Recommendation 27

In the written evidence provided from the Scottish Government and the DWP, collaboration appears to be working well at inter-governmental level. The Scottish Government highlight that they have a ‘constructive relationship’56 with the DWP with the Cabinet Secretary for Social Security and Older People, Shirley-Anne Somerville MSP, holding bi-lateral meetings with Ministerial counterparts on an ‘as and when’57 basis as well as there being the more formal channel of the Joint Ministerial Working Group on 49 Joseph Rowntree Foundation (WPS0019) 50 The Poverty Alliance (WPS0018) 51 Scottish Federation of Housing Associations (WPS0017) 52 Joseph Rowntree Foundation (WPS0019) 53 Child Poverty Action Group in Scotland (WPS0009) 54 The Poverty Alliance (WPS0018) 55 Q132 56 Scottish Government (WPS0013) 57 Scottish Government (WPS0013) 18 Welfare policy in Scotland Welfare, which the Cabinet Secretary told us ‘meets twice a year’.58 These meetings are where ‘key developments on policy, legislation and implementation [are] discussed.’59 A recent example of this collaboration in action includes the Cabinet Secretary, Shirley Anne Somerville MSP’s reference to meetings held with the DWP’s Minister for Disabled People, Health and Work, Justin Tomlinson MP, before she announced the delay to the Child and Adult Disability Payments in November 2020 due to the covid-19 pandemic.60 DWP echo this view in their written evidence, highlighting that it has ‘provided wide ranging support’61 to the Scottish Government such as ‘holding joint workshops’62 and organising ‘visits to DWP benefit processing sites’.63