Scottish Child Payment: interim evaluation

Findings from the interim evaluation of Scottish Child Payment.


Annex A: Additional statistical information

Notes which apply to more than one statistical table are presented at the beginning of Annex A, as can be seen below. Notes which apply to only one statistical table are presented underneath the relevant table.

Notes – all tables

  • Figures are rounded for disclosure control and may not sum due to rounding.
  • Figures have been rounded to the nearest one percent – figures may not sum due to rounding.

Notes – table 1, tables 10-11

Notes – table 1-11

  • The total percentage of approved applications has been calculated by dividing the number of approved applications for each variable category by the total number of approved applications. For example, in Table 2, to calculate the percentage of approved applications for those identifying as a ‘man’, 2,300 (i.e. the number of approved applications for those identifying as a ‘man’) is divided by 29,955 (i.e. the total number of approved applications).

Notes – tables 2-9

1. Number of approved applications by Age-group, February 2021 to March 2022
Age-group Total number of approved applications Total percentage of approved applications
Under 18 345 0%
18-24 20,840 16%
25-34 68,525 54%
35-44 33,655 26%
45-54 3,250 3%
55 and over 480 0%
Unknown [c] [c]
Total 127,095 100%

Notes – table 1

  • This secondary analysis was carried out using rounded the data in the Scottish Child Payment Official Statistics publication
  • [c] Figures suppressed for disclosure control
  • Age is unknown where date of birth is missing or incorrect (e.g. child date of birth has been input instead of applicant date of birth).
2. Number of approved applications by Gender, December 2020 to May 2021
Gender Total number of approved applications Total percentage of approved applications
Man 2,300 8%
Woman 26,940 90%
In another way 15 0%
Prefer not to say 700 2%
Unknown - -
Total 29,955 100%
3. Number of approved applications by Physical or Mental Health Condition, December 2020 to May 2021
Physical or Mental Health Condition Total number of approved applications Total percentage of approved applications
Yes 4,755 16%
No 22,845 76%
Prefer not to say 2,350 8%
Unknown - -
Total 29,955 100%
4. Number of approved applications by Ethnicity, December 2020 to May 2021
Ethnicity Total number of approved applications Total percentage of approved applications
White 26,725 89%
Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups 215 1%
Asian 1,185 4%
African 525 2%
Caribbean or Black 30 0%
Other ethnic group 255 1%
Prefer not to say 1,020 3%
Unknown - -
Total 29,955 100%
5. Number of approved applications by Sexual orientation, December 2020 to May 2021
Sexual orientation Total number of approved applications Total percentage of approved applications
Heterosexual 27,010 90%
Gay & Lesbian 105 0%
Bisexual 595 2%
In another way 115 0%
Prefer not to say 2,130 7%
Unknown 5 0%
Total 29,955 100%
6. Number of approved applications by Transgender, December 2020 to May 2021
Transgender Total number of approved applications Total percentage of approved applications
Yes 105 0%
No 28,825 96%
Prefer not to say 1,025 3%
Unknown - -
Total 29,955 100%
7. Number of approved applications by Urban Rural, December 2020 to May 2021
Urban Rural Total number of approved applications Total percentage of approved applications
1 -Large Urban Areas 10,550 35%
2 -Other Urban Area 12,020 40%
3 -Accessible Small Town 2,305 8%
4 -Remote Small Town 1,060 4%
5 -Accessible Rural Area 2,775 9%
6 -Remote Rural Area 1,195 4%
Unknown - Scottish 30 0%
Unknown - Other 20 0%
Total 29,955 100%

Notes – table 7

  • In Social Security Scotland client diversity and equalities analysis Urban Rural data is presented based on the Scottish Government Urban Rural Classification, 8-fold. In Table 7 it is based on the Scottish Government Urban Rural Classification, 6-fold. The 6-fold data in Table 6 has been calculated by aggregating the following items from the 8-fold data:
    • ‘4 - Remote Small Town’, and ‘5 - Very Remote Small Town’
    • ‘7 - Remote Rural Area’, and ‘8 - Very Remote Rural Area’
8. Number of approved applications by SIMD Quintile, December 2020 to May 2021
SIMD quintile Total number of approved applications Total percentage of approved applications
1 11,960 40%
2 7,840 26%
3 5,015 17%
4 3,460 12%
5 1,630 5%
Unknown – Scottish 30 0%
Unknown – Other 20 0%
Total 29,955 100%

Notes – table 8

  • In Social Security Scotland client diversity and equalities analysis SIMD data is presented based on SIMD Deciles. In Table 8 it is based on SIMD Quintiles. SIMD Quintiles data in Table 8 has been calculated by aggregating the following from the SIMD Deciles data:
    • Deciles 1 and 2 data, for Quintile 1
    • Deciles 3 and 4 data, for Quintile 2
    • Deciles 5 and 6 data, for Quintile 3
    • Deciles 7 and 8 data, for Quintile 4
    • Deciles 9 and 10 data, for Quintile 5
9. Number of approved applications by Islands, December 2020 to May 2021
Islands Total number of approved applications Total percentage of approved applications
Scotland – Island 410 1%
Scotland – Mainland 29,495 98%
Scotland – Unknown 30 0%
Other 20 0%
Total 29,955 100%
10. Number of approved applications by whether an applicant is a lone parent or not, all time – up to 31 March 2022
Lone parent status Total number of approved applications Total percentage of approved applications
Assumed lone parent 73,490 58%
Assumed partnership 53,600 42%
Total 127,095 100%

Notes – table 10

  • Whether an applicant is assumed to be lone parent or not is based on the presence (or absence) of a data field called "Partner Flag". Since it is possible for applicants to not fill in information about their partners, overestimation of lone parents can occur and thus caution is needed when interpreting these figures.
11. Number of approved applications by whether applicant has a child aged under 1 or not, all time – up to 31 March 2022
Age of child/children Total number of approved applications Total percentage of approved applications
Applicants with any child aged under 1 28,800 23%
Applicants with no children aged under 1 98,240 77%
Unknown 55 0%
Total 127,095 100%

Notes – table 11

  • Whether an applicant has any child aged zero at the time of application submission or not is based on the child information within the application form.
  • The age of any child per application form is unknown when clients incorrectly or did not record information about their children.
12. Scottish Child Payment application processing times per month, February 2021 to March 2022
Month Number of processed applications Percentage of applications processed within 10 working days Average (median) processing time in working days
Feb-21 21,920 1% 55
Mar-21 26,325 1% 36
Apr-21 17,895 3% 36
May-21 6,920 44% 16
Jun-21 9,000 55% 10
Jul-21 5,450 57% 8
Aug-21 4,670 53% 9
Sep-21 3,750 8% 15
Oct-21 2,875 2% 20
Nov-21 3,795 2% 20
Dec-21 2,415 1% 26
Jan-22 3,155 1% 29
Feb-22 3,220 2% 25
Mar-22 2,970 2% 31

Notes – table 12

  • This data is taken from the Scottish Child Payment Official Statistics publication.
  • Processed applications exclude cases where a re-determination was requested i.e. approximately 0.4% of processed applications.
  • Data is presented by the month of decision rather than month the application was received.
  • Median average has been used. The median is the middle value of an ordered dataset, or the point at which half of the values are higher and half of the values are lower.

How to access background or source data

The data collected for this social research publication may be made available on request, subject to consideration of legal and ethical factors. Please contact social_research@gov.scot for further information.

Contact

Email: socialresearch@gov.scot

Back to top