Take-up rates of Scottish benefits: November 2024

Future Analysis Developments

Scottish Government analysts continue to work on developing methodologies to estimate take-up rates for the other Scottish benefits not yet reported on (e.g. disability and carer benefits), which were still in the process of being launched or migrated as of the most recent complete financial year (2023-24). It is not possible to robustly estimate the number of recipients of benefits when case transfer is incomplete as the caseload is split between Social Security Scotland and the DWP.

Estimates of take-up have not been included for the following benefits:

Child Winter Heating Payment is paid automatically to children and young people who receive Child Disability Payment, Adult Disability Payment, Disability Living Allowance or Personal Independence Payment at a certain rate.

Similarly, Winter Heating Payment is paid automatically to people on low-income qualifying benefits.

Carer’s Allowance Supplement, is paid automatically to people who receive Carer’s Allowance or Carer Support Payment, which only became available in November 2024.

Pension Age Disability Payment was only piloted in October 2024, with national roll-out not expected until April 2025.

Estimates of take-up have also not been produced for Child Disability Payment. This analysis does not include an estimate of take-up, but provides a summary of related analysis including the challenges that exist to producing a robust estimate of Child Disability Payment take-up at this point in time.

A similar preliminary analysis of Adult Disability Payment is planned for next year’s publication. It is not currently possible to produce a robust take-up rate estimate for Adult Disability Payment due to challenges in estimating the eligible population and while case transfer from DWP benefits continues.