Social Security Experience Panels: Universal Credit Scottish choices

About the research

This report details the results of the Universal Credit Scottish choices survey which took place between 13 July 2018 and 15 August 2018.

The research involved a short online survey. The survey was also made available to complete through calling our helpline or through a paper survey form. The majority of respondents chose to complete the survey online.

Respondents were recruited from the Scottish Government Social Security Experience Panel. To ensure that all those with recent experience of Universal Credit were included, the invitation to participate was sent to all panel members. However, not all panel members have experience of Universal Credit, so the figures included in the report should be regarded in that context. 127 panel members responded. However, of those, only 57 had experience of Universal Credit. Respondents who said they did not have experience of Universal Credit were directed to a thank you note at the end of the survey and did not answer the remaining questions. 247 panel members had previously told us that they have experience of Universal Credit. While this might be slightly higher now, this means the response rate for this survey was approximately 23%. In this report, we have included percentages to give a sense of proportion, but it should be borne in mind that these refer to a number below 100.

The information was added to information from the 'About Your Benefits and You' (Scottish Government, 2017 ) and 'Social Security Experience Panels: Who is in the panels and their experiences so far' (Scottish Government, 2018 ) surveys. The data collected in these surveys was linked to the information supplied by participants of this survey as part of the longitudinal dataset for this project.

Of the 57 responses, two in five (40 per cent) have told us that they identify as women or girls, and more than a quarter (28 per cent) identify as men or boys. The remainder identify in another way, have told us that they prefer not to say, or have not told us their gender. Almost a third of respondents (32 per cent) have told us that they have a disability or long term health condition, and almost a quarter (24 per cent) have told us that they are a carer.

Almost nine in ten (88 per cent) of those respondents had experience of receiving Universal Credit as an individual. Less than 10 had experience of receiving Universal Credit as a couple or both as an individual and as part of a couple.

Not all of those who had experience of Universal Credit may have been offered the Scottish choices by the time they completed this survey. Reasons include if their experience of Universal Credit predates when the choices were made available, or if they live in an area where the "full service" was not yet running and the choices were not yet offered.

As the response rate for this survey is relatively low, and the survey was self-selecting, the figures included in this should be regarded as reflective of the experiences and views of these respondents only, and not as being indicative or representative of a wider population of Universal Credit clients in Scotland.

It is also worth noting that several respondents commented on the amount of Universal Credit being inadequate. As the Scottish Government does not have decision making power in this regard – only in relation to the Scottish choices – this report does not go into detail on these points.

All quotes are from Experience Panel members who responded to this survey.