Social Security Experience Panels: annual report 2020

Looking forward to 2021 

This section will look at our plans for next year, and longer term the plan for transferring social security research to Social Security Scotland. 

In 2021 we will continue our programme of work with panel members. We will continue work on specific benefits, with a new focus on the larger, recurring benefits still to come. This will include work on disability benefits and Carers Allowance

We will also continue to cover a range of topics to do with how social security works across all benefits. As mentioned above, at the start of 2021 we will be asking all panel members to tell us about how the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has impacted on their preferences for how they would want to interact with Social Security Scotland. This will be through a survey and interviews held remotely either over the phone or online.

This year we have reported the latest information about "Who's in the Experience Panels" and their feedback on taking part. In 2021 we will give people another opportunity to update the information we hold about them and provide more feedback to help us keep improving how we work.

We will continue to share our findings and be open about our approach with panel members, social security colleagues, external stakeholders and advisory groups, and colleagues across government and the wider public sector. 

We will continue to work with our partner researchers in Social Security Scotland to make sure that they build on the work of the Experience Panels, and to make sure our research programmes complement each other well. Together we will continue to ensure that user voice is at the heart of social security in Scotland.