Question reference: S5W-35239
- Asked by: Elaine Smith, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
- Date lodged: 17 February 2021
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Current status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 23 February 2021
Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many applications for the Job Start Payment there were between 17 August 2020 and 31 December 2020, broken down by the sex of the applicant; how many (a) were refused and (b) are yet to be processed, and what proportion of applicants that were approved were awarded the (i) standard and (ii) higher rate.
Answer
Information on Job Start Payment was published on 16 February 2021 and provided information from 17 August 2020 to 31 December 2020. This publication is available from:
https://www.gov.scot/publications/job-start-payment-high-level-statistics-to-31-december-2020/
These latest Official Statistics show that 2,445 applications were received, 1,365 applications were denied and 350 were yet to be processed. Of the 695 applications that were approved, 660 were awarded the standard rate and 35 were awarded the higher rate.
Information on the gender of the client is collected through the Equality Monitoring and Feedback form, which is completed along with the application form for each benefit delivered by Social Security Scotland, including Job Start Payment.
Information from Equality Monitoring and Feedback forms is used to produce official statistics on the diversity of clients and equality of outcomes, broken down by different equalities groups and benefits. We will publish official statistics on the gender of clients applying for Job Start Payment, and the proportion of clients approved or denied, for the first time as part of our “Social Security Scotland client diversity and equalities analysis to November 2020” publication on 30 March 2021.
We do not currently have equalities analysis covering (i) applications to December 2020, (ii) equalities for outstanding applications, or (iii) equalities by rate of award.