This Government has a strong track record of assisting young people into employment through our internationally recognised Youth Employment Strategy – Developing the Young Workforce.

There is a broad range of support available to school leavers including a careers service provided by Skills Development Scotland (SDS) which offers free and impartial expert advice to all those who need this support. SDS also works closely with schools to identify those leavers who are less likely to engage with mainstream opportunities as well as working with local partners who offer targeted transitional support to this vulnerable group.

Together with Local Authorities, the Scottish Government rolled out the first phase of No One Left Behind (NOLB) in April 2019-20. This flexible, person-centred approach to providing employability support is aimed at those who need extra help and training to transition into employment or further learning. In its first year NOLB, supported by more than £7 million of investment, helped almost 3,500 participants, 79% of whom were 16-19 year olds. We are continuing to work closely with our Local Authority and third sector partners to develop and deliver the next phase of NOLB.

We are also continuing to fund the delivery of a number of well- established employability programmes, including: Community Jobs Scotland, the Employability Fund, Discovering Your Potential and Our Future Now - all of which are aimed at helping young people to transition into further learning or employment. In these especially challenging times, all of our delivery partners are working hard to engage with young people, adapting their services to ensure they are able to support as many young people as possible in the way that best suits their individual needs.

We have appointed Sandy Begbie to advise on the implementation of a Youth Guarantee, which will promote the importance of giving young people the opportunity to access employment, education and training. The Scottish Government has now published the Youth Guarantee- No One Left Behind- Preliminary report and this can be accessed via the following link: https://www.gov.scot/publications/addressing-labour-market-emergency
-scottish-governments-response-report-enterprise-skills-strategic-board
-sub-group-measures-mitigate-labour-market-impacts-covid-19/

We have committed to investing £60 million, this financial year, in a Youth Guarantee as part of the £100 million investment for employment and skills we announced last month. The Guarantee is one of the first actions to be taken forward from the Advisory Group on Economic Recovery Report and sets out our employer led plan to give all young people access to work, training or education.

In 2018, the Scottish Government published A Fairer Scotland for Disabled People: Employment Action Plan . As part of this we committed to reduce the disability employment gap by at least half (from the 2016 baseline of 37.4 percentage points), by 2038. Our plan, alongside our first year update, may be found on the Scottish Government’s website: www.gov.scot

Due to significant changes in the survey questions relating to disability and long-term limiting health conditions in Apr-Jun 2013, it is not possible to directly compare the latest disability employment gap estimate (for April 2019 – March 2020) with the gap 14 years ago.

In the most recent period for which comparisons over time can be made, there has been progress and Scotland’s disability employment gap has narrowed. Between April 2013 – March 2014 and April 2019 – March 2020, Scotland’s disability employment gap fell by 5.7 percentage points (p.p.) from 38.7 p.p. to 33.0 p.p.

We have set up the Connecting Scotland programme ( https://connecting.scot/ ) which provides those that are digitally excluded and on a low income with a device, an internet connection and training and support.

£5 million was invested in phase one of the programme to support 9000 individuals on a low income and clinically at risk from COVID-19. This included older people in the shielding category.

The Programme for Government 2020-2021, published 1 September 2020, sets out how we are now committing an additional £23 million to help even more digitally excluded people and households with a digital and data safety net, providing them with a device and extending our previous offer of unlimited data and support and training from one year to two for everyone the programme has helped.

We have invested £1.5 million in the Digital Participation Charter. The Charter Fund provides small grants (typically up to £10,000) to help a range of organisations tackle poverty, social isolation and other forms of inequality in society through embedding basic digital skills development work in day-to-day activity with their service users. There have been seven rounds since 2014 which have supported 189 local projects and will reach over 22,000 people to gain or improve their essential digital skills. The focus of the last 3 rounds has been older people and isolation.

In partnership with the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations we have established a network of digital champions to provide peer learning and support for residents in housing associations and sheltered accommodation complexes offering tailored support by trusted volunteers.

Scotland has a proud history of taking ambitious and pioneering action to improve health and reduce health inequalities. We are world leaders in the field of tobacco control, were the first nation to introduce minimum unit pricing on alcohol and have pledged to cut childhood obesity by half in the next ten years. Our continued efforts will tackle the current reduction in life expectancy.

These actions are set out in comprehensive plans and strategies. Over the past few months, greater numbers of people have increased their physical activity enjoying walking, cycling and other forms of active travel. These positive changes that will help people lead healthier lives.

Last week, this Government published its Programme for Government 2020-21, a programme which highlights our determination to address many of the deep-seated challenges our country faces with renewed focus on tackling health inequalities and improving quality of life.

The development of a wellbeing economy with the social, economic and health needs of each individual at its core will tackle the leading determinants of poor health including deprivation and will support children, young people and their families as we work together to build a stronger, fairer society.

This far-sighted programme tackle inequalities and deprivation. It will reduce child poverty rates; continue to improve the healthy life choices our people make and help drive down the root causes of health inequalities.

Improved community based health services driven by GPs, Community Link Workers and other care initiatives, will engage more effectively with those living in deprived areas, directing them to services and referring those in need to the appropriate sources of support.

Potential form of the social care system, continuing to develop a Scottish social security system designed to meet the unique demands or our society and the delivery of 50,000 new affordable homes all lay the foundations for tackling inequalities and deprivation. All of these actions, including those in Programme for Government will improve life expectancy.

It should of course be noted that the UK government's welfare reforms are likely to have a negative impact on any effort to tackle inequality and deprivation.

National eligibility criteria for Free School Meals are set by the Scottish Government, with local authorities retaining the option of applying additional local criteria on who receives free school meals. The 2019 Healthy Living Survey https://www.gov.scot/publications/school-healthy-living-survey-statistics-2019/ recorded 260,842 pupils registered for free school meals. This total includes P1-P3 pupils in receipt of meals as a result of universal provision and those registered as a result of local initiatives. Of these 260,842 pupils, 188,274 (72%) took a meal on survey day. There are no centrally held forecasts for uptake.

As entitlement to Council Tax Reduction (CTR) is based on the means and need of individual households, it is not realistic to collect the data necessary to enable us to determine the annual uptake of the CTR scheme (that is, how many households who would be eligible for CTR are actually in receipt of it in any given year). We do regularly collect and publish data relating to CTR caseload and income forgone due to CTR which is available at the following link https://www.gov.scot/publications/council-tax-reduction-scotland-2019-20/ . New data covering the first quarter of 2020-21 will be published on 8 September.

In its December 2018 forecast for the 2019-20 Scottish Budget, the Scottish Fiscal Commission (SFC) expected that 40,000 Best Start Grant (BSG) payments would be issued in 2019-20. A corresponding Best Start Foods (BSFs) caseload forecast was not published but the spending forecast was consistent with around 22,000 individuals benefitting by the end of the financial year. Statistics show that during 2019-20 around 80,100 Best Start applications were authorised, with each resulting in one or more BSG payments or an inflow into the BSFs caseload or both.

Funeral Support Payment (FSP) was launched on 16 September 2019, halfway through the financial year. SFC’s December 2018 forecast expected that 4,400 people would receive an FSP payment in the first full financial year of operating. Statistics show that during the 6 months of 2019-20 in which FSP was available approximately 2,700 applications were authorised to be paid.

Analysis of the unprecedented social and economic impacts of COVID-19 and ensuring we respond appropriately could not be higher on the Scottish Government’s agenda.

Our published Labour Market Monthly Briefings following the official statistics publications draw upon a range of labour market indicators and provide an up to date assessment of how Scotland’s labour market is being shaped by the pandemic. We also utilise latest data from the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, among other sources, as indicators of jobs at risk in our economy, across regions and sectors, and among groups within our labour market.

We have examined and published scenarios of how unemployment could rise in Scotland in the Chief Economist’s State of the Economy report in April and Monthly Economic Brief in June, and published analysis of groups in our labour market expected to be most impacted by the pandemic.

We have already announced a £100m package of employment and skills support to respond to some of the challenges highlighted by our analysis to date. We will continue to closely monitor changes in Scotland’s labour market and draw upon external expertise, such as through the Enterprise and Skills Strategic Board and Advisory Group on Economic Recovery, to shape our response to this crisis.

The Scottish Government does not hold information on the overall number of people in Scotland, England, Wales and Northern Ireland who receive social security benefits. Statistics are published separately for each benefit by the Scottish Government, UK Government and Department for Communities.

The UK Government are responsible for reserved benefits paid to recipients in Great Britain and are also responsible for publishing any data on this. However, the Scottish Government produce a regular summary of social security in Scotland which includes information on reserved benefits, along with benefits which have been devolved to Scotland. The latest summary is published at: https://www.gov.scot/publications/social-security-for-scotland-update-march-2020/ .

More-detailed statistics on Scottish devolved social security benefits are published at: https://www.gov.scot/collections/social-security-scotland-stats-publications/

Data on reserved benefits is available from the Department of Work and Pensions website – https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-work-pensions/about/statistics – and also the data tool StatXplore, which allows the creation of tables by a range of geographies, including country breakdowns – https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/

Department for Communities provides statistics on social security benefits in Northern Ireland, published at: https://www.communities-ni.gov.uk/topics/benefits-statistics

The Scottish Government recognises that the Coronavirus pandemic may have adverse effects on the mental and physical wellbeing of individuals within the wider Scottish Population. We know that older people have been particularly affected by the restrictions put in place to reduce transmission of the disease, and we continue to look at measures to combat social isolation and loneliness, whether that is through funding various third sector helplines or via the Clear Your Head mental health campaign.

The Scottish Government has invested in the Clear Your Head campaign to provide the general Scottish population with resources which foster positive mental wellbeing and reduce stress. The site has specific content that is tailored to older audiences, particularly those reluctant to leave the house, with a range of tips on ways to help them cope and stay active at home drawn from Age Scotland and then linking to Age Scotland’s site for more information.

In addition, the Scottish Government has committed over £6 million to several initiatives to promote positive mental wellbeing, such as expanding the NHS24’s Mental Health Hub to a 24/7 service and enhancing the capacity of the Breathing Space helpline and web support service; extending digital therapies through computerised and internet-enabled Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and expanding the Distress Brief Intervention (DBI) programme. These services are targeted towards the Scottish Population as a whole, including older people.

The Scottish Government also launched a National Helpline on 14 April to help people who are at risk to access help if they did not have family or other support services. This includes helping people access essential food and medication, emotional support, and contact with local volunteer groups. The Scottish Government also provides funding to Actify whish is an online platform that hosts a range of digital content designed to help people become more active, more often. The Actify ambition is to be a quality source of information and resources for those interested in learning about physical activity and realising the potential benefits.

To date the Scottish Government and Social Security Scotland have delivered eight social security benefits, including four brand new forms of assistance. The most recent of these was Job Start Payment, launched on 17 August to help young people with the costs of starting a new job. We will open applications for the Scottish Child Payment in November this year, and are also on track to deliver Child Winter Heating Assistance by the end of the year, subject to getting the data we require from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).

As I set out in my statement to Parliament on 1 April, the COVID-19 pandemic has had a major impact on the Scottish Government, Social Security Scotland and DWP, whose support we need to transfer social security powers. As a result, we are having to rework our timetable for delivery of the remaining devolved benefits, which is a complex exercise. We need to take into account the impact of the pandemic not only on our own services, but also on the availability of health and social care professionals to bring their expertise to the co-design of disability and carer benefits at a time when many are still needed on the frontline. We also have to account for the extraordinary pressures that the DWP is still experiencing, following the unprecedented demand for Universal Credit, which is impacting on the resources they are able to devote to the devolution programme. I will update Parliament once the work of re-planning is complete.

Social Security Scotland routinely publish Official Statistics on number of people employed as part of the quarterly release ‘Social Security Scotland Workforce Information’.

Information on workforce numbers was last published on 16 June 2020 and covered workforce numbers as at 31 March 2020. This information is available from:

https://www.gov.scot/publications/social-security-scotland-workforce-information-march-2020/

The next publication of Official Statistics is due to be released on 15 September 2020, and will include information as at 30 June 2020.

As of 31 March 2020, Social Security Scotland directly employed 647 full time equivalent staff.

We are on track with recruitment for the benefits to be delivered this year. We will plan recruitment for disability benefits around an updated timetable.

Subsequent to the Audit Scotland report, an additional benefit - Scottish Child Payment - was announced and policy and service design continues to be refined for disability assistance. These will have an impact on our projected staffing levels outlined in this report.