Hundreds of parents, carers and bereaved families have had valid benefit claims rejected by the devolved social security agency.
The applications were only accepted after vulnerable Scots went through the “stress” of an appeals system. Labour MSP Pam Duncan-Glancy said: “These social security powers were supposed to be a chance to build a fairer system that truly works for people, but now we learn hundreds of applications are being unfairly rejected."
She added: “It shouldn’t be an uphill battle for people to get the support they are entitled to. The SNP need to get a grip of this situation and make sure no-one is wrongly blocked from getting this lifeline support.”
After the independence referendum, Holyrood became responsible for a suite of welfare benefits as well as being handed the power to create new payments. The devolved system includes the option of a “re-determination”, effectively an appeal, for claims turned down by Social Security Scotland.
New figures show that Scots who should have had original applications accepted for vital cash were instead rejected. Under the Government’s flagship Scottish Child Payment, low income families receive £20 a week to help cope with the cost of living crisis.
By late June, of the 640 appeal requests that had been decided, 300 were allowed or partially allowed. The Young Carer Grant, which commands cross party support, provides a yearly payment of £326.65.
Over 50 per cent of the 190 appeals for this benefit were later upheld - working out at 105 claims. Statistics for the Child Disability Payment also raise questions about hundreds of original decisions.
Of 250 appeal requests, 215 were allowed in full or in part - over 80 per cent. Around 40 per cent of appeals relating to funeral support payments were also upheld, covering 250 of 615 cases.
Scottish Liberal Democrat social security spokesperson Caron Lindsay said: “It is bitterly disappointing to see young carers, grieving families and parents being let down by wrong decisions and then enduring the stress of the appeals process. These figures only cover those who appealed, so there may be more who didn’t challenge the initial decision to turn them down.
“The Scottish Government promised to put fairness and dignity at the heart of the new social security system. It is essential that it lives up to that.”
A Social Security Scotland spokesperson said: “Our priority is to get decisions right first time and an extremely low number of re-determinations are carried out. In comparison to the volume of decisions we make, the number of successful re-determinations is even lower, ranging from 0.2% for Scottish Child Payment to 2.6% for Child Disability Payment.
“Re-determination is an important part of our decision-making process and gives people the opportunity to ask us to look again and reconsider their application. At the re-determination stage, people often provide additional information that can be used to determine eligibility.
“If on re-determination someone is found to be eligible, they will be paid from the date they first applied. Providing the option for re-determination minimises the need to go through the Tribunal Service with an appeal.”
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