Young Carer Grant: Service Level Agreement between The Secretary of State for Work And Pensions and Scottish Ministers

8. Service Delivery Standards

8.1 The Services will be delivered in accordance with the Service Delivery Standards set out below.

8.1.1 Social Security Scotland will contact DWP via the secure dedicated email inboxes below.

Social Security Scotland Inbox

[Redacted]

DWP Inbox

[Redacted]

8.1.2 Details of the specific data being shared can be found in the associated Data Sharing Agreement.

8.1.3 Social Security Scotland will confirm the award status qualifying benefit for the carer and the cared for person when the information is not available in the [Redacted], as detailed in Annexes 1 to 3.

8.1.4 Where a new appointee or a change to appointee is identified, Scottish Ministers and DWP will follow the processes to provide each other with relevant information, as detailed in Annexes 4 to 4(c).

SPoCs for each Party are as follows:

Social Security Scotland Inbox

[Redacted]

DWP Inboxes

[Redacted]

8.1.5 The turnaround time for responding to dedicated email enquiries relating to appointees will be as soon as reasonably practicable and within 5 working days, as detailed in Annexes 4 to 4(c).

8.1.6 Where a request for a Global Unique Identifier (GUID) is identified, Scottish Ministers and DWP will follow the process to provide each other with relevant information, as detailed in Annex 5.

SPoCs for each Party are as follows:

Social Security Scotland Inbox

[Redacted]

DWP Inboxes

[Redacted]

8.1.7 When a decision has been made by Social Security Scotland to award YCG to a carer who does not have a National Insurance Number, each Party will follow the process as detailed in Annex 6.

8.1.8 The turnaround time for responding to secure email enquiries relating to the processes, as detailed in Annexes 1 to 3 and Annexes 5 to 6, will be as soon as reasonably practical and within 5 working days. For any enquiries, which are complex and are off-system the turnaround time will be 10 working days.

8.1.9 Scottish Ministers and DWP will confirm with either Party the control measures associated with [Redacted], as detailed in Annex 7 and Annex 7(a).

8.1.10 The turnaround time for responding to dedicated email enquiries relating to [Redacted] will be 2 working days, as detailed in Annex 7 and Annex 7(a). Inboxes for each Party are as follows:

Social Security Scotland Inbox

[Redacted]

DWP Single Inbox

[Redacted]

8.1.11 The turnaround time for responding to dedicated email enquiries for Carer’s Allowance (CA), Disability Living Allowance (DLA), Personal Independence Payment (PIP) and Attendance Allowance (AA) will be 3 working days.

8.1.12 The turnaround time for responding to dedicated email enquiries for Industrial Injuries Scheme (IIS) will be 10 working days as IIS is a clerically maintained benefit.

8.1.13 Misdirected post (including clerical claims) received in error will be returned to sender within 24 hours or as soon as reasonably practicable.

8.1.14 The agent-to-agent email service will be available from 8.00 am to 6.00 pm Monday to Friday excluding Public and Privilege Holidays.

8.1.15 DWP will respond to Social Security Scotland within 24 hours for any exception cases and will be dealt with by Social Security Scotland dedicated officers.

8.2 Escalation will be between SPoCs at team management level, between Social Security Scotland and DWP operational teams in appropriate cases including, but not limited to:

8.2.1 Where Service Delivery Standards have not been met.

8.2.2 Where there are cases when the normal Service Delivery Standards would have an unacceptable impact on the client.

8.2.3 When Social Security Scotland business continuity plans are invoked which would result in a higher than anticipated number of enquiries to DWP.

SG Escalation SPoC

[Redacted]

DWP Escalation SPoC

[Redacted]