The Welfare Foods (Best Start Foods) (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2023: islands community impact assessment

Step Two – Gather Your Data And Identify Your Stakeholders

What data is available about the current situation in the islands?

Poverty

• On average, rates of poverty tend to be lower in rural areas. However, the barriers to leaving poverty may be greater for those in rural areas. For example, lack of access to employment can also be an issue in rural areas. Poor public transport networks mean that people may not have good access to opportunities for employment.^[6]
• Whilst child poverty is also lower in rural Scotland (19% of children living in rural areas are living in relative poverty, compared to 26% of children living in urban areas), usual measures do not take into account higher cost of rural living.^[7]
• In 2021, the fuel poverty rate for remote rural (29%) households was higher than for all other areas, despite the fact that for fuel poverty rates for urban (19%) households and rural households (23%) were similar.^[8]

Access

• Just over a third of island residents say that it is easy to connect between different forms of transport when making journeys to or from their home.^[9]
• For children, there are problems of access to youth clubs and after-school clubs; over 35% of children in remote rural areas had difficulties accessing youth clubs compared to under 20% in all other areas.^[10]
• Access to services and support can be difficult. It is suggested that poverty in rural areas may be more isolating in its impact, due to the greater visibility of individuals within rural communities and a rural ideal of self-reliance, i.e. getting things done for yourself. Poor adults in remote rural areas have been found to report a low sense of support.^[11]

Stigma

• Through previous user research and experience panels conducted when designing BSG, Funeral Support Payment and Young Carers Grant,^[12] we have found that there is a danger of stigma hindering applications for benefits, particularly in more rural communities.

Cost of living

• There is widespread evidence that rural areas, and remote and island communities in particular, experience higher costs of living for some goods and services.^[13] Low income rural and island households are likely to be disproportionately affected by increases in recent cost of living.^[14]
• In rural and remote areas, the costs of travel to essential services is generally much higher. Those experiencing poverty may be unable to afford transport which reduces their quality of life and increases social isolation. In circumstances where there is no public transport infrastructure families may be forced to run a car, putting pressure on their finances.^[15]
• Highlands and Island Enterprise found that, typically, the minimum cost of living in remote rural Scotland ranged between 10% and 35% more than the equivalent in urban Britain in 2016.^[16]
• More recent research has shown that additional minimum living costs for a household in remote rural Scotland typically add 15-30% to their budget, compared to urban areas of the UK. It also found that for families with children staying in an island community, the food budget required for a minimum acceptable living standard was likely to be 13% higher than in an urban community in the UK.^[17] Similarly, the budget required for clothing was likely to be 12% higher, for household goods to be 10% higher, for travel to be 28% higher and for social participation to be 18% higher.^[18]

Connectivity

• 96% of island households have access to the internet from home. 62% of island residents agree that their internet connection at home is reliable, with significantly lower agreement in Shetland Outer Isles (30%) and Orkney Outer Isles (35%).^[19]

Prevalence of seasonal work

• As part of their response to a previous consultation, Early Years Assistance: a consultation on the best start regulations,^[20] one organisation suggested that seasonal and zero hours contracts are more prevalent in rural Scotland, resulting in Universal Credit (UC) awards being at £0 for a number of months. They highlighted that this could impact access to Scottish social security benefits where eligibility is based on receiving an award of more than £0 for UC.
• Volatility and unpredictable incomes also feature as a factor impacting on access to income from work and social security for rural households.^[21]

Social Security

• Unpublished analysis of the Social Security Scotland Client Survey information for the period Sep 20 – March 21 showed that those living in island communities reported similar rates of satisfaction to those living in mainland communities, both when applying for the benefits and overall when dealing with Social Security Scotland. There is some evidence that suggests that those living in island communities were less likely to apply by phone, compared to those living in mainland communities. However, this is difficult to say conclusively given the low number of responses from those living in island communities. The percentage of applications made online or by post by those living in island communities were similar to those living in mainland communities. Overall, very few applications were made in person or by web-chat and none of these applications came from those living in island communities.

Who are your key Stakeholders?

• Island local authorities and Islands Federation – we have contacted all of these stakeholders for their views.

How does any existing data differ between islands?

Access

• In relation to how easy it is to connect between different forms of transport when making journeys to or from their home, Arran, Bute and the Cumbraes have higher levels of agreement with this statement (60%) and Uist and Barra has significantly lower levels (9%).^[22]

Connectivity

• While 62% of island residents agree that their internet connection at home is reliable, there is significantly lower agreement in Shetland Outer Isles (30%) and Orkney Outer Isles (35%).^[23]

Are there any existing design features or mitigations in place?

Connectivity and access

• Social Security Scotland operate a multi-channel approach and can take
• applications online, by phone or by post. Clients can also interact with the agency by web-chat. This helps address both connectivity and access challenges.
• Social Security Scotland has set up a Local Delivery service which is made up of specially trained Client Support Advisers who are based within every local authority area in Scotland including our Island communities. These staff operate at the local level helping and informing clients of benefits available and assisting clients claim what they are entitled to. They give clients a choice in regard to how they access the service by offering support in outreach locations, home visits and prisons. Clients can book an appointment to meet with an adviser at a venue within their local community or at their home and are also able to request video call or telephone appointments.
• The Local Delivery Relationship Leads have built close relationships with Local Authorities, Health & Social Care and Third Sector agencies creating opportunities to co-locate agency staff and deliver a service that is tailored to meet the differing needs of each individual area.
• For example in the Western Isles they are co-located with Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, in Orkney they have community outreach locations in churches and libraries and in Shetland they have community outreach locations in Health Centres and Community Centres.
• Once fully operational, there will be at least 400 staff spread across all local authority areas in Scotland. Over the coming year they will seek to become embedded and known in the local community.
• Our communication strategy will include a focus on those in island communities. As well as promotion via TV and radio, it will include communication via local newspapers and local health boards
• As highlighted in the second Benefit Take-up Strategy, the Scottish Government has committed to provide funding over this parliamentary term to increase access to advice services within accessible settings, for example schools, to maximise incomes, tackle the poverty penalty and improve wellbeing.^[24] In 2023-2024, the Scottish Government will allocate £11.7 million to support the provision of free income maximisation, welfare and debt advice.

Stigma

• To help address the stigma around claiming benefits, the Charter for Social Security Scotland^[25] commits us to:
  • promoting a positive view of social security, explaining it is a public service to be proud of – a human right there for all of us who need it;
  • publicly challenging the myths and stereotypes about social security to help reduce stigma and negativity;
  • changing the language on social security - introducing more positive words to describe the service and the people who use it.
• We have also made the application form for the benefits as straightforward as possible, with a single form used to apply for SCP, BSG and BSF, to encourage those who experience stigma to take up their entitlement.
• Social Security Scotland have staff in co-located sites across the country from rural to urban to islands settings. These staff are mobile and flexible, so that they can support clients in places most convenient to them – including their own homes, venues in their local community, hospitals, care homes and prisons. Furthermore, clients do not have to be seen in the local authority they reside in. It is hoped that this approach will reduce the stigma felt by people, since the reason for their visit will not be immediately obvious to other members of the community.

Cost of living

• By increasing eligibility; more low income families will receive support. Helping to mitigate the effects of the cost of living on the islands.

Prevalence of seasonal/zero hours work

• To ensure those who have fluctuating UC awards are able to access BSF, we will make explicit that applicants for BSF qualify if the UC award is more than £0 in the month of or the month before the application. This means that an applicant knows when they apply that there is an award of UC in place.
• Removing the income thresholds which apply to some qualifying benefits will help to mitigate the impact of fluctuating incomes resulting from seasonal or zero hours work on the islands. It will mean that those living in island communities can continue receiving BSF despite changes in their income.
• Individuals who would otherwise lose entitlement to BSF due to the end of their UC award, continue to be entitled to BSF for a further eight weeks. This helps address periods of fluctuating entitlement to UC. As part of the changes we are making, we will ensure entitlement to BSF continues for a period of eight weeks when entitlement to Child Tax Credit, Working Tax Credit, Income Support, Income-based Jobseekers Allowance, Income-related Employment and Support Allowance, Pension Credit or Housing Benefit ends.
• When an individual’s entitlement to BSF ends for any reason and they then become entitled again within 12 weeks, BSF is re-awarded without the need to submit a new application. This, together with continuing payment for eight weeks when entitlement to a qualifying benefit ends, should help prevent individuals from losing their entitlement due to their income fluctuating and then having to reapply.