Universal Credit Scottish choices: evaluation

Summarises the evidence for the effectiveness for the flexibilities the Scottish Government can offer to Universal Credit to allow twice monthly payments, and direct payment of rent to landlords drawing on management information, populations surveys and commissioned qualitative research.


Annex A – Additional statistical information

Table 1: Total households by UC Scottish choice
  More Frequent Payment (MFP Choice) Direct Payment to Landlord (DPL Choice)
UC households as of August 2020 Never Taken Choice No longer has Choice Currently Open Choice Never Taken Choice No longer has Choice Currently Open Choice
Number of Households 258,830 25,310 134,450 114,130 3,170 49,800
Percentage of Eligible Households 62% 6% 32% 68% 2% 30%
Table 2: UC Scottish choices by local authority
  More Frequent Payment (MFP Choice) Direct Payment to Landlord (DPL Choice)
Local Authority of
UC households as of August 2020
Never Taken Choice No longer has Choice Currently Open Choice Never Taken Choice No longer has Choice Currently Open Choice
Aberdeen City 9,130 850 4,060 4,310 60 1,170
Aberdeenshire 7,400 620 3,300 3,610 120 1,180
Angus 4,810 540 3,210 2,550 70 1,100
Argyll and Bute 3,590 300 1,380 1,470 30 490
City of Edinburgh 20,690 1,480 7,170 10,780 120 2,110
Clackmannanshire 2,760 340 2,090 1,210 40 930
Dumfries and Galloway 6,360 660 2,940 3,070 80 1,370
Dundee City 8,600 1,060 6,110 4,160 130 2,010
East Ayrshire 7,050 970 5,090 2,930 140 2,560
East Dunbartonshire 3,690 270 1,330 1,150 20 450
East Lothian 5,490 490 2,370 2,480 30 560
East Renfrewshire 2,650 200 840 750 20 200
Eilean Siar 900 70 330 300 10 110
Falkirk 7,340 870 4,630 3,170 120 2,020
Fife 18,380 1,990 12,580 7,900 240 4,610
Glasgow City 39,830 3,470 15,480 17,730 470 5,760
Highland 11,320 880 5,550 5,210 150 2,190
Inverclyde 5,350 530 2,720 2,440 70 1,020
Midlothian 4,620 500 2,470 1,970 60 1,040
Moray 3,520 310 1,640 1,730 60 630
North Ayrshire 8,130 1,050 5,180 3,490 170 2,370
North Lanarkshire 18,280 1,950 10,750 7,130 290 4,780
Orkney Islands 530 40 230 260 10 140
Perth and Kinross 5,620 480 2,630 2,950 90 910
Renfrewshire 8,890 790 3,710 3,520 90 1,400
Scottish Borders 4,210 390 2,500 2,340 90 990
Shetland Islands 590 40 310 280 10 110
South Ayrshire 5,750 640 2,950 2,480 50 640
South Lanarkshire 16,090 1,770 9,320 5,850 90 2,470
Stirling 3,840 370 2,280 1,590 50 810
West Dunbartonshire 5,170 520 2,500 1,810 40 990
West Lothian 8,250 900 4,430 3,530 170 1,670
Unknown 0 0 2,390 0 0 1,030
Table 3: UC Scottish choices by household type
  More Frequent Payment (MFP Choice) Direct Payment to Landlord (DPL Choice)
Household Type for
UC households as of August 2020
Never Taken Choice No longer has Choice Currently Open Choice Never Taken Choice No longer has Choice Currently Open Choice
Couple with no children 18,480 910 8,610 10,380 190 3,390
Couple with children 33,030 2,610 13,630 19,260 440 6,040
Single with no children 154,220 14,030 86,330 53,620 1,270 25,990
Single with children 51,620 7,760 24,320 30,730 1,270 14,240
Unknown 1,480 0 1,570 150 0 150
Table 4: UC Scottish choices by capability for work
  More Frequent Payment (MFP Choice) Direct Payment to Landlord (DPL Choice)
Limited Capacity for Work Type for UC households as of August 2020 Never Taken Choice No longer has Choice Currently Open Choice Never Taken Choice No longer has Choice Currently Open Choice
Limited Capacity for Work (LCW) 7,590 1,280 5,750 3,230 210 3,210
Limited Capacity for Work-Related Activities (LCWRA) 25,420 4,000 16,820 10,930 700 9,180
Not LCW/LCWRA 225,820 20,040 111,880 99,980 2,270 37,410
Table 5: UC Scottish choices by household type
  More Frequent Payment (MFP Choice) Direct Payment to Landlord (DPL Choice)
Housing Type for
UC households as of August 2020
Never Taken Choice No longer has Choice Currently Open Choice Never Taken Choice No longer has Choice Currently Open Choice
Social Rent 83,690 11,760 59,760 48,040 2,440 45,420
Private Rent 56,780 5,400 15,270 66,090 730 4,320
No Applicable Housing Costs 19,250 1,930 11,580 0 0 *
Not Owned or Rented 67,010 5,160 38,600 0 0 *
Other Accommodation 440 50 410 0 0 *
Own Property 29,850 950 7,160 0 0 0
Shared Ownership 190 10 60 0 0 *
Temporary Accommodation 20 <10 110 0 0 40
Unknown 1,610 50 1,510 0 0 0
Table 6: Scottish choices
  More Frequent Payment (MFP Choice) Direct Payment to Landlord (DPL Choice)
Employment Status of
UC households as of August 2020
Never Taken Choice No longer has Choice Currently Open Choice Never Taken Choice No longer has Choice Currently Open Choice
Employed 102,360 7,410 51,450 54,160 1,120 17,010
Employed and Self Employed 4,800 180 1,220 2,230 10 280
Self Employed 12,580 650 3,060 5,760 70 1,040
Unemployed 137,620 17,070 77,160 51,840 1,960 31,330
Unknown 1,480 0 1,570 150 0 150

Notes

1. All figures are rounded to the nearest 10 households, non-zero figures less than 10 are indicated separately

2. Totals of columns in Tables 2-6 may not sum to the value shown in Table 1 due to rounding

3. Eligibility for MFP or DPL are not mutually exclusive, though around 99% of those eligible for DPL are also eligible for MFP

4. This analysis looks at the cohort of all eligible UC claims in Scotland in August 2020

Notes when comparing to UC Scottish choices Management Information published by the Scottish Government

1. The analysis provided to inform the Scottish choices evaluation is a breakdown of the caseload of open UC claims with or eligible for Scottish choices in August 2020.

2. The analysis for the DWP Scottish choices monthly management information measures new and existing UC claims that are offered or opt in to Scottish choices. It does not however measure claim closures so it is not possible to use the MI to calculate the caseload shown in the Scottish choices evaluation.

How to access background or source data

The data collected for this social research publication:

☐ are available in more detail through Scottish Neighbourhood Statistics

☐ are available via an alternative route

☒ may be made available on request, subject to consideration of legal and ethical factors. Please contact Social.research@gov.scot for further information.

☐ cannot be made available by Scottish Government for further analysis as Scottish Government is not the data controller.

Contact

Email: Socialresearch@gov.scot

Back to top