Social Security Experience Panels - panel members: full report - 2020 update

Footnotes

1 The first ‘Who is in the panels?’ report was published in October 2018. Link: https://www.gov.scot/publications/social-security-experience-panels-panels-experiences-far/

2 Recruitment for new panel members was re-opened in July 2019 to top-up panel membership. This was to ensure that the Experience Panels programme of research has enough panel members to obtain high levels of participation in its research. At the same time, recruitment was also re-opened with the aim of recruiting several groups which were unrepresented within the existing membership. These unrepresented groups that were identified included young people, ethnic minorities, and those living in island communities.

3 The Scottish Government Urban Rural Classification uses categories such as ‘Large Urban Area’ and ‘Remote Rural Area’ to provide a consistent way of defining urban and rural areas across Scotland. The classification is based upon criteria defined by the National Records of Scotland. For more, see: https://www.gov.scot/publications/scottish-government-urban-rural-classification-2016/pages/2/

4 Most demographic information for panel members was collected through six surveys – (1) ‘About You 2017’, (2) ‘About You 2018’, (3) ‘About You 2019a’, (4) ‘About You 2019b’, (5) ‘About You 2020’, and (6) ‘About You YCP.’ Only postcode data, which was used to produce comparisons of how panel members were scattered geographically, was collected separately - through the ‘Experience Panels Registration Form.’

5 Some demographic questions (on ethnicity, religion and belief, sexual orientation and gender identity) were asked for the first time in the ‘About You 2018’ survey. These questions were removed from the ‘About You 2017’ survey at the user testing stage. This was because panel members told us they were not comfortable sharing this information at that stage. Once trust had been built up with panel members after the first year of the Experience Panels, we added those questions to the 2018 survey, and have asked those in subsequent ‘About You’ surveys.

6 The Experience Panels team monitors panel membership to ensure that panel members are ‘active’ – i.e. that they are receiving invites to new research and are happy to continue taking part. If a panel member has not been in touch recently, we will make contact to ensure their details are accurate. Panel members who are continually unresponsive may have their membership ‘frozen.’ Equally, panel members can be ‘frozen’ if they choose to take a break from the Panels. Panel members can also choose to leave the Experience Panels at any time.

7 Due to a matching error in the ‘About You 2018,’ survey, it was not possible to collate up to 622 responses into this analysis; however these responses were included in the 2018 analysis. The report is available at: https://www.gov.scot/publications/social-security-experience-panels-panels-experiences-far/

8 New panel members were asked about their age and gender in the ‘About You 2020’ and ‘About You YCP’ surveys.

9 Data on age and gender was collected and combined from five ‘About You’ surveys (‘About You 2017’, ‘About You 2018’, ‘About You 2019a, ‘About You 2020’, ‘About You YCP’).

10 See the 2018 figures relating to panel members’ age and gender in the original ‘Who is in the Panels’ report https://www.gov.scot/publications/social-security-experience-panels-panels-experiences-far/

11 New panel members were asked about their ethnicity in the ‘About You 2020’ and ‘About You YCP’ surveys.

12 Data on ethnicity was collected and combined from five ‘About You’ surveys (‘About You 2017, ‘About You 2018’, ‘About You 2019a’, ‘About You 2020’, and ‘About You YCP’).

13 The main report and visual summary is available on the Experience Panels publications page: https://www.gov.scot/collections/social-security-experience-panels-publications/

14 New panel members were asked about their religion and beliefs in the ‘About You 2020’ and ‘About You YCP’ surveys.

15 Data on religion and belief was collected and combined from five ‘About You’ surveys (‘About You 2017’, ‘About You 2018’, ‘About You 2019a, ‘About You 2020’, ‘About You YCP).

16 New panel members were asked about their sexual orientation and gender identity in the ‘About You 2020’ and ‘About You YCP’ surveys.

17 Data on sexual orientation and gender identity was collected and combined from four ‘About You’ surveys (‘About You 2018’, ‘About You 2019a’, ‘About You 2020’, ‘About You YCP).

18 New panel members were asked about any disabilities and long term health conditions in the ‘About You 2020’ and ‘About You YCP’ surveys.

19 Data on disability and long term health conditions was collected and combined from six ‘About You’ surveys (‘About You 2017’, ‘About You 2018’, ‘About You 2019a’, ‘‘About You 2019b’, ‘About You 2020’, ‘About You YCP).

20 New panel members were asked about their caring responsibilities in the ‘About You 2020’ and ‘About You YCP’ surveys.

21 Data on caring responsibilities was collected and combined from five ‘About You’ surveys (‘About You 2017’, ‘About You 2018’, ‘About You 2019a’, ‘About You 2020’, ‘About You YCP).

22 New panel members were asked about their experience of different benefits in the ‘About You 2020’ and ‘About You YCP’ surveys.

23 Data on experiences of different benefits was collected and combined from five ‘About You’ surveys (‘About You 2017’, ‘About You 2018’, ‘About You 2019a’, ‘About You 2020’, ‘About You YCP’’).

24 The Scottish Government Urban Rural Classification uses categories such as ‘Large Urban Area’ and ‘Remote Rural Area’ to provide a consistent way of defining urban and rural areas across Scotland. The classification is based upon criteria defined by the National Records of Scotland (NRS). For more, see: https://www.gov.scot/publications/scottish-government-urban-rural-classification-2016/pages/2/