Overview
Since the establishment of Social Security Scotland in 2018, Scotland has created a social security system founded on dignity, fairness, and respect. The system has grown quickly, now delivering seventeen benefits, including seven unique to Scotland, supporting around one in three people. This represents a major investment in the people of Scotland and our commitment to social security as a human right, essential to the realisation of other human rights.
As the system expands, the responsibility to ensure public funds are managed appropriately also increases. Audit Scotland has emphasised the need for robust processes to measure and report levels of fraud and error across all benefits. Understanding these levels is essential for maintaining public confidence, supporting accountability to Parliament, and ensuring resources reach the people they are intended to help. It also enables the identification of weaknesses in systems or training, helps prevent underpayments and overpayments, and supports better value for money. In response to these recommendations, Social Security Scotland reviewed approaches used elsewhere in the UK and internationally, and developed a methodology based on regular sampling, review, and analysis of cases.
To implement this methodology effectively, new legal powers were required to allow information to be requested directly from individuals selected for review. These are now provided by Part 7 of the Social Security (Amendment) (Scotland) Act 2025. This consultation seeks views on the secondary legislation needed to put these powers into practice – covering exemptions, safeguards, and the operational process for case reviews. The aim is to produce timely, reliable, and repeatable measures of fraud and error, while ensuring the approach remains fair, proportionate, and minimises any burden on clients.
Read the consultation paper. The consultation paper contains full background information for this consultation. You may find it useful to read or refer to while responding.
Consultation questions preview
Why your views matter
In 2025, we created new powers through the Social Security (Amendment) (Scotland) Act allowing Social Security Scotland to require that a small subset of individuals receiving benefits provide information needed to audit the system.
This consultation seeks further views on the detail of regulations required to implement those powers. Your feedback will help shape a system that continues to uphold Scotland’s social security principles while meeting the highest standards of integrity, accountability and efficiency.