This guidance is for anyone using Objective Connect to complete or approve a supporting information request.
Objective Connect is a secure digital workspace owned by Social Security Scotland.
It allows users to access, complete and approve supporting information requests.
The supporting information provided by the user helps Social Security Scotland to make a decision on an application for one of our disability benefits.
The following sections explain how to access and complete the supporting information request form in Objective Connect.
An applicant for one of our disability benefits has identified you as someone who:
This information helps Social Security Scotland to:
Supporting information is information that:
Read more about supporting information on the mygov.scot website.
These steps are set out in detail below.
The email will ask you to log into the Objective Connect workspace.
The Objective Connect email will look like this. The sender will say ‘Social Security Integration’.
If you’re also the Approver for this request, you’ll get another email from Objective Connect telling you there’s an approval task to complete.
The invitation email from Objective Connect has a ‘Login’ link to the Objective Connect workspace.
2. For next steps, go to the ‘View and accept the workspace invitation’ section below.
You need to accept the invitation to be able to access the supporting information request.
In the workspace, you’ll see an editable Microsoft Word document. This is the supporting information request form. The document name will be a long series of numbers.
To preview the form, select the document link.
To complete the form:
| Do not select ‘Upload new version’ at this point.
When you select this option, a new Office 365 Word tab will appear in your browser.
| The form will automatically save as you complete it. Do not download a copy of the form to your local drive.
Only use this option if you do not have Office 365.
When you select this option, a ‘Downloads’ box will appear in the top right corner of your screen.
| Do not change the file name at any point. It must be returned to Social Security Scotland with the exact same file name as the original document you received.
When you have completed the form, you must contact the Approver at your organisation. They need to approve the completed form, so it can be returned to Social Security Scotland.
If you are both the Completer and Approver, you can approve your own supporting information form. Go to the ‘Guidance for Approvers’ section below.
When we send a supporting information request, we would normally expect a response within 28 calendar days.
Social Security Scotland case managers have discretion to make a decision on a case at 56 calendar days, without the supporting information they requested. The case manager may choose to wait for a piece of supporting information after this date, if they feel it’s of significant value to the case.
You must therefore aim to respond to a supporting information request within 28 calendar days. This ensures case managers are as informed as possible when making a decision on an application.
Contact your organisation’s Front Door Team.
The following sections explain how to approve a completed supporting information form in Objective Connect.
You need to approve the completed supporting information request form, so it can be returned to Social Security Scotland.
The person completing the supporting information form (the ‘Completer’) will contact you when the form is ready to approve.
When this happens, you need to:
These steps are set out in detail below.
You’ll get an automated email from Objective Connect that:
This is what the email looks like.
You may receive this email before the Completer starts to fill in the form. This means it may take a few days or weeks before you can view and approve the form.
If you’re both the Completer and Approver, you can complete and approve your supporting information request form.
If the Completer and Approver are different people, the Completer must make sure the Approver is happy with their completed supporting information form.
You need to accept the invitation to be able to approve the supporting information request.
In the supporting information request screen, you’ll see:
| Do not select ‘Reject’ at any time. If you do, it will send an incomplete form back to Social Security Scotland.
| Do not change the file name at any time. It must be returned to Social Security Scotland with the exact same file name as the original document you got.
To return to the request workspace, select either the browser back button or the link at the top of the screen.
Within 15 minutes of approving the completed form:
When we send a supporting information request, we would normally expect a response within 28 calendar days.
Social Security Scotland case managers have discretion to make a decision on a case at 56 calendar days, without the supporting information they requested. The case manager may choose to wait for a piece of supporting information after this date, if they feel it’s of significant value to the case.
You must therefore aim to respond to a supporting information request within 28 calendar days. This ensures case managers are as informed as possible when making a decision on an application.
Contact your organisation’s Front Door Team.