THE IMPACT OF WELFARE REFORM IN SCOTLAND – TRACKING STUDY Interim report to the Scottish Government on 1st Sweep of interviews

The aim of the study is to explore the impact of on-going welfare changes on a range of households in Scotland over time. This report provides a review of the literature and presents the results of the first sweep of interviews which took place from September 2013 to January 2014. The study is being carried out for the Scottish Government by the Employment Research Institute at Edinburgh Napier University and the University of Stirling. The research is concerned with those in receipt of working age benefits and addresses the impact of the current benefit reforms and new rules including the Benefit Cap; changes made to the payment of Housing Benefit (HB) relating to under-occupancy; changes to lone parents’ obligations when their youngest child reaches the age of five; Disability Living Allowance (DLA) and the forthcoming changeover to Personal Independence Payments (PIP); and Employment and Support Allowance (ESA). The research also addresses participants’ opinions about the move to Universal Credit (UC), including a shift to monthly payments, and the move towards making all claims through an online system. The research utilises a longitudinal qualitative methodology, so that participants’ experiences of the changes can be followed and understood across time. Forty three individuals have taken part in the research, each with different reasons for claiming benefits. Participants were recruited to the study from across Scotland, including rural and urban areas and the major cities, and had a range of demographic and other characteristics. At the time of writing, some changes to welfare benefits have been implemented, while others are underway. All changes, including the transition to UC1 , are expected to be implemented by 2017. The literature to date indicates a number of problems pertaining to the reforms. Other factors, not directly related to welfare per se, that impact on those claiming benefits are also important, such as the availability of transport and suitable employment opportunities