Employment Injury Assistance delivery - next steps: response to consultation

Equality Issues

Respondent Feedback

Equality concerns were a theme throughout many responses, particularly from organisations, with gender being a particular focus. It was felt that the eligibility criteria does not adequately account for the illnesses and injuries experienced by women at work. Some respondents linked gender disparity within IIS to specific conditions not currently covered by the scheme, such as Long Covid. Some respondents also called on policy development for Employment Injury Assistance to take an intersectional approach, including to consider the experiences of minority ethnic women.

Scottish Government Response

As outlined in the consultation, we recognise that there are a number of challenges with the current scheme and that many people do not believe it reflects the current workforce or occupational health challenges in Scotland. We know that women are significantly underrepresented in the current scheme and that young people and people from an ethnic minority background are also underrepresented. This is a significant reason why the Scottish Government want to take the time and resources necessary to explore longer-term reform of Employment Injury Assistance and why we think delivery of a like-for-like benefit is not the right way forward.

We will invite some respondents who raised concerns about equality issues to be part of the Employment Injury Assistance Steering Group. This group will consider these issues in detail and play a key role in our policy development around these areas. The Scottish Government is committed to exploring how best to embed an intersectional approach throughout policy development for Employment Injury Assistance, including through the drafting of comprehensive impact assessments which will consider equalities issues in detail.

The Scottish Government intends to begin work on identifying specific options for reform in the coming weeks. By mid-year 2025, we intend to have identified key delivery issues informed by the work of the Employment Injury Assistance Steering Group to be followed later in the year with published initial high-level policy options. Throughout this process, we will continue to engage with stakeholders and, most importantly, people with lived experience of IIS benefits.