Redress Scotland Case Worker delay: FOI release

Information requested

1A How many redress applications in total are awaiting a case worker ?

1B How many of these are completed and ready ?

2 How long on average are applications now taking to process from start to finish ?

3 With new case workers employed why are people still stuck in a queue even though some cases are ready to go?

Response

1A How many redress applications in total are awaiting a case worker ?
There are 1167 applications to Scotland’s Redress Scheme that do not currently have a named case worker allocated.

1B How many of these are completed and ready ?
All applications to Scotland’s Redress Scheme are reviewed by a case worker within six weeks of submission. This process identifies if further information is required or if applications are ready to allocate to a named case worker to undertake the required verification checks, ahead of seeking applicant approval to send to Redress Scotland.

I have interpreted “completed and ready” as applications that contain all of the required information and are ready for allocation to a named case worker to undertake verification checks, ahead of seeking applicant approval to send to Redress Scotland. 125 applications fall into this category.

2 How long on average are applications now taking to process from start to finish ?
This is a formal notice under section 17(1) of FOISA that the Scottish Government does not have the information you have requested.

I would advise that this is because each application varies in complexity, with survivors and applicants requiring differing levels of support to complete the application and a dependency on other organisations to complete the required verifications around care settings and any previous relevant payments made.

3 With new case workers employed why are people still stuck in a queue even though some cases are ready to go?
Outwith FOISA, we recognise that – for many applicants – the process is taking longer than they expected.

It may be helpful to share that we have reviewed our ways of working and have introduced changes to improve this experience for survivors and applicants.

This change sees an increased focus on the case working team contacting, offering support, and progressing the applications for all applicants, with a view to allocating a named caseworker when the application is largely complete and approaching the stage of being ready to send to Redress Scotland for consideration.

In the event that a survivor has a terminal illness, it remains the case that this is allocated immediately to a caseworker. Priority will also still be given to those applicants who are over the age of 68.

About FOI

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