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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.

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Contents

6. Extent to which social security charter expectations are being met

6.1 Introduction

Social Security Scotland’s ‘Our Charter’ sets out the service standards people can expect from the social security system in Scotland, aligning with principles of treating people with fairness, dignity and respect. This chapter considers the findings of this rapid evidence review in the context of the Social Security Charter that governs the work of Social Security Scotland. It explores current evidence relevant to meeting commitments in practice for people whose first language is not English.

The chapter is organised by the main charter pillars: A people’s service; processes that work; a learning system and a better future. The first two are commitments for Social Security Scotland, the third is for both Social Security Scotland and the Scottish Government and the wider fourth pillar sets out objectives for the Scottish Government.

The review focused predominantly on the experience of the Scottish social security system of people for whom English is a second language. Adopting this lens highlighted literature that could illustrate how people might experience the system and therefore was less concerned with ‘back office’ aspects of the system that may be less visible to people, such as recruitment, training and support for staff. As a result, not all aspects of ‘Our Charter’ are considered below.

6.2 A people’s service

This strand of the charter addresses how staff treat people who engage with the social security system in Scotland, such as being patient, kind and considerate and listening to people as individuals. It includes treating people equally, fairly and without discrimination and having regard to their wellbeing. This is to be achieved through recruiting people with the right values, building a diverse workforce and ensuring staff are trained, supported and well equipped to do their job. It is also about delivering local and accessible services. The review addressed how people with English as a second language felt treated by staff and their levels of trust in the system.

While it is likely that some people with English as a second language have positive experiences, challenges were found to exist for some when engaging with the Scottish social security system. Language barriers were a factor in this; however, other wider considerations were often evident too. These included prior negative experiences of public services, mistrust, cultural expectations and beliefs among people who might use English as a second language and practical barriers when trying to access the system. Taken together, these factors may serve to deter people from applying for benefits or make it difficult for them when they do so.

As the data is aggregated across users, it is unclear to what extent trust is an issue for those who do not speak English as a main language, though it is known that people from minority ethnic communities may mistrust public services, due for instance, to experiences of racism and discrimination. Some qualitative evidence in this review found staff reported to be judgemental, dismissive or rude, spoke too fast, misunderstood or did not acknowledge anxieties among people from minority ethnic communities. There were calls for improved support from staff to help people navigate the system more easily.

Direct claims of discrimination against people from staff were not commonly identified in the literature on the Scottish social security system, though again official data was aggregated, so any reported discrimination was experienced across protected characteristic categories, not just due to ethnicity. Evidence of staff discrimination was found in the broader literature on public sector services, both in Scotland and elsewhere in the UK, and could be more prevalent among certain groups e.g. migrants.

It is unknown why some people felt they had not been treated well by social security staff, nor how this compares to how other groups feel treated. However, work could be undertaken to determine if there is evidence of discriminatory treatment, and if so, why this is the case. Prior experiences of discrimination could contribute to mistrust. However, a lack of cultural sensitivity was more likely to be reported, which could result in perceptions that the service was inaccessible.

6.3 Processes that work

This part of the charter states that Social Security Scotland will ‘design services with the people who use them’. It involves a range of activities including supporting people to complete an application in a way that suits them, providing information on the application process and how applications are progressing and help with obtaining supporting information.

The main elements addressed in this review were the application process, including views on application forms, the complexity of systems, institutional discrimination, and support offered in minority languages to allow people to complete applications in a way that suited them.

There was evidence that complex social security systems pose challenges for many, compounded for those who speak English as a second language. Challenges navigating complex eligibility criteria and application processes within the Scottish social security system were highlighted, such as an inability to understand questions, a perceived lack of alignment with lived experience, the length of forms and complex and technical language used. These challenges were found to cause confusion, fatigue and stress to people and could compound feelings of shame and stigma. Limited evidence was found around other practical barriers, including a lack of access to identification, bank accounts or national insurance numbers.

Language support was available in certain areas of the Scottish social security system, such as interpreting services for applications made by telephone, or translating application forms in minority languages. However, the ability of people to apply in a way that suited them was limited. For instance, there was evidence of preferences for face-to-face meetings with an interpreter present, or for digitally based application forms in minority languages, yet these methods appear to not currently be available. Further, there was some limited evidence of concerns over the quality of interpretation and that people with low literacy levels could struggle with translated materials, whether in English or their native language.

Processes that are challenging for people were identified by Social Security Scotland staff as contributing to the delivery of a service that could discriminate against people. For instance, poor translation and interpreting support or not having enough time to ensure they fully understand what people are saying could contribute to a sense of being discriminated against. It is unclear why levels of benefits denied are so high for all groups currently and work to explore this further would be useful.

While Social Security Scotland stated they are committed to working to simplify processes, the evidence reviewed for this study found that people who speak English as a second language are likely to experience extensive challenges when engaging with the system. Further, while language support is available, this is not always delivered in forms that people would find helpful.

It is important that institutional discrimination is considered when designing processes that work to help build trust in the system and to address more insidious forms of discrimination. Similarly, continuing work to simplify processes can help avoid compounding marginalisation among vulnerable communities. There was considerable evidence of challenges for people where the ability to speak or write English is an issue, and of their identified preference for seeking support from local communities and trusted services.

As a result of challenges to people in taking up benefits, some authors have recommended the use of automatic benefit payments, so people do not need to apply for benefits they are entitled to. The Scottish Government committed to exploring automatic payment systems in the Programme for Government 2021-2022 to maximise benefit take up and these have now begun, for instance, Winter Heating Payments are now issued automatically based on existing benefit eligibility.¹

6.4 A learning system

This charter element relates to encouraging feedback to help deliver the best service possible. It includes listening, learning and improving by valuing feedback, complaints and appeals decisions and involving people using the service to measure how well it works. Within this study, the research questions that consider the languages spoken by people who use the Scottish social security system are evidence of ‘a learning system’ in that the findings can help inform an awareness of the most prevalent languages in Scotland. In turn, these can help inform decisions, for instance about what minority languages written materials could be routinely translated into.

The need to avoid treating people from minority ethnic backgrounds, or with English as a second language as a homogenous group is of vital importance. This report has shown that differing linguistic and literacy abilities and preferences, cultural beliefs, personal and protected characteristics, prior experiences, socio-economic status and social integration are just some of the variables likely to intersect to create individual perspectives and differential use of the Scottish social security system.

Limitations of self-reporting are apparent. Low trust can impact a willingness to disclose ethnicity; people may wish to appear more proficient in English than is the case for fear of being perceived negatively or seek to avoid giving negative views on the system for fear of benefits being taken away. Care should be taken not to exacerbate consultation fatigue, through providing feedback to people about how their views have influenced change. The need to provide feedback and demonstrate accountability has been recognised in a review of the charter measurement framework, indicating Social Security Scotland’s willingness to learn and adapt.²

Challenges in using existing data also exist. For example, people may be underrepresented in complaints data as evidence suggests those who experience racial discrimination may be reluctant to make complaints as they do not see a value in it or feel they would not be taken seriously.³ Self-reporting of ethnicity can skew data where people chose not to report their ethnicity. Note for instance, that benefits denied are lowest for those who do not report an ethnicity, though in the absence of further information, it is impossible to explain why.

Views on people with English as a second language in studies on the Scottish social security system are often included within a wider participant sample, so the ability to report comprehensively or examine differences among people is highly constrained. Benefit evaluations to date have said very little about people who speak English as a second language,

While social security experience panels included a small proportion of people who speak English as a second language, these have now been replaced by client panels, with more than 12,000 members.⁴ However, there was a lack of evidence found regarding how these panels are made up, including the level of representation of those with English as a second language. As a result, it is recognised that Social Security Scotland and devolved benefits are relatively new for Scotland, and further evidence needs to be generated over time regarding how the system is learning from, and responding to, the needs of the disparate range of people who use English as a second language.

6.5 A better future

The final strand of ‘Our Charter’ focuses on the development of policy that supports equality, non-discrimination and the human right to social security. It also seeks to contribute to tackling poverty, through for instance promoting take up of benefits, reaching those most likely to be excluded, making eligibility rules fairer, reviewing payment levels and working with other public services to support delivery of the Scottish Government’s National Outcomes for a fairer, more prosperous Scotland. These are a key aspect of the National Performance Framework, used to guide policy-making, assess progress and ensure public services are aligned to a wellbeing economy.

In this review several topics were broadly addressed that align with this agenda, including awareness of benefits, structural disadvantage and poverty and take up of benefits. Each of these are significant topics, and the rapid nature of this review means it is impossible to do justice to them all.

The extent of poverty among certain groups is stark. Destitution among migrants, high rates of Bangladeshi, Black African and Pakistani households moving into very deep poverty each year, households with children experiencing the greatest reductions in income due to benefit reductions, were some of the issues identified.

Up to date commentary on poverty among different ethnic groups is provided in Joseph Rowntree Foundation’s (2025) analysis of over 250 studies that show how poverty outcomes are shaped by both group-specific factors such as migration history and culture and broader structural influences such as social networks, policy frameworks and local contexts.⁵ Efforts to reduce child poverty are proving to be effective in Scotland, underpinned by the Child Poverty (Scotland) Act 2017 and supported by ambitious targets set out in ‘Best Start, Bright Futures: Tackling Child Poverty Delivery Plan’. There is evidence that the introduction of the Scottish child payment has been instrumental in this⁶. This shows that structural disadvantage can be positively impacted when clear and sustained cross-cutting policies are adopted.

Benefit take up among those with English as a second language is currently unknown, due to a paucity of data. The lack of social security data on take up of benefits by ethnicity also hampers efforts in this area. While the second Benefit Take-Up Strategy published by the Scottish Government in October 2021 provided estimates of take up for low-income benefits, these are given as global figures and not broken down into take up by different groups. Combined with methodological difficulties, it was not possible to give figures for disability or carer related payments.⁷ However, evidence from this review suggests that take up among those with English as a second language is likely to be impacted by a lack of awareness of benefits, compounded by issues such as complex eligibility criteria and a lack of understanding of the service landscape. Other factors likely to affect take up include stigma and cultural beliefs that emphasise self-reliance or community, over statutory, support as well as a lack of exposure to places where people would know about benefits.

A broader, structural understanding of why people may not want to engage with the social security system is important. Explanations that focus solely on issues at individual level, such as language use, are unlikely to elicit a thorough appreciation of the barriers people face. The Coalition for Racial Equality and Rights argue that a deficit model of racial inequality will not result in meaningful systemic change and can compound prejudice and other forms of disadvantage:

“The tendency to look for explanations for racial inequality within the actions and attitudes of minority ethnic groups is sometimes called the ‘deficit model’ of race equality. The prevalence of the deficit model in discussions about solutions to racial inequality not only replicates racial stereotypes, but results in continual investment in capacity building activities for minority ethnic people which only have an impact on the small minority of people who have capacity building needs. This is inefficient and reduces the amount of investment available to address social and structural racism.”¹⁵: 90

The review identified a wide range of factors that can conspire to impact benefit take up and serve to deter people from applying for benefits. Negative experiences among those who do attempt to engage with the social security system can also erode trust in the system, affecting their future willingness to apply for benefits to which they are entitled. When benefit take up is not maximised due to a ‘hostile’ environment, deep poverty is a likely outcome.¹⁷

A nuanced and informed policy approach to tackling inequalities faced by those with English as a second language is required. As noted in this review, this group is highly diverse in English proficiency. It is therefore appropriate to consider how to improve the social security system for those who cannot speak or write English well. Such people are more likely have certain characteristics, such as having recently moved to Scotland, though this too cannot be assumed, given challenges people face when attempting to improve their English skills.¹⁸ ¹⁹

Given the scale of poverty among minority ethnic communities in Scotland, concerted and dedicated efforts to address this issue within poverty strategies are required. The Social Security policy team of the Scottish Government should engage in cross-cutting policy work to address intersectionality, likely to offer effective means to address marginalisation. It could undertake collaborative work with other partners, such as in employment, housing and health, to address structural disadvantage experienced by such people with a view to overcoming stubborn barriers to full societal participation and to maximise life chances. To have a real chance of affecting change, sustained and strategic efforts must be prioritised to consider how best to improve outcomes for our most disadvantaged communities.

Evidence from the review suggested that certain conditions within the social security system at all levels – policy, procedures/processes, practice – conspire to deter marginalised people from engaging with the system. Under the ‘fairer’ goal of this pillar, the Scottish Government should consider how to ensure equitable access to social security, and treatment of, people with English as a second language.

6.6 Summary

There was some evidence of progress that would improve outcomes for people with English as a second language in some areas relevant to Our Charter. These were usually in areas where improvement efforts were being made to benefit a larger cohort of individuals, rather than action specifically targeting people experiencing barriers due having English as a second language or from a minority ethnic group. Certain areas, such as structural disadvantage, are likely to require concerted, sustained efforts to affect change. However, evidence in relation to declining rates of child poverty in Scotland, suggests that positive change is possible.