Social Security Experience Panels - appointments and local delivery: report

Social Security Scotland Appointments

Social Security Scotland is becoming responsible for delivering some of the benefits that are currently administered by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).^[10] 

As a result, it is expected that clients will, in the future, need to make appointments with Social Security Scotland employees to discuss various matters relating to social security. Past research suggests a high level of interest amongst Experience Panel members for face to face interaction with Social Security Scotland employees, with as much as eight in ten respondents saying they would want to speak to Social Security Scotland in person at one point to discuss a matter relating to their benefits^[11].

Reasons for wanting an appointment included:

• Getting advice on eligibility;
• Making an application;
• Getting help with an application;
• Getting information about other support services;
• Making a complaint or giving feedback; and
• Checking the status of an application^[12].

This report represents a continuation of previous research carried out with Experience Panel members surrounding face to face contact with Social Security Scotland and how the process of interacting with Social Security Scotland can be improved.

For the purposes of this research, respondents were told that an appointment was a set time, booked in advance to speak to a Social Security Scotland staff member about social security in real time.