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| 'No clear understanding' of new welfare responsibilities | 'No clear understanding' of new welfare responsibilities |
| (about 7 hours later) | |
| There is no clear understanding of what is needed to deliver welfare payments to Scotland's expected 1.4 million claimants, Audit Scotland has said. | There is no clear understanding of what is needed to deliver welfare payments to Scotland's expected 1.4 million claimants, Audit Scotland has said. |
| The warning from the spending watchdog comes as the Scottish government prepares to take over control of 11 benefits from the UK government. | The warning from the spending watchdog comes as the Scottish government prepares to take over control of 11 benefits from the UK government. |
| So far almost £90m has been spent on delivering the new benefits system. | So far almost £90m has been spent on delivering the new benefits system. |
| However, Audit Scotland said it was still unclear what the overall cost would be. | However, Audit Scotland said it was still unclear what the overall cost would be. |
| In its report, the spending watchdog said that while the delivery of the first two benefits to be taken on by Social Security Scotland had gone well, the real challenge lay ahead. | In its report, the spending watchdog said that while the delivery of the first two benefits to be taken on by Social Security Scotland had gone well, the real challenge lay ahead. |
| The new benefits - the carer's allowance supplement and best start grants - began being given to claimants in 2018. | The new benefits - the carer's allowance supplement and best start grants - began being given to claimants in 2018. |
| Figures from Audit Scotland show that £33m was paid to 77,000 people receiving the carer's allowance supplement, while £2.7m was paid to 7,000 people receiving best start grants. | Figures from Audit Scotland show that £33m was paid to 77,000 people receiving the carer's allowance supplement, while £2.7m was paid to 7,000 people receiving best start grants. |
| The Scottish government has also spent £87m implementing the new system. | The Scottish government has also spent £87m implementing the new system. |
| 'Draw breath' | 'Draw breath' |
| However, in the report Scotland's auditor general Catherine Gardner warned that while the Scottish government had done a "good job" delivering the first two benefits, its second phase of delivery included the most complex and highest risk benefits | However, in the report Scotland's auditor general Catherine Gardner warned that while the Scottish government had done a "good job" delivering the first two benefits, its second phase of delivery included the most complex and highest risk benefits |
| She also highlighted the difficulties that Social Security Scotland, which is headquartered in Dundee, had encountered employing adequately skilled staff, both in project management and in IT. | She also highlighted the difficulties that Social Security Scotland, which is headquartered in Dundee, had encountered employing adequately skilled staff, both in project management and in IT. |
| Ms Gardner said the vacancy rate was currently sitting at 30%, prompting a reliance on agency staff and contractors and pushing up costs. | Ms Gardner said the vacancy rate was currently sitting at 30%, prompting a reliance on agency staff and contractors and pushing up costs. |
| She said: "The government has done well to date but has had to work flat out to reach this point, leaving little time to draw breath and plan for the challenges ahead. | She said: "The government has done well to date but has had to work flat out to reach this point, leaving little time to draw breath and plan for the challenges ahead. |
| "The social security team is doing the right things to address that issue, but it hasn't yet got a clear understanding of what's needed to deliver the more complex benefits to come, or how much it will cost. | "The social security team is doing the right things to address that issue, but it hasn't yet got a clear understanding of what's needed to deliver the more complex benefits to come, or how much it will cost. |
| "Many decisions about future benefits are still to be made and it's critical that detailed plans are now put in place." | "Many decisions about future benefits are still to be made and it's critical that detailed plans are now put in place." |
| 'Considerable complexity' | 'Considerable complexity' |
| Ministers have previously denied their timetable for implementing the new benefits' rollout was unrealistic. | Ministers have previously denied their timetable for implementing the new benefits' rollout was unrealistic. |
| Social Security Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said that the government was already taking action to respond to the Audit Scotland report and still aimed to have delivered three of the 11 devolved benefits by the end of 2019 as well as four new ones to the Scots in most need. | Social Security Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said that the government was already taking action to respond to the Audit Scotland report and still aimed to have delivered three of the 11 devolved benefits by the end of 2019 as well as four new ones to the Scots in most need. |
| She added: "In just a year and in the face of considerable complexity, this report recognises we have done well to launch a new benefits service for Scotland. | She added: "In just a year and in the face of considerable complexity, this report recognises we have done well to launch a new benefits service for Scotland. |
| "It also highlights the challenge we face as we scale up to deliver the next round of payments. | "It also highlights the challenge we face as we scale up to deliver the next round of payments. |
| "I have always been clear, just as my predecessors were, that we don't underestimate the challenges and complexities ahead, but we have also always recognised the opportunity we have to change social security for the better for Scotland." | "I have always been clear, just as my predecessors were, that we don't underestimate the challenges and complexities ahead, but we have also always recognised the opportunity we have to change social security for the better for Scotland." |
| 'Dignity and respect' | 'Dignity and respect' |
| The Scottish Conservative spokeswoman for social security, Michelle Ballantyne, said the SNP had spent years complaining about the UK government's approach to benefits but was now finding out how difficult it was to create a fair and sustainable welfare system. | The Scottish Conservative spokeswoman for social security, Michelle Ballantyne, said the SNP had spent years complaining about the UK government's approach to benefits but was now finding out how difficult it was to create a fair and sustainable welfare system. |
| She added: "This report shows that 98% of the annual expenditure on devolved benefits have yet to be delivered. | |
| "They have spent a fortune just to get to this point, and the costs appear to be rising still." | "They have spent a fortune just to get to this point, and the costs appear to be rising still." |
| Mark Griffin, Scottish Labour's social security spokesman, said: "This damning report means that vulnerable people in Scotland will continue to suffer at the hands of the Tories while they wait for a devolved system that was meant to bring dignity and respect. | Mark Griffin, Scottish Labour's social security spokesman, said: "This damning report means that vulnerable people in Scotland will continue to suffer at the hands of the Tories while they wait for a devolved system that was meant to bring dignity and respect. |
| "The SNP have already chosen to leave Scotland's social security powers at the whims of a Tory government, with some disabled people having to wait up to 2024 for their payments to transfer." | "The SNP have already chosen to leave Scotland's social security powers at the whims of a Tory government, with some disabled people having to wait up to 2024 for their payments to transfer." |