Literature Review: Experiences of the Scottish social security system among people for whom English is a second language
This literature review, commissioned by the Scottish Commission on Social Security and produced by The Lines Between, examines the experiences of people for whom English is a second language in navigating the Scottish social security system.
Contents
- Document Cover
- Executive Summary
- Acknowledgements
- 1. Introduction
- 2. Prevalent languages spoken in Scotland
- 3. Experiences of applying for social security for people whose first language is not English
- 4. Parts of the social security system people find difficult
- 5. Needs, rights and expectations of Gaelic speakers relevant to interactions with the Scottish social security system
- 6. Extent to which social security charter expectations are being met
- 7. Evidence gaps
- 8. Conclusion
- Annex A: Continued Reading
- Annex B: Country of Birth of people aged 3 and over in Scotland
- Annex C: Main home languages of pupils
Annex A: Continued Reading
| Number | Author | Title | Date of Publication |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | BEMIS | How to Engage with Ethnic Minorities and Hard to Reach Groups | 2015 |
| 2 | BEMIS | Scotland, People and Language Forum Report | 2015 |
| 3 | BEMIS | Poverty and Ethnicity Agenda and Policy Development in Scotland — Lived experience of Ethnic and Cultural Minority Communities. | 2016 |
| 4 | BEMIS | A New Future for Social Security in Scotland: BEMIS Policy Position | 2017 |
| 5 | Black, N. and Junz, J. | The intergenerational effects of language proficiency on child health outcomes: Evidence from survey- and Census-matched health care records | 2024 |
| 6 | British Medical Association | BMA refugee and asylum seeker health resource (toolkit) | 2025 (updated) |
| 7 | Davidson-Hine, D. et al. | Review of Equity of Access to Treatment for Gambling Harms in Racial and Ethnic Minority Populations: A Mixed Methods Study | 2024 |
| 8 | Diamond, L. et al. | A Systematic Review of the Impact of Patient–Physician Non-English Language Concordance on Quality of Care and Outcomes | 2019 |
| 9 | Dinisman, T. et al | Language barriers in the criminal justice system: The experience of victims and witnesses who speak English as a second or additional language | 2022 |
| 10 | Equality and Human Rights Commission | Social secuirty systems based on dignity and respect | 2017 |
| 11 | Graham-Brown, Nafisah | ESOL and Integration: the story so far | 2018 |
| 12 | Guentner, S. Lukes, S. and Wilding, J. | Bordering practices in the UK welfare system | 2016 |
| 13 | Guo, A | Addressing Structural Racism in Social Impact: Lessons from the Social Safety Net | 2020 |
| 14 | Harrow Law Centre | ‘To Be Understood': Are the police doing enough to help victims with low proficiency in English report crime. | 2024 |
| 15 | Ho, L. et al. | Health and social care needs of adult asylum seekers in high-income countries and their experiences of accessing care services: An overview of systematic reviews | 2025 |
| 16 | Johnson, R. and Smith, K | Limitations on Social Security Benefits for Black Retirees | 2023 |
| 17 | Kidd, S. | Social exclusion and access to social protection schemes | 2017 |
| 18 | Ko, W. and Moffitt, R. | Take-Up of Social Benefits | 2022 |
| 19 | Kremer, M. | Earned Citizenship: Labour Migrants’ Views on the Welfare State | 2016 |
| 20 | Lindorff, A., Strand, S. and Au, I. | English as an Additional Language (EAL) and Educational Achievement in England | 2025 |
| 21 | MECOPP | Briefing Sheet 6: An Introduction to Cultural Competence | 2017 |
| 22 | MECOPP | Informal Caring within Scotland’s Briefing Sheet 3: Black and Minority Ethnic Communities | 2017 |
| 23 | Moreno, I. H. | Gaelic language, identity and sense of place in the Outer Hebrides | 2025 |
| 24 | Narayan, M. M. | Social Service Programs Must Be Accessible to People Who Speak Limited English | 2023 |
| 25 | Needham, B. et al | Institutional Racism and Health: a Framework for Conceptualization, Measurement, and Analysis | 2022 |
| 26 | NHS England | Improvement framework: community language translation and interpreting services | 2025 |
| 27 | Northumbria University | New research will examine the use of welfare reform to tackle health inequalities | Ongoing research |
| 28 | Paez-Izquierdo, V. | Exploring Language and Communication: Factors Impeding Retirement Migrants Access to Social Services | 2024 |
| 29 | Pandey, M. R. et al | Impacts of English language proficiency on healthcare access, use, and outcomes among immigrants: a qualitative study. | 2021 |
| 30 | Parveen, A. A. and Watson, R. | Language barriers and their impact on provision of care to patients with limited English proficiency: Nurses' perspectives | 2017 |
| 31 | Rabinovich, L and Perez-Arce | Understanding the Social Security Communication Needs of Hispanics with Limited English Language Proficiency | 2023 |
| 32 | Rasi, S. | Impact of language barriers on access to healthcare services by immigrant patients: A systematic review | 2020 |
| 33 | Salih, A. | Language Barriers And Their Impact On Effective Communication In Different Fields | 2024 |
| 34 | Sepali Guruge, Mary Susan Thomson and Sadaf Grace Seifi | Mental Health and Service Issues Faced by Older Immigrants in Canada: A Scoping Review | 2015 |
| 35 | Shamsi, H. I et al. | Implications of Language Barriers for Healthcare: A Systematic Review | 2020 |
| 36 | Siân Lucas | Spoken language interpreters in social work | 2020 |
| 37 | Social Security Administration, USA | Language Access Plan | 2023 |
| 38 | Sustain | Food insecurity reveals baked-in institutional racism | 2021 |
| 39 | The Alliance | Accessible information on Self-directed Support – lived experience research report | 2024 |
| 40 | Theiss, M. and Szelewa, D. | Institutional Sources of Citizens’ Trust in the Welfare State: A Literature Review | 2025 |
| 41 | Walsh, D. | The changing ethnic profiles of Glasgow and Scotland, and the implications for population health | 2017 |
| 42 | Why Me? Transforming Lives Through Restorative Justice | Overcoming Language Barriers in the Criminal Justice System | 2023 |
| 43 | Randall, V. R. | Live Black ... Retire Poor ... Die Early: How Social Security as an Institution Continues to Perpetuate the Social Racism of the 1930s | 2017 |