWP or to Social Security Scotland? Why was that?
  • What happened then?
  • Did you have to provide further details about the change?
  • Did that change the amount of benefit you receive?
  • Did the amount change at the same time as your child’s transfer was completed or was it after that?
  • How did you feel about the process for reporting the change in circumstances during the transfer?
• If no contact with SSS/DWP during transfer
  • How did you feel about not hearing from Social Security Scotland during that time?
  • And how did you feel about not hearing from DWP during that time?
• Were you informed when the transfer was complete?
  • How were you informed about this?
  • Was it clear what the next steps would be?
  • Was there anything that was unclear to you?
  • Did you know where to go for further information or support?
• How did you feel once the transfer was complete?

Section 3 – Review process

Time: 10 minutes

I’d now like to talk about what has happened now that the transfer of your child’s benefit to Social Security Scotland has completed.

• Were there any issues with your payment at any point?
  • If yes – what issues did you experience?
  • Was this resolved? What happened to resolve it?
  • How did this issue make you feel?
  • If no – so just to check, did you receive payments on time? And was the amount correct?
• Was there anything that you had to do after the transfer process had ended?

Prompt if necessary: Did you have to tell any other benefit providers/agencies?

• Who did you tell?
• How did that go?
• How did you feel about that?
• Were payment amounts for other awards impacted?
• If so:
  • Which benefits?
  • By how much?
  • How did this make you feel?
  • When did you first hear that there was going to be a review?
  • How were you informed about it?
  • Did you receive any information or guidance about the review?
  • What is/was your understanding of how the review would be/will be conducted?
  • Do you/Did you think it will/would be the same or different to any reviews your child had under DWP?
  • Was there anything you didn’t understand or were unsure of?
  • Did you contact anyone about that or look for any more information anywhere?
  • What were your initial feelings about the review?
  • Probe fully on all aspects of pre-review contact, but with a focus on how this made the client feel.

Ask if necessary: After the DWP award was transferred to the new Scottish child disability benefit award, did you experience any issues with your other benefit awards?

Have you been contacted about a review of your child's award?

If yes –And have you actually had the review yet?

Ask those who had a review:

• And how did the review go?
  • Was it what you expected?
  • Can you talk me through what happened?
  • What did you think of the review pack?
  • Were there any bits that were unclear?
  • How easy or difficult was it to complete?
  • How did you feel throughout the process
  • Do you feel the review was conducted fairly?
  • Have you received an outcome?
    • If yes – how were you informed about this?
      • How did you feel about the outcome?
      • How much confidence do you have that Social Security Scotland made the right decision with your award?
    • If no – do you know when it will be?
      • How are you feeling about it?

Do you think your case will be considered fairly?

• How much confidence do you have that Social Security Scotland will make the right decision with your award?
• How does your experience of the review process with Social Security Scotland compare with previous ones you’ve had with DWP?
• Did you have a consultation as part of your review? That’s a discussion with someone from Social Security Scotland about your needs which can take place on the phone, by video call or face-to-face.
• If yes – how did that go?
• Was it what you expected?
• How did you feel about it in advance? During it?
• How did it compare with any assessments you had with DWP?

Probe fully on all aspects of review/outcome, but with a focus on how this made the client feel.

Ask only those who have not had a review yet:

• Have you had any information about a review?
  • If not: What information would you like at this point?
  • Have you tried to find out about it or been able to speak to anyone about it?
• Do you know what to expect with the review?
• How do you feel now about the review? Why is that?
  • Do you think you’d feel differently about your review if it was still with DWP? Why is that?
• Most people will not need to have a consultation as part of the review. If they do, that can take place by phone, video or in person. If your child did have a consultation how would with Social Security Scotland, how do you think you would you feel about that?
  • Would you feel the same or different if it was DWP?
  • Why/why not?
• What, if anything, do you know about Social Security Scotland’s consultations? What would you like to know more about?

Section 4 – Experiences with Social Security Scotland

Time: 10-15 minutes

We’re coming towards the end of the interview now. The last few questions are about your overall thoughts on the transfer processes, and your views of Social Security Scotland based on your experiences so far.

• Overall, how would you describe your experience of the transfer?
  • If you could summarise it in one word, what would it be?
• One of the aims of the transfer process is to ensure that it is “safe and secure” – to what extent would you agree that this was the case for you?
  • Why/why not?
  • What does a “safe and secure” transfer mean to you?
• What, if anything, do you think worked well with the transfer process?

Probe: and what difference did that make to you/your child?

• And what, if anything, do you think could be improved with the transfer process?

Probe: and what difference would that have made to you/your child?

• Has your experience with the transfer of your child’s benefit affected your views on Social Security Scotland? How so? [could refer back to earlier discussion around awareness of SSS before transfer]
• In what ways, if any, has your experience with Social Security Scotland been different to your experience with DWP?
• And in what ways, if any, has your experience with Social Security Scotland been similar to your experience with DWP?
• What do you think of the communication you have had with Social Security Scotland so far – has it been too much, too little or about right? Why do you say that?
  • How has the amount of communication made you feel about the transfer process, and about Social Security Scotland?
  • How does that compare with the communication you had with DWP? Better, worse, or no different? [If better/worse] Why do you say that?
• Would you know how to report a change in your child’s circumstances to Social Security Scotland in the future?
• How comfortable or uncomfortable would you feel about reporting a change in your child’s circumstances to Social Security Scotland in the future? Why is that?
  • How does that compare with the communication you had with DWP? Would you say you feel more or less comfortable, or no different?
• To what extent would you say you trust or distrust Social Security Scotland? Why do you say that?
  • Has your trust in Social Security Scotland been impacted by your experience with the transfer process? If yes – how so?
  • How does your level of trust in Social Security Scotland compare to your level of trust in DWP?
• Overall, how do you feel about the fact that your child is now on CDP instead of DLAC?
• And how do you feel about the fact that CDP is delivered by Social Security Scotland rather than DWP?
• What would you say to someone else who was about to go through the transfer process?

Section 5 – Wrap up

Time: 2-5 minutes

• Are there any other parts of the process or experiences that we've not asked about that you'd like to share?
• Or anything else you’d like to say?

Thank participant for their time and input.

Explain next steps and gather incentive details.

End on a light note by asking what they have planned for the rest of the day.

Phase 1: DLA – ADP client guide

Questions/probes

Introduction / warm-up

Time: 5 minutes

[Interviewer to introduce self & thank participant for taking part. Explain the purpose of the session/research.]

We (Ipsos Scotland, an independent research organisation) are carrying out some research about your experiences of the transfer process which moved your benefit from DWP to Social Security Scotland.

The research is being conducted on behalf of the Scottish Government

The purpose of this study is to understand how the transfer process is working, what’s going well and what could be improved. We are particularly interested in the review element, if you’ve had one. We are also talking to some Social Security Scotland staff who work on the transfers.

The discussion will last for around 45 minutes and, as you know, you will receive £30 as a thank you for your time. We can sort that out at the end.

Conversation will be relaxed and informal

• No right or wrong answers, just keen to hear what you think.
• Explain independence of Ipsos and that everything shared will be treated anonymously. No identifying information will be included in report.
• Taking part completely voluntary, don’t have to answer any questions you don’t want to.
• Explain audio-recording and ask for consent to use.

Warm-up questions:

To start us off, can you tell me a bit about where you live and who you live with…

• Where do you live? How long have you lived there?
• Who do you live with?
  • If have children: How old are they?
• And what’s a typical day for you – if there’s such a thing?
• Could you tell me just a little bit about your condition or disability?

Remind participant that they do not have to go into detail if they do not want to

• And could you tell me a bit about the disability benefit you receive? Sense check which disability benefit client was receiving – PIP or WADLA
• We’ll go into more detail about the different aspects of the transfer process and review in a minute, but could you just tell me how you found it overall?
• Probe: What aspects worked well or went smoothly?
• And were there any problems or anything you didn’t think worked well?

Section 1 – Review Process

Time: 10 minutes

I’d like to start off by talking about what has happened now that the transfer of your benefit to Social Security Scotland has been completed -- specifically focussing on the review aspect.

• Before the transfer took place, do you know when you would have been due a review of your PIP/DLA award?
• Have you been contacted about a review of your award?
  • If yes –And have you had the review yet?
  • When did you first hear that there was going to be a review?
  • How were you informed about it?
  • Did you receive any information or guidance about the review?
  • What is/was your understanding of how the review would be/will be conducted?
  • Do you/Did you think it will/would be the same or different to any reviews you had under DWP?
  • Was there anything you didn’t understand or were unsure of?
  • Did you contact anyone about that or look for any more information anywhere?
  • What were your initial feelings about the review?
  • Probe fully on all aspects of pre-review contact, but with a focus on how this made the client feel.

Ask those who had a review:

• And how did the review go?
  • Was it what you expected?
  • Can you talk me through what happened?
  • What did you think of the review pack?
  • Were there any bits that were unclear?
  • How easy or difficult was it to complete?
  • How did you feel throughout the process?
  • Do you feel the review was conducted fairly?
  • Have you received an outcome?
    • If yes – how were you informed about this?
      • How did you feel about the outcome?
      • How much confidence do you have that Social Security Scotland made the right decision with your award?
    • If no – do you know when it will be?
      • How are you feeling about it?

Do you think your case will be considered fairly?

• How much confidence do you have that Social Security Scotland will make the right decision with your award?
• Did you have a consultation as part of your review? That’s a discussion with someone from Social Security Scotland about your needs which can take place on the phone, by video call or face-to-face.
• Was it what you expected?
• How did you feel about it in advance? During it?
• How did it compare with any assessments you had with DWP?

Probe fully on all aspects of review/outcome, but with a focus on how this made the client feel.

How does your experience of the review process with Social Security Scotland compare with previous ones you’ve had with DWP?

If yes – how did that go?

Ask only those who have not been contacted about a review:

• Have you had any information about a review?
  • If not: What information would you like at this point?
  • Have you tried to find out about it or been able to speak to anyone about it?
• Do you know what to expect with the review?
• How do you feel now about the review? Why is that?
  • Do you think you’d feel differently about your review if it was still with DWP? Why is that?
• Most people will not need to have a consultation as part of the review. If they do, that can take place by phone, video or in person. If you did have a consultation with Social Security Scotland, how do you think you would you feel about that?
  • Would you feel the same or different if it was DWP? Why/why not?
• What, if anything, do you know about Social Security Scotland’s consultations? What would you like to know more about?

Section 2 – First contact about case transfer

Time: 10 minutes

Okay, now I want to wind back to the very start of the process. This might be going back a while now, but I’d be interested to know what the earliest part of the transfer process was like for you, from what you remember.

• Roughly when did you first hear about your benefit being transferred from Social Security Scotland to DWP?
• Had you reported a change in your circumstances or condition to DWP before you heard about about the transfer?
• When you first heard about the transfer, can you remember what your immediate reaction was?
• How did you hear about the transfer?
  • Did you receive a letter?
  • If not mentioned: Can you remember who the letter came from?
  • What do you remember about what the letter said?
  • Had you heard anything previously about benefits being transferred?
  • If yes, where from? Did you realise it would affect you?
• How did you feel about the transfer when you first heard about it?
• Had you heard of Social Security Scotland before hearing about the transfer of disability benefits to them?
  • If yes – what was your impression/experience of Social Security Scotland?
• [if not mentioned] You might remember receiving a goodbye letter from DWP?
• If yes: What was your initial reaction to that letter from DWP? How did it make you feel?
• What can you remember about what the letter said?
  • Was there anything about the letter that particularly stood out?
  • Was there anything in the letter that was unclear to you?
  • Did you know where you could go if you needed further information or support?
  • And did you look for further information or support?
  • Where from? Probe on how they knew about this source of info/support
  • Did you find/get what you needed?
• How did the letter make you feel about the transfer process, overall?
• Did you have confidence in the process? If needed: Did you feel clear about what was going to happen next from the details in the letter?
• [if not mentioned] You might remember receiving a hello letter from Social Security Scotland.
• What was your initial reaction to the letter you received from Social Security Scotland? How did it make you feel?
• What can you remember about what the letter said?
  • Was there anything about the letter that particularly stood out?
  • Was there anything in the letter that was unclear to you?
  • Did you know where you could go if you needed further information or support?
  • And did you look for further information or support?
  • Where from? Probe on how they knew about this source of info/support
  • Did you find/get what you needed?
• How did the letter make you feel about the transfer process, overall?
• Did you have confidence in the process? If needed: Did you feel clear about what was going to happen next from the details in the letter?
• Were you offered the option to move your benefit before you received the letter about the transfer?
  • If no – had you had this option, would you have taken it? Why/Why not?
  • If yes – did you take this option? Why/Why not?

Section 3 – Actual transfer process

Time: 15-20 minutes

I’d now like to talk about the transfer process itself.

• After you received the first letters from DWP and Social Security Scotland about your transfer, can you talk me through what happened next? Allow participant to speak freely first before going through probes
• How did you feel about it all?

Probe: Were there points where you felt anxious or worried about it?

Did you feel confused at any point or unsure what was happening?

Did you feel confident that everything would go smoothly?

• How did you feel about Social Security Scotland throughout the process?
• Did your attitude towards them change at all?
• Were you contacted by Social Security Scotland or DWP at any point during the transfer process?
  • If yes – Who contacted you?
  • Why did they contact you?
  • How did they contact you?
  • Was any action required by you?
  • If yes, probe:
  • Was it clear what they needed from you?
  • How easy or difficult was it to provide what they needed?
  • Did you feel that their requests were reasonable?
  • Ask all:
  • How long did it take to resolve? Was this timescale acceptable for you?
  • Was there any contact after that?
  • How did you feel about your contact with the person dealing with your case? Why is that?
  • Do you feel that you were treated well by the person dealing with your case? Why/why not?
  • Probe fully for of all contacts made by SSS/DWP, but with a focus on how this made the client feel.
• Did you contact Social Security Scotland or DWP at any point during the transfer process?
  • If yes – Which? Why did you contact them?
  • How did that go?
  • How did you contact them?
  • How long did they take to respond? How did you feel about that?
  • How was the person you spoke to? Were they helpful?
  • How long did it take to resolve your query? How did you feel about that?
  • Was there any contact after that?
  • How did you feel about your contact (or lack of contact) with them?
  • Do you feel that you were treated well by the person dealing with your case? Why/why not?
  • Probe fully for of all contacts made to SSS/ DWP, but with a focus on how this made the client feel.
• Were you aware of any issues with your transfer?
  • If yes – how were these dealt with?
  • Were you satisfied with the support or assistance you received? Why/why not?
  • How did this issue/these issues make you feel?
• How long did it take for the transfer process to be completed? How did you feel about that?

If reporting a change of circumstances wasn’t the reason for the transfer, ask:

• Did you report a change in circumstances or a change in your condition during the transfer process?
  • If yes – how did you go about that?
  • When did you report the change?
  • Did you report this to DWP or to Social Security Scotland?
  • What happened then?
  • Did you have to provide further details about the change?
  • Did that change the amount of benefit you receive?
  • Did the amount change at the same time as your transfer was completed or was it after that?
  • How did you feel about the process for reporting your change in circumstances during the transfer?
    • If yes – what issues did you experience?
• If no contact with SSS/DWP during transfer
  • How did you feel about not hearing from Social Security Scotland during that time?
  • And how did you feel about not hearing from DWP during that time?
    • If yes – what issues did you experience?
• Were you informed when the transfer was complete?
  • How were you informed about this?
  • Was it clear what the next steps would be?
  • Was there anything that was unclear to you?
  • Did you know where to go for further information or support?
  • Were there any issues with your payment at any point?
    • If yes – what issues did you experience?
    • Was this resolved? What happened to resolve it?
    • How did this issue make you feel?
    • If no – so just to check, did you receive payments on time? And was the amount correct?

How did you feel once the transfer was complete?

Was there anything that you had to do after the transfer process had ended?

Prompt if necessary: Did you have to tell any other benefit providers/agencies?

• Who did you tell?
• How did that go?
• How did you feel about that?
• Were payment amounts for other awards impacted?
• If so:
  • Which benefits?
  • By how much?
  • How did this make you feel?

Ask if necessary: After your DWP award was transferred to the new Scottish disability benefit award, did you experience any issues with your other benefit awards?

Section 4 – Experiences with Social Security Scotland

Time: 10-15 minutes

We’re coming to the end of the interview now. The last few questions are about your overall thoughts on the transfer processes, and your views of Social Security Scotland based on your experiences so far.

• Overall, how would you describe your experience of the transfer?
  • If you could summarise it in one word, what would it be?
• One of the aims of the transfer process is to ensure that it is “safe and secure” – to what extent would you agree that this was the case for you?
  • Why/why not?
  • What does a “safe and secure” transfer mean to you?

What, if anything, do you think worked well with the transfer process?

Probe: and what difference did that make to you?

• And what, if anything, do you think could be improved with the transfer process?

Probe: and what difference would that have made to you?

• Has your experience with the transfer of your benefit affected your views on Social Security Scotland? In what way? Could refer back to earlier discussion around awareness of SSS before transfer
• In what ways, if any, has your experience with Social Security Scotland been different to your experience with DWP?
• And in what ways, if any, has your experience with Social Security Scotland been similar to your experience with DWP?
• What do you think of the communication you have had with Social Security Scotland so far – has it been too much, too little or about right? Why do you say that?
  • How has the amount of communication made you feel about the transfer process, and about Social Security Scotland?
  • How does that compare with the communication you had with DWP? Better, worse, or no different? [If better/worse] Why do you say that?
  • How comfortable or uncomfortable would you feel about reporting a change in circumstances to Social Security Scotland in the future? Why is that?
  • How does that compare with DWP? Would you say you feel more or less comfortable, or no different?
• To what extent would you say you trust or distrust Social Security Scotland? Why do you say that?
  • Has your trust in Social Security Scotland been impacted by your experience with the transfer process? If yes – how so?
  • How does your level of trust in Social Security Scotland compare to your level of trust in DWP?
  • And how do you feel about the fact that ADP is delivered by Social Security Scotland rather than DWP?
  • What would you say to someone else who was about to go through the transfer process?

Would you know how to report a change in circumstances to Social Security Scotland in the future?

Overall, how do you feel about the fact that you’re now on ADP instead of PIP/DLA?

Section 5 – Wrap up

Time: 2-5 minutes

• Are there any other parts of the process or experiences that we've not asked about that you'd like to share?
• Or anything else you’d like to say?

Thank participant for their time and input.

Explain next steps and gather incentive details.

You might remember that we mentioned the possibility of the Scottish Government doing further research on this topic in the future. They are interested in understanding longer term impacts that having your case transferred to Social Security Scotland has had on you, including your review, for example. You would therefore be invited to an interview similar to this. This research is likely to take place in the first part of next year, so 2024. If you are interested and would like to contribute to this further research for the Scottish Government, then I will record your full name and the best way to reach out to you. These details will be passed on securely to the Scottish Government from us at Ipsos. Please be reassured that your details will not be used for any other purposes other than for the research in question.

Would you like the website address so you can access the Scottish Government’s Privacy Notice which will explain that your data will only be used for the purposes of this research, including a bit more detail about how it will be handled and stored securely?

If yes – Do you have a pen and paper to hand? The address is https://www.gov.scot/publications/disability-benefits-evaluation-research-privacy-notice/

(check that they have written this down correctly)

If not possible – I understand. If you are interested in taking part in further research and you would like further reassurance on how your data will be used, the Scottish Government can send out a copy of the Privacy Notice to you by your preferred method of contact. They will be very happy to do this.

Are you happy for us to pass your contact details to Scottish Government so that they can invite you to take part in this further research? (If needed, provide reassurance that their contact details won’t be connected with any answers they’ve given in this interview).

If yes – Can I check that your full name is? (write full name)

If yes – check preferred method of contact (phone, email or post) and confirm relevant details (check for postal address if needed for Privacy Notice)

• End on a light note by asking what they have planned for the rest of the day.

Phase 1: staff (Client Advisors)

• Introduce self and Ipsos
• Introduce the research: The Scottish Government has commissioned Ipsos Scotland to help them understand the experiences of clients and staff involved in the case transfer of disability benefits from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to Social Security Scotland. The aim of the research is to understand what is working well about the process and what could be improved.
• Explain that the group will last around an hour and a half.
• Provide reassurances of anonymity and confidentiality. Explain that no identifying information about individuals will be passed on to anyone outwith the Ipsos research team, so it will not be possible for the Scottish Government, colleagues at Social Security Scotland or anyone else to identify individuals in any reports that Ipsos produce. Notes and audio files will be securely stored and securely deleted one year after the research finishes.

Similarly, can I ask that you don’t share outside the group what anyone else said, as I want you to feel you can be really honest.

• Remind participants that they don’t have to answer any questions they don’t want to answer, and that they are welcome to leave the group at any time.
• Request permission to record interview. Explain that this is for transcription and analysis purposes and that recordings will not be shared outside the research team at Ipsos.

Introductions/Warm up:

Can I ask you each to introduce yourself and tell me your name, what your role is and how long you’ve been in that role?

And tell me what you enjoy most and least about your job at the moment.

What did you do before that? Have you been in a similar role before?

If not mentioned ask: Have you worked for DWP before? What was that like?

Are you currently working on ADP or CDP case transfers or both? Have you worked on CDP transfers in the past?

Note to interviewer – throughout discussion, where prompted and/or appropriate, focus on perceived impact of the case transfer process on clients.

Overall views on the case transfer process :

Before we get into the case transfer process in detail, can you tell me briefly how you’ve found the process overall?

What aspects, if any, are working well?

What aspects, if any, are not working so well?

Ask if working/worked on different kinds of transfers: are there any differences in how well the process works depending on which benefit is being transferred?

If yes, probe fully on all benefits: PIP, WADLA, DLAC and which works better/worse

Exercise:

Introduce logic model:

This logic model is a way of offsetting out clearly what the case transfer process is meant to do. We use the logic model as part of this research to help us identify the ways in which the case transfer process is and isn’t working as it should. It has been developed in line with Social Security Scotland’s policy commitments and principles.

Explain each column in diagram:

• What resources and elements go into it (inputs)
• What are the policy commitments and activities that support this
• What is it meant to achieve (outcomes)
• What are the potential risks to achieving the aims

Before today were you aware of these policy commitments?

Ask them to mark in green the policy commitments and outcomes they think are happening/likely to happen and mark in red those that are not always/not likely to happen. Also to note if there is anything they feel is missing.

Discuss.

I’d like now to go through some different aspects of the process in a bit more detail and get your views on them.

Client communications:

Are you aware of any common concerns that clients have about the case transfer process?

If yes: What about? How do you become aware of these? Do you feel you can respond to or deal with these?

Are you aware of any common misunderstandings or problems that clients have?

If yes: What about? What happens when clients have problems? What communications do clients receive about the case transfer process?

If not mentioned: Are you aware of any clients who have not received communications about the transfer process? How did you become aware of this? How was it resolved? What impact, if any, do you think this had on the client?

How clear do you think the communication with clients about the transfer process is?

How do you think clients feel about the communication they receive from Social Security Scotland?

Are there particular client groups who find communications less clear? Prompt if necessary: people with different types of conditions, type of benefit, people with lower literacy, people with English as an additional language etc.

Are there any times when clients would get in touch you?

If yes: What are the main reasons for this? How are these handled?

What, if anything, would improve client communications? What impact do you think this would have on a) clients and b) you and your colleagues?

For any improvements mentioned: Have you been able to give this feedback to your manager? Did/would you feel comfortable doing so?

For other issues mentioned, if applicable: is this something you have been able to give feedback on to your manager? Did/would you feel comfortable doing so?

Case transfer systems:

I understand the case transfer process is designed to be fully automated, with some exceptions (drop-out tasks).

First, thinking about when the case transfer process is automatic, do you hear much from clients during this time? What are the main reasons for hearing from them?

If yes – And how do clients seem when they get in touch?

If there are exceptions (drop-out tasks) can you talk me through what happens with those cases?

What are the main reasons for cases having to be dealt with manually?

And how much contact do you have with clients while dealing with these drop-out tasks? Are they aware of this happening? How do clients respond in these situations? (probe if necessary: do they seem anxious? Annoyed? Upset? Not bothered?)

Are there any types of cases that are trickier to deal with? Probe on: type of benefit, condition, client group, missing information

What impact do you think this has on clients? Does it vary depending on the case?

Is it clear what you are supposed to do? Are there any grey areas? What, if anything, would you like more guidance on?

If you need support with a drop-out task, what do you do? How is that for you?

Is there anything that could be done to improve this aspect of the process? What impact do you think this would have on a) clients and b) you and your colleagues?

Requesting information from clients:

How often do you have to request further information from clients to help with the case transfer? What are the circumstances in which you would need to request information from clients?

Can you briefly talk me through how this works? Probe: Do you write to clients or try to speak to them over the phone?

What kind of information do you tend to have to request? How do clients respond to this?

How do you feel about contacting clients? How would you describe the relationship or the tone of the conversations/emails? Prompt if necessary: friendly or more formal? How are clients with you?

How do clients feel about you getting in touch? What impact – if any – do you think the request for further information has on the client’s experience of the transfer process?

When it comes to case transfers for people on Working Age Disability Living Allowance (WADLA), I understand that some information held by DWP on these cases is very old so cannot be used without an individual’s permission. Do you have any experience of these cases?

If yes: how does the process of collecting consent work? How does this affect clients?

If participants mentioned that they have worked for DWP before): How does the process of requesting information from clients by Social Security Scotland compare with DWP?

Is there anything that could be done to improve this part of the process? What impact do you think this would have on a) clients and b) you and your colleagues?

Case approval:

When cases are sent for approval to Team Support Officers or Team Managers, how does that work?

What works well or less well about the approval process? How – if at all – does this affect clients?

Do you get any feedback on the case from them? Is this feedback useful? What happens to it?

Now moving on to another topic.

Training, guidance and support:

Thinking back to when you first started working on case transfers, what initial training did you get on the process?

If not mentioned: were you trained on ADP and CDP together or at different times? Check differences between ADP/CDP training throughout if applicable.

To what extent – if at all – do you think the training covers the policy commitments for case transfer? Show logic model again and probe fully on:

• Completing as fast as possible while maintaining a “safe and secure” transfer
• Clear communications with individuals
• Correct payment at the right time
• For each ask: does the training help you to deliver this in your job?

If not mentioned: To what extent, if at all, has the training focussed on managing the client’s experience? What do you think about that? If not a focus – do you think it should be?

How useful did you find the initial training? How much do you feel you use the training in practice? Is there anything you use more or less of? Where appropriate, refer back to aspects of training/policy commitments mentioned.

Can you remember if there were aspects of the process that you were still unsure of after the training?

Knowing what you know now, how could the initial training be improved?

Have you had any more training on case transfer since then?

If yes: what did that cover? How useful was it?

What other guidance or support have you received?

Probe on:

• Written/online guidance?
• Advice from supervisors/senior staff?
• Advice from peers?
• For each: How helpful did you find this? Whether they sought it out or were given it.

Have you ever provided advice or guidance to colleagues?

How, if at all, does the guidance and support to deliver the case transfer process affect staff wellbeing at your level? What about other levels? What further guidance or support would be helpful? If lots of things mentioned: Which would you prioritise?

What aspects of the case transfer process do you think are least likely to be understood or followed correctly by staff? Refer back to any challenges/difficulties/policy commitments raised during earlier discussion.

What could be done to improve this? And what impact do you think this would have on a) clients, and b) you and your colleagues?

We’re coming up to the end of the discussion now.

Ways in which the process could be improved:

What would make the case transfer process more efficient and enable cases to be transferred more quickly? Probe on: client communications, systems, guidance.

Apart from things you’ve already mentioned, are there any other ways that you think the case transfer process could be improved?

Probe on:

• Ways to improve the case transfer process?
• Ways to improve the client experience?
• Ways to improve the staff experience?
• As you know, the values of dignity, fairness and respect are meant to be embedded into Social Security Scotland systems. Is there anything that could be done in relation to the case transfer process that would increase dignity, fairness or respect?

And finally, is there anything else you want to say?

Explain next steps, thank and close.

Phase 1: staff (Team Managers and Team Support Officers)

• Introduce self and Ipsos
• Introduce the research: The Scottish Government has commissioned Ipsos Scotland to help them understand the experiences of clients and staff involved in the case transfer of disability benefits from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to Social Security Scotland. The aim of the research is to understand what is working well about the process and what could be improved.
• Explain that the discussion will last around an hour.
• Provide reassurances of anonymity and confidentiality. Explain that no identifying information about individuals will be passed on to anyone outwith the Ipsos research team, so it will not be possible for the Scottish Government, colleagues at Social Security Scotland or anyone else to identify individuals in any reports that Ipsos produce. Notes and audio files will be securely stored and securely deleted one year after the research finishes. Similarly, can I ask that you don’t share what we discuss outside the room as I want you to feel you can be really honest.
• Remind participants that they don’t have to answer any questions they don’t want to answer, and that they are welcome to leave the interview at any time.
• Request permission to record interview. Explain that this is for transcription and analysis purposes and that recordings will not be shared outside the research team at Ipsos.

Introductions/Warm up:

Can I ask you each to introduce yourself and tell me your name, what your role is and how long you’ve been in that role?

And tell me what you enjoy most and least about your job at the moment.

What did you do before that? Have you been in a similar role before?

Are you currently working on ADP or CDP case transfers or both? Have you worked on CDP transfers in the past?

If not mentioned ask: Have you worked for DWP before? What was that like?

Interviewer take note of previous DWP experience and refer back to this at appropriate points for any similarties/differences.

Note to interviewer – throughout discussion, where prompted and/or appropriate, focus on perceived impact of the case transfer process on clients.

Overall views on the case transfer process:

Before we get into the case transfer process in detail, can you tell me briefly how you’ve found the process overall?

What aspects, if any, are working well?

What aspects, if any, are not working so well?

Ask if working/worked on different kinds of transfers: are there any differences in how well the process works depending on which benefit is being transferred?

If yes, probe fully on all benefits: PIP, WADLA, DLAC

Ask if worked for DWP before: From your perspective, what are the key differences or similarities between DWP and Social Security Scotland systems?

Exercise:

Introduce logic model.

This logic model is a way of setting out clearly what the case transfer process is meant to do. We use the logic model as part of this research to help us identify the ways in which the case transfer process is and isn’t working as it should. It has been developed in line with Social Security Scotland’s policy commitments and principles.

Explain each column in diagram:

• What resources and elements go into it (inputs)
• What are the policy commitments and activities that support this
• What is it meant to achieve (outcomes)
• What are the potential risks to achieving the aims

Before today were you aware of these policy commitments?

Ask them to mark in green the policy commitments and outcomes they think are happening/ likely to happen and mark in red those that are not always/not likely to happen. Also to note if there is anything they feel is missing.

Discuss.

Do you think [client advisors/team support officers] are familiar with these policy commitments? If not covered: Can you think of examples where the policy commitments are demonstrated in their work?

I’d like now to go through different aspects of the process in more detail and get your views on them.

Client communications:

Are you aware of any common concerns that clients have about the case transfer process?

If yes: What about? How do you become aware of these? How are these responded to or dealt with? How easy or difficult is it to manage these?

Are you aware of any common misunderstandings or problems that clients have?

If yes: What about? What happens when clients have problems?

What communications do clients receive about the case transfer process?

If not mentioned: Are you aware of any clients who have not received communications about the transfer process? How did you become aware of this? How was it resolved? What impact, if any, do you think this had on the client?

How clear do you think the communication with clients about the transfer process is?

How do you think clients feel about the communication they receive from Social Security Scotland?

Are you aware of particular client groups who find communications less clear? Prompt if necessary: people with different types of conditions, type of benefit, people with lower literacy, people with English as an additional language etc.

What, if anything, would improve client communications? What impact do you think this would have on a) clients, and b) staff?

Case transfer systems:

I understand the case transfer process is designed to be fully automated, with some exceptions (drop-out tasks).

First, thinking about when the case transfer process is automatic, do you hear much from clients during this time? What are the main reasons for hearing from them?

If yes – And how do clients seem when they get in touch?

If there are exceptions (drop-out tasks) can you talk me through what happens with those cases?

What are the main reasons for cases having to be dealt with manually?

And how much contact do client advisors have with clients while dealing with drop-out tasks? To what extent are clients aware of this happening? How do clients respond in these situations (probe if necessary: do they seem anxious? Annoyed? Upset? Not bothered?)

Are client advisors clear on how they are supposed to deal with these issues?

Are there any types of cases that client advisors find trickier to deal with? Probe on: type of benefit, condition, client group, missing information

What impact do you think this has on clients? Does it vary depending on the case?

If participants have worked on case transfer for DWP before: how does the DWP automated system compare with the Social Security Scotland one? Probe on any differences and whether these are better/worse.

Is there anything that could be done to improve this aspect of the process? What impact do you think this would have on a) clients and b) you and your colleagues?

Case approval:

When cases are sent to you for approval, how does that work? Can you talk me through what you do?

What aspects, if any, are working well? How – if at all – does this affect clients?

What aspects, if any, are not working so well? How – if at all – does this affect clients?

Is there anything that could be done to improve this aspect of the process? What impact do you think this would have on a) clients and b) you and your colleagues?

Are there any common mistakes or misunderstandings you see from [client advisors/team support officers]?

• What do you think is at the root of these?
• What impact - if any - does this have on clients?
• What do you think could be done to resolve or improve things?

Now moving on to another topic.

Questions from staff:

What are the most common questions you’ve had from staff about the case transfer process?

On what aspects have they asked for advice or support?

If not covered already: Are there particular types of case that staff find more difficult? Probe for all examples and for each ask:

• How easy or difficult have you found it to answer questions/advise?
• Is it mainly the newer staff who ask questions or ask for support?
• Is there anything that would make it easier for you to advise staff?
• What do you do if you have questions or want some support yourself?
• How – if at all – do you think these types of cases affect the client’s experience of the transfer process?

On what aspects, or types of case, have you had questions/wanted support?

How easy or difficult is it to seek support from policy or programme colleagues?

Do you feed back to anyone else like Policy or Learning and Development?

Is there any guidance or support that you would find helpful? What impact do you think this would have on a) clients and b) you and your colleagues?

Training, Guidance and Support

Thinking back to when you first started working on case transfers, what initial training did you get on the process?

To what extent – if at all – do you think the training covers the policy commitments for case transfer? Show logic model again and probe on:

• Completing as fast as possible while maintaining a “safe and secure” transfer
• Clear communications with individuals
• Correct payment at the right time
• For each ask: does the training help you to deliver this in your job?

If not mentioned: To what extent, if at all, has the training focussed on managing the client’s experience? What do you think about that? If not a focus – do you think it should be?

How useful did you find the initial training?

Can you remember if there were aspects of the process that you were still unsure of after the training?

Knowing what you know now, how could the initial training be improved?

Have you had any more training on case transfer since then?

If yes: what did that cover? How useful was it?

What further training do you think would be helpful?

If more than one thing mentioned ask: which would you prioritise?

What other guidance or support have you received?

Probe on:

• Written/online guidance?
• Advice from senior staff?
• Advice from peers?
• For each: How helpful did you find this? Whether they sought it out or were given it.

If not covered already: Have you ever provided advice or guidance to colleagues?

How, if at all, does the guidance and support to deliver the case transfer process affect staff wellbeing at your level? What about other levels?

What further guidance or support would be helpful? If lots of things mentioned: Which would you prioritise?

If not covered already: What aspects of the case transfer process do you think are least likely to be understood or followed correctly by staff?

What could be done to improve this? And what impact do you think this would have on a)clients , and b) you and your colleagues?

We’re coming up to the end of the discussion now.

Ways in which the process could be improved:

What would make the case transfer process more efficient and enable cases to be transferred more quickly? Probe on: client communications, systems, guidance.

Apart from things you’ve already mentioned, are there any other ways that you think the case transfer process could be improved?

Probe on:

• Ways to improve the client experience?
• Ways to improve the staff experience?
• If applicable: Is there anything that Social Security Scotland could learn from the way things were done at DWP in terms of the case transfer process? Or is there anything that’s better about the way things are done at Social Security Scotland?

As you know, the values of dignity, fairness and respect are meant to be embedded into Social Security Scotland systems. Is there anything that could be done in relation to the case transfer process that would increase dignity, fairness or respect?

And finally, is there anything else you want to say?

Explain next steps, thank and close.

Phase 2: DLA/PIP – ADP client guide

Questions/probes

Introduction and warm-up

Time: 5 minutes

Interviewer to introduce self & thank participant for taking part. Explain the purpose of the session/research.

We (Ipsos Scotland, an independent research organisation) are carrying out some research about your experiences of the transfer process which moved your benefit from DWP to Social Security Scotland.

The research is being conducted on behalf of the Scottish Government

The purpose of this study is to understand how the transfer process is working, what’s going well and what could be improved. We are particularly interested in the review element, if you’ve had one. We are also talking to some Social Security Scotland staff who work on the transfers.

The discussion will last for around 45 minutes and, as you know, you will receive £30 as a thank you for your time. We can sort that out at the end.

• Conversation will be relaxed and informal
• No right or wrong answers, just keen to hear what you think.
• Explain independence of Ipsos and that everything shared will be treated anonymously. No identifying information will be included in report.
• Taking part completely voluntary, don’t have to answer any questions you don’t want to.
• Explain audio-recording and ask for consent to use.

Warm-up questions:

To start us off, can you tell me a bit about where you live and who you live with…

• Where do you live? How long have you lived there?
• Who do you live with?
  • If have children: How old are they?
• And what’s a typical day for you – if there’s such a thing?
• Could you tell me just a little bit about your condition or disability?

Remind participant that they do not have to go into detail if they do not want to

• And could you tell me a bit about the disability benefit you receive? Sense check which disability benefit client was receiving – PIP or WADLA
• We’ll go into more detail about the different aspects of the transfer process and review in a minute, but could you just tell me how you found it overall?
• Probe: What aspects worked well or went smoothly?
• And were there any problems or anything you didn’t think worked well?

Section 1 – Review Process

Time: 10 minutes

I’d like to start off by talking about what has happened now that the transfer of your benefit to Social Security Scotland has been completed -- specifically focussing on the review aspect.

• Before the transfer took place, do you know when you would have been due a review of your PIP/DLA award?
• Have you been contacted about a review of your award?
  • If yes –And have you had the review yet?
  • When did you first hear that there was going to be a review?
  • How were you informed about it?
  • Did you receive any information or guidance about the review?
  • What is/was your understanding of how the review would be/will be conducted?
  • Do you/Did you think it will/would be the same or different to any reviews you had under DWP?
  • Was there anything you didn’t understand or were unsure of?
  • Did you contact anyone about that or look for any more information anywhere?
  • What were your initial feelings about the review?
  • Probe fully on all aspects of pre-review contact, but with a focus on how this made the client feel.

Ask those who had a review:

Did you expect there to be a review around this time?

Probe so clear on: Whether they expected a review at all?

If so, whether the timing of it was what they expected?

• And how did the review go?
  • Was it what you expected?
  • Can you talk me through what happened?
  • What did you think of the review pack?
  • Were there any bits that were unclear?
  • How easy or difficult was it to complete?
  • How did you feel throughout the process?
  • Do you feel the review was conducted fairly?
  • Have you received an outcome?
    • If yes – how were you informed about this?
      • How did you feel about the outcome?
      • What impact has the outcome had on you?
      • How much confidence do you have that Social Security Scotland made the right decision with your award?
      • Do you feel that they considered your individual situation and needs?
      • Has the outcome affected your views on Social Security Scotland?
    • If no – do you know when it will be?
      • How are you feeling about it?

Do you think your case will be considered fairly?

• How much confidence do you have that Social Security Scotland will make the right decision with your award?

If not already mentioned: What contact, if any, did you have with Social Security Scotland staff while your case was being reviewed?

Probe on: Did they contact you or the other way around? reason for contact(s)?

How did you feel about that?

• Did you continue to receive your ADP payment throughout the review process?
• Probe fully on all aspects of review/outcome, but with a focus on how this made the client feel.
• Did you have a consultation as part of your review? That’s a pre-scheduled discussion with a practitioner from Social Security Scotland about your needs which can take place on the phone, by video call or face-to-face [if ness, can say ‘a health and social care practitioner’].

How does your experience of the review process with Social Security Scotland compare with previous ones you’ve had with DWP?

Note that client survey responses suggest that some clients confuse ‘consultation’ with a simple discussion with a CM.

• If yes – how did that go?
• What did they ask about? [probe further if doesn’t sound like a consultation]
• Was it what you expected?
• How did you feel about it in advance? During it?
• How did it compare with any assessments you had with DWP?

Ask only those who have not been contacted about a review:

• Have you had any information about a review?
  • If not: What information would you like at this point?
  • Have you tried to find out about it or been able to speak to anyone about it?
• Do you know what to expect with the review?
• How do you feel now about the review? Why is that?
  • Do you think you’d feel differently about your review if it was still with DWP? Why is that?
• Most people will not need to have a consultation as part of the review. If they do, that can take place by phone, video or in person. If you did have a consultation with Social Security Scotland, how do you think you would you feel about that?
  • Would you feel the same or different if it was DWP? Why/why not?
• What, if anything, do you know about Social Security Scotland’s consultations? What would you like to know more about?

Check time – if interview has already taken 40 mins or more, skip straight to section 4. If participant is flagging or it’s taken 55 mins or more, skip straight to section 5.

If short of time, key parts of sections 2 and 3 are highlighted.

Section 2 – First contact about case transfer

Time: 10 minutes

Okay, now I want to wind back to the very start of the process. This might be going back a while now, but I’d be interested to know what the earliest part of the transfer process was like for you, from what you remember.

• Roughly when did you first hear about your benefit being transferred from DWP to Social Security Scotland?
• Had you reported a change in your circumstances or condition to DWP before you heard about the transfer?
• When you first heard about the transfer, can you remember what your immediate reaction was?
• How did you hear about the transfer?
  • Did you receive a letter?
  • If not mentioned: Can you remember who the letter came from?
  • What do you remember about what the letter said?
  • Had you heard anything previously about benefits being transferred?
  • If yes, where from? Did you realise it would affect you?
• How did you feel about the transfer when you first heard about it?
• Had you heard of Social Security Scotland before hearing about the transfer of disability benefits to them?
  • If yes – what was your impression/experience of Social Security Scotland?
• [If not mentioned] You might remember receiving a goodbye letter from DWP?
• If yes: What was your initial reaction to that letter from DWP? How did it make you feel?
• What can you remember about what the letter said?
  • Was there anything about the letter that particularly stood out?
  • Was there anything in the letter that was unclear to you?
  • Did you know where you could go if you needed further information or support?
  • And did you look for further information or support?
  • Where from? Probe on how they knew about this source of info/support
  • Did you find/get what you needed?
• How did the letter make you feel about the transfer process, overall?
• Did you have confidence in the process? If needed: Did you feel clear about what was going to happen next from the details in the letter?
• [if not mentioned] You might remember receiving a hello letter from Social Security Scotland.
• What was your initial reaction to the letter you received from Social Security Scotland? How did it make you feel?
• What can you remember about what the letter said?
  • Was there anything about the letter that particularly stood out?
  • Was there anything in the letter that was unclear to you?
  • Did you know where you could go if you needed further information or support?
  • And did you look for further information or support?
  • Where from? Probe on how they knew about this source of info/support
  • Did you find/get what you needed?
• How did the letter make you feel about the transfer process, overall?
• Did you have confidence in the process? If needed: Did you feel clear about what was going to happen next from the details in the letter?
• Were you offered the option to move your benefit before you received the letter about the transfer?
  • If no – had you had this option, would you have taken it? Why/Why not?
  • If yes – did you take this option? Why/Why not?

Section 3 – Actual transfer process

Time: 15-20 minutes

I’d now like to talk about the transfer process itself.

• After you received the first letters from DWP and Social Security Scotland about your transfer, can you talk me through what happened next? Allow participant to speak freely first before going through probes
• How did you feel about it all?

Probe: Were there points where you felt anxious or worried about it?

Did you feel confused at any point or unsure what was happening?

Did you feel confident that everything would go smoothly?

• How did you feel about Social Security Scotland throughout the process?
• Did your attitude towards them change at all?
• Were you contacted by Social Security Scotland or DWP at any point during the transfer process?
  • If yes – Who contacted you?
  • Why did they contact you?
  • How did they contact you?
  • Was any action required by you?
  • If yes, probe:
  • Was it clear what they needed from you?
  • How easy or difficult was it to provide what they needed?
  • Did you feel that their requests were reasonable?
  • Ask all:
  • How long did it take to resolve? Was this timescale acceptable for you?
  • Was there any contact after that?
  • How did you feel about your contact with the person dealing with your case? Why is that?
  • Do you feel that you were treated well by the person dealing with your case? Why/why not?
  • Probe fully for of all contacts made by SSS/DWP, but with a focus on how this made the client feel.
• Did you contact Social Security Scotland or DWP at any point during the transfer process?
  • If yes – Which? Why did you contact them?
  • How did that go?
  • How did you contact them?
  • How long did they take to respond? How did you feel about that?
  • How was the person you spoke to? Were they helpful?
  • How long did it take to resolve your query? How did you feel about that?
  • Was there any contact after that?
  • How did you feel about your contact (or lack of contact) with them?
  • Do you feel that you were treated well by the person dealing with your case? Why/why not?
  • Probe fully for of all contacts made to SSS/ DWP, but with a focus on how this made the client feel.
• Were you aware of any issues with your transfer?
  • If yes – how were these dealt with?
  • Were you satisfied with the support or assistance you received? Why/why not?
  • How did this issue/these issues make you feel?
• How long did it take for the transfer process to be completed? How did you feel about that?

If reporting a change of circumstances wasn’t the reason for the transfer, ask:

• Did you report a change in circumstances or a change in your condition during the transfer process?
  • If yes – how did you go about that?
  • When did you report the change?
  • Did you report this to DWP or to Social Security Scotland?
  • What happened then?
  • Did you have to provide further details about the change?
  • Did that change the amount of benefit you receive?
  • Did the amount change at the same time as your transfer was completed or was it after that?
  • How did you feel about the process for reporting your change in circumstances during the transfer?
    • If yes – what issues did you experience?
• If no contact with SSS/DWP during transfer
  • How did you feel about not hearing from Social Security Scotland during that time?
  • And how did you feel about not hearing from DWP during that time?
    • If yes – what issues did you experience?
• Were you informed when the transfer was complete?
  • How were you informed about this?
  • Was it clear what the next steps would be?
  • Was there anything that was unclear to you?
  • Did you know where to go for further information or support?
  • Were there any issues with your payment at any point?
    • If yes – what issues did you experience?
    • Was this resolved? What happened to resolve it?
    • How did this issue make you feel?
    • If no – so just to check, did you receive payments on time? And was the amount correct?

How did you feel once the transfer was complete?

Was there anything that you had to do after the transfer process had ended?

Prompt if necessary: Did you have to tell any other benefit providers/agencies?

• Who did you tell?
• How did that go?
• How did you feel about that?
• Were payment amounts for other awards impacted?
• If so:
  • Which benefits?
  • By how much?
  • How did this make you feel?

Ask if necessary: After your DWP award was transferred to the new Scottish disability benefit award, did you experience any issues with your other benefit awards?

Section 4 – Experiences with Social Security Scotland

Time: 10-15 minutes

We’re coming to the end of the interview now. The last few questions are about your overall thoughts on the transfer processes, and your views of Social Security Scotland based on your experiences so far.

• Overall, how would you describe your experience of the transfer?
  • If you could summarise it in one word, what would it be?
• One of the aims of the transfer process is to ensure that it is “safe and secure” – to what extent would you agree that this was the case for you?
  • Why/why not?
  • What does a “safe and secure” transfer mean to you?

What, if anything, do you think worked well with the transfer process?

Probe: and what difference did that make to you?

• And what, if anything, do you think could be improved with the transfer process?

Probe: and what difference would that have made to you?

• Has your experience with the transfer of your benefit affected your views on Social Security Scotland? In what way? Could refer back to earlier discussion around awareness of SSS before transfer
• In what ways, if any, has your experience with Social Security Scotland been different to your experience with DWP?
• And in what ways, if any, has your experience with Social Security Scotland been similar to your experience with DWP?
• What do you think of the communication you have had with Social Security Scotland so far – has it been too much, too little or about right? Why do you say that?
  • How has the amount of communication made you feel about the transfer process, and about Social Security Scotland?
  • How does that compare with the communication you had with DWP? Better, worse, or no different? [If better/worse] Why do you say that?
  • How comfortable or uncomfortable would you feel about reporting a change in circumstances to Social Security Scotland in the future? Why is that?
  • How does that compare with DWP? Would you say you feel more or less comfortable, or no different?
• To what extent would you say you trust or distrust Social Security Scotland? Why do you say that?
  • Has your trust in Social Security Scotland been impacted by your experience with the transfer process? If yes – how so?
  • How does your level of trust in Social Security Scotland compare to your level of trust in DWP?
  • And how do you feel about the fact that ADP is delivered by Social Security Scotland rather than DWP?
  • What would you say to someone else who was about to go through the transfer process?

Would you know how to report a change in circumstances to Social Security Scotland in the future?

Overall, how do you feel about the fact that you’re now on ADP instead of PIP/DLA?

Section 5 – Wrap up

Time: 2-5 minutes

• Are there any other parts of the process or experiences that we've not asked about that you'd like to share?
• Or anything else you’d like to say?

Thank participant for their time and input.

Explain next steps and gather incentive details.

Ask WADLA clients only:

You might remember that we mentioned the possibility of the Scottish Government doing further research on this topic in the future. They are interested in understanding longer term impacts that having your case transferred to Social Security Scotland has had on you, including your review, for example. You would therefore be invited to an interview similar to this. This research is likely to take place in the first part of next year, so 2024. If you are interested and would like to contribute to this further research for the Scottish Government, then I will record your full name and the best way to reach out to you. These details will be passed on securely to the Scottish Government from us at Ipsos. Please be reassured that your details will not be used for any other purposes other than for the research in question.

Would you like the website address so you can access the Scottish Government’s Privacy Notice which will explain that your data will only be used for the purposes of this research, including a bit more detail about how it will be handled and stored securely?

If yes – Do you have a pen and paper to hand? The address is https://www.gov.scot/publications/disability-benefits-evaluation-research-privacy-notice/

(check that they have written this down correctly)

If not possible – I understand. If you are interested in taking part in further research and you would like further reassurance on how your data will be used, the Scottish Government can send out a copy of the Privacy Notice to you by your preferred method of contact. They will be very happy to do this.

Are you happy for us to pass your contact details to Scottish Government so that they can invite you to take part in this further research? (If needed, provide reassurance that their contact details won’t be connected with any answers they’ve given in this interview).

If yes – Can I check that your full name is? (write full name)

If yes – check preferred method of contact (phone, email or post) and confirm relevant details (check for postal address if needed for Privacy Notice)

• End on a light note by asking what they have planned for the rest of the day.

Phase 2: staff (Case Managers)

• Introduce self and Ipsos
• Introduce the research: Briefly explain the purpose of this group session, which is to gather staff's views on reviewing PIP and WADLA/DLAC cases that have been transferred from DWP.
  • The Scottish Government has commissioned Ipsos Scotland to help them understand the experiences of clients and staff involved in the case transfer of disability benefits from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to Social Security Scotland. One of the aims of the research is to understand what is working well about the process and what could be improved from the perspective of staff, including what staff think would improve the client experience.
  • Clarify that the feedback will be used to identify areas for improvement and ensure that the system is working efficiently and effectively for both clients and staff.
• Explain that the group will last around an hour and a half.
• Provide reassurances of anonymity and confidentiality. Explain that no identifying information about individuals will be passed on to anyone outwith the Ipsos research team, so it will not be possible for the Scottish Government, colleagues at Social Security Scotland or anyone else to identify individuals in any reports that Ipsos produce. In reporting information from you, we will refer to you as ‘CDP/ADP Case Managers’. Notes and audio files will be securely stored and securely deleted one year after the research finishes.

Similarly, can I ask that you don’t share outside the group what anyone else said, as I want you to feel you can be really honest.

• Remind participants that they don’t have to answer any questions they don’t want to answer, and that they are welcome to leave the group at any time.
• Request permission to record interview. Explain that this is for transcription and analysis purposes and that recordings will not be shared outside the research team at Ipsos.

Introductions/Warm up:

Can I ask you each to introduce yourself and tell me your name, what your role is and how long you’ve been in that role?

Once everyone has introduced themselves…

And tell me what you enjoy most and least about your job at the moment.

What did you do before that? Have you been in a similar role before?

If not mentioned ask: Have you worked for DWP before? What was that like?

Are you currently working on ADP or CDP reviews or both? Have you worked on CDP reviews in the past?

And what exactly is your current role in relation to case transfers?

At what point do you first get involved in a case?

And when does your involvement end?

And are you also currently working on reviews for people who have not transferred, but been with SSS since they started receiving ADP/CDP? Have you worked on those cases in the past?

If they are working/have worked on these cases: I might ask you about how these cases compare a bit later on, but assume we’re just talking about case transfer reviews for now.

Note to interviewer – throughout discussion, where prompted and/or appropriate, focus on perceived impact of the process on clients.

Overall views on the case transfer review process:

Before we get into the case transfer review process in detail, can you tell me briefly how you’ve found the process overall?

What aspects, if any, are working well?

What aspects, if any, are not working so well?

Exercise:

Introduce logic model:

This logic model is a way of setting out clearly what the case transfer process is meant to do. We use the logic model as part of this research to help us identify the ways in which the case transfer process is and isn’t working as it should. It has been developed in line with Social Security Scotland’s policy commitments and principles.

Explain each column in diagram:

• What resources and elements go into it (inputs)
• What are the policy commitments and activities that support this
• What is it meant to achieve (outcomes)
• What are the potential risks to achieving the aims

Before today were you aware of these policy commitments?

Ask them to mark in green the policy commitments and outcomes they think are happening/ likely to happen and mark in red those that are not always/not likely to happen. Also to note if there is anything they feel is missing.

Discuss.

I’d like now to go through some different aspects of the process in a bit more detail and get your views on them.

Review process:

Can you talk me through the different elements of the review process that you’re involved in, starting from when a case first lands on your desk, as it were. Note each main stage.

Go through each stage in turn and ask:

How well is this stage of the process working?

• From your point of view?
• From a client’s point of view?

What are the problems or challenges you encounter at this stage?

What impact does that have?

• On you?
• On clients?

How do you think that could be improved/that problem could be resolved?

If not already mentioned probe on:

• Their (staff) communications, if any, with DWP
• Communications from a client’s point of view – Do clients have any misunderstandings? What are they? How do you think that affects their views of Social Security Scotland?
• CDP only: I understand there has been an issue with you not being able to conduct reviews at the moment. Can you tell me about that? How has this affected you? What has the impact been on clients?

for those that have worked on both: Are there differences between reviews for cases that have been transferred from DWP and cases that have always been with SSS? In terms of the process? In terms of clients’ expectations? In terms of clients’ concerns?

How do you think clients feel at the end of the process, once they have heard the outcome of their review?

How do you know that?

Differences between client groups:

Ask ADP case managers: What are the differences between dealing with a case that’s been transferred from WADLA compared with a case that’s been transferred from PIP?

Are there aspects that are better or worse with former WADLA cases?

Are there aspects that are better or worse with former PIP cases?

Are there differences between the two client groups in terms of their understanding of the process?

How worried or concerned they are?

The impact the process has on them? In what ways?

Ask ADP case managers: What are the differences between dealing with a case that’s arisen because the client reported a change in circumstances, compared to end of award/review?

Are there differences between the two client groups in terms of their understanding of the process?

How worried or concerned they are?

The impact the process has on them? In what ways?

Are there any other client groups where there are particular issues or difficulties? Probe on impact on client in each case.

Probe on:

• different types of conditions?
• mental health conditions?
• people with lower literacy?
• people with English as an additional language?
• Any other groups?

Training, guidance and support:

Thinking back to when you first started working on case transfer reviews, what initial training did you get on the process?

To what extent – if at all – did the training covers the policy commitments for case transfer and reviews? Show logic model again and probe fully on:

• Clear communications with individuals
• Reviews are right first time, where required
• Reviews, where required, are undertaken in line with relevant policy commitments
• Reviews will be light-touch and, as far as possible, minimise stress.

If not mentioned: To what extent, if at all, has the training focussed on managing the client’s experience? What do you think about that? If not a focus – do you think it should be?

Can you remember if there were aspects of the process that you were still unsure of after the training?

How well do you think the initial training prepared you for working on the case transfer and the review process? What could be improved in the training?

• Probe: Were there any gaps in the training content that you feel should be addressed?
• If yes: do you think these gaps impacted on clients in any way?

Knowing what you know now, how could the initial training be improved?

Have you had any more training on case transfer reviews since then?

If yes: what did that cover? How useful was it?

What other guidance or support have you received?

Probe on:

• Written/online guidance?
• Advice from supervisors/senior staff?
• Advice from peers?
• For each: How helpful did you find this? Whether they sought it out or were given it.

Have you ever provided advice or guidance to colleagues?

What further guidance or support would be helpful?

If lots of things mentioned: Which would you prioritise?

What aspects of the case transfer review process do you think are least likely to be understood or followed correctly by staff? Refer back to any challenges/difficulties/policy commitments raised during earlier discussion.

What impact, if any, does this have on clients?

What could be done to improve this? And what impact do you think this would have on a) clients, and b) you and your colleagues?

Feedback:

The various issues and challenges you mentioned, is this something you have been able to give feedback on to your managers? Did/would you feel comfortable doing so?

Have you been able to give feedback on the potential improvements you mentioned to your managers? Did/would you feel comfortable doing so?

Final thoughts:

As you know, the values of dignity, fairness and respect are meant to be embedded into Social Security Scotland systems. Is there anything that could be done in relation to the case transfer review process that would increase dignity, fairness or respect?

If feel discussion has focused very much on problems: We’ve naturally focused more on the problems with the process and the things that could be improved. Is there anything more you want to say about the aspects that are working well?

And finally, is there anything else you want to say?

Explain next steps, thank and close.

Phase 2: staff (Decision Team Managers)

• Introduce self and Ipsos
• Introduce the research: Briefly explain the purpose of the interview, which is to gather staff's views on reviewing PIP and WADLA/DLAC cases that have been transferred from DWP.
  • The Scottish Government has commissioned Ipsos Scotland to help them understand the experiences of clients and staff involved in the case transfer of disability benefits from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to Social Security Scotland. One of the aims of the research is to understand what is working well about the process and what could be improved from the perspective of staff, including what staff think would improve the client experience.
  • Clarify that the feedback will be used to identify areas for improvement and ensure that the system is working efficiently and effectively for both clients and staff.
• Explain that the group will last around an hour.
• Provide reassurances of anonymity and confidentiality. Explain that no identifying information about individuals will be passed on to anyone outwith the Ipsos research team, so it will not be possible for the Scottish Government, colleagues at Social Security Scotland or anyone else to identify individuals in any reports that Ipsos produce. In reporting information from you, we will refer to you as ‘CDP/ADP Decision Team Managers’. Notes and audio files will be securely stored and securely deleted one year after the research finishes.

Similarly, can I ask that you don’t share outside the discussion what the other person said, as I want you both to feel you can be really honest.

• Remind participants that they don’t have to answer any questions they don’t want to answer, and that they are welcome to leave the group at any time.
• Request permission to record interview. Explain that this is for transcription and analysis purposes and that recordings will not be shared outside the research team at Ipsos.

Introductions/Warm up:

Can I ask you each to introduce yourself and tell me your name, what your role is and how long you’ve been in that role?

And tell me what you enjoy most and least about your job at the moment.

What did you do before that? Have you been in a similar role before?

If not mentioned ask: Have you worked for DWP before? What was that like?

Check: I understand you are currently a Decision Team Manager for ADP/CDP case transfer reviews. Have you worked on [ADP/CDP – whichever they are not currently working on] reviews in the past?

And what exactly is your current role in relation to case transfer?

And are you also currently working on reviews for people who have not transferred, but been with SSS since they started receiving ADP/CDP? Have you worked on those cases in the past?

If they are working/have worked on these cases: I might ask you about how these cases compare a bit later on, but assume we’re just talking about case transfer reviews for now.

Note to interviewer – throughout discussion, where prompted and/or appropriate, focus on perceived impact of the process on clients.

Overall views on the case transfer review process:

Before we get into the case transfer review process in detail, can you tell me briefly how you’ve found the process overall?

What aspects, if any, are working well?

What aspects, if any, are not working so well?

Exercise: introduce logic model

This logic model is a way of setting out clearly what the case transfer process is meant to do. We use the logic model as part of this research to help us identify the ways in which the case transfer process is and isn’t working as it should. It has been developed in line with Social Security Scotland’s policy commitments and principles.

Explain each column in diagram:

• What resources and elements go into it (inputs)
• What are the policy commitments and activities that support this
• What is it meant to achieve (outcomes)
• What are the potential risks to achieving the aims

Before today were you aware of these policy commitments?

Ask them to mark in green the policy commitments and outcomes they think are happening/ likely to happen and mark in red those that are not always/not likely to happen. Also to note if there is anything they feel is missing.

Discuss.

I’d like now to go through some different aspects of the process in a bit more detail and get your views on them.

Review process:

Can you talk me through the different elements of the review process that you’re involved in, starting from when a case first lands on your desk, as it were. Note each main stage.

Go through each stage in turn and ask:

How well is this stage of the process working?

• From a staff point of view?
• From a client’s point of view?

What are the problems or challenges staff encounter at this stage?

What impact does that have?

• On staff?
• On clients?

How do you think that could be improved/that problem could be resolved?

If not already mentioned probe on:

• Their (staff) communications, if any, with DWP
• Communications from a client’s point of view – Do clients have any misunderstandings? What are they? How do you think that affects their views of Social Security Scotland?
• CDP only: I understand there has been an issue with you not being able to conduct scheduled reviews at the moment. Can you tell me about that? How has this affected staff? What has the impact been on clients?

For those that have worked on both: Are there differences between reviews for cases that have been transferred from DWP and cases that have always been with SSS? In terms of the process? In terms of clients’ expectations? In terms of clients’ concerns?

How do you think clients feel at the end of the process, once they have heard the outcome of their review?

How do you know that?

Differences between client groups:

Ask ADP DTMs: What are the differences between dealing with a case that’s been transferred from WADLA compared with a case that’s been transferred from PIP?

Are there aspects that are better or worse with former WADLA cases?

Are there aspects that are better or worse with former PIP cases?

Are there differences between the two client groups in terms of their understanding of the process?

How worried or concerned they are?

The impact the process has on them? In what ways?

Ask ADP DTMs: What are the differences between dealing with a case that’s arisen because the client reported a change in circumstances, compared to end of award/review?

Are there differences between the two client groups in terms of their understanding of the process?

How worried or concerned they are?

The impact the process has on them? In what ways?

Are there any other client groups where there are particular issues or difficulties? Probe on impact on client in each case.

Probe on:

• different types of conditions?
• mental health conditions?
• people with lower literacy?
• people with English as an additional language?
• Any other groups?

Case approval:

When cases are sent to you for approval, how does that work? Can you talk me through what you do?

What aspects, if any, are working well? How – if at all – does this affect clients?

What aspects, if any, are not working so well? How – if at all – does this affect clients?

Is there anything that could be done to improve this aspect of the process? What impact do you think this would have on a) clients and b) you and your colleagues?

Are there any common mistakes or misunderstandings you see from Case Managers?

• What do you think is at the root of these?
• What impact - if any - does this have on clients?
• What do you think could be done to resolve or improve things?

Questions from staff:

What are the most common questions you’ve had from staff about the case transfer review process?

On what aspects have they asked for advice or support?

If not covered already: Are there particular types of case that staff find more difficult? Probe for all examples and for each ask:

• How easy or difficult have you found it to answer questions/advise?
• Is it mainly the newer staff who ask questions or ask for support?
• Is there anything that would make it easier for you to advise staff?
• What do you do if you have questions or want some support yourself?
• How – if at all – do you think these types of cases affect the client’s experience of the review process?

On what aspects, or types of case, have you had questions/wanted support?

How easy or difficult is it to seek support from policy or programme colleagues?

Do you feed back to anyone else like Policy or Learning and Development?

Is there any guidance or support that you would find helpful? What impact do you think this would have on a) clients and b) you and your colleagues?

Training, guidance and support:

Thinking back to when you first started working on case transfer reviews, what initial training did you get on the process?

To what extent – if at all – do you think the training covers the policy commitments for case transfer reviews? Show logic model again and probe on:

• Clear communications with individuals
• Reviews are right first time, where required
• Reviews, where required, are undertaken in line with relevant policy commitments
• Reviews will be light-touch and, as far as possible, minimise stress.

If not mentioned: To what extent, if at all, has the training focussed on managing the client’s experience? What do you think about that? If not a focus – do you think it should be?

How well do you think the initial training prepared you for working on the case transfer and the review process? What could be improved in the training?

• Probe: Were there any gaps in the training content that you feel should be addressed?
• If yes: do you think these gaps impacted on clients in any way?

Knowing what you know now, how could the initial training be improved?

Have you had any more training on case transfer reviews since then?

If yes: what did that cover? How useful was it

What further training do you think would be helpful?

If more than one thing mentioned ask: which would you prioritise?

What other guidance or support have you received?

Probe on:

• Written/online guidance?
• Advice from senior staff?
• Advice from peers?
• For each: How helpful did you find this? Whether they sought it out or were given it.

How, if at all, does the guidance and support to deliver the case transfer review process affect staff wellbeing at your level? What about other levels?

What further guidance or support would be helpful? If lots of things mentioned: Which would you prioritise?

If not covered already: What aspects of the case transfer review process do you think are least likely to be understood or followed correctly by staff? Refer back to any challenges/difficulties/policy commitments raised during earlier discussion

What could be done to improve this? And what impact do you think this would have on a) clients, and b) you and your colleagues?

We’re coming up to the end of the discussion now.

Feedback:

The various issues and challenges you mentioned, is this something you have been able to give feedback on to your managers? Did/would you feel comfortable doing so?

Have you been able to give feedback on the potential improvements you mentioned to your managers? Did/would you feel comfortable doing so?

Final thoughts:

As you know, the values of dignity, fairness and respect are meant to be embedded into Social Security Scotland systems. Is there anything that could be done in relation to the case transfer review process that would increase dignity, fairness or respect?

If feel discussion has focused very much on problems: We’ve naturally focused more on the problems with the process and the things that could be improved. Is there anything more you want to say about the aspects that are working well?

And finally, is there anything else you want to say?

Explain next steps, thank and close.