Recommendation 56

The Scotland Act 2016 devolved significant new welfare powers to the Scottish Parliament. A consequence of the devolution process is that it is possible for people to be eligible for social security payments from four different agencies and potentially dealing with interactions with several of them. The four different agencies that provide benefits to claimants in Scotland are: • Social Security Scotland–e.g Scottish Child Payment, Best Start Grant • DWP–e.g. Universal Credit • HMRC–tax credits • Local Authorities–Scottish Welfare Fund, Discretionary Housing payments