Social security advocacy service standards: consultation

Annex F: Child Rights and Wellbeing Impact Assessment Summary

Policy Objectives

The policy intention is to develop service standards for social security advocacy to help ensure a consistently delivered, high-quality service across Scotland.

It is our intention that Disability Assistance for Children and Young People will be payable between the ages of 3 months and 18 years. Parents or guardians would make applications for assistance on behalf of the child or young person. New Disability Assistance applicants aged 16 or over will apply for working age benefit (PIP), initially with DWP, until Social Security Scotland commences delivering Disability Assistance for Working Age People.

If a young person has a disability and is applying for Scottish disability assistance in their own right, then they would be eligible to seek advocacy support, and the advocacy service standards would apply to this support. A parent would be able to seek advocacy support to assist with their disabled child's application for assistance, particularly if the child or young person wished to ensure their own voice was heard.

It is our intention to make decisions about entitlement for Disability Assistance for Children and Young People using existing supporting information only and not through face-to-face assessment. Advocacy support is most likely to be required to help individuals prepare for and attend assessments. Given this we think the need to provide advocacy support for children and young people will be low. However, the service standards will apply to advocacy support provided to an individual with a disability, regardless of them being a child or young person.

We, therefore do not expect the advocacy service standards to negatively impact on a child's rights and wellbeing. We would welcome any comments or evidence in relation to this area.