How to write about Social Security Scotland and the people who use our services.

• Addressing the user
• Adviser
• Claim and claimant
• Collective nouns
• Dependant
• Social Security Scotland
• We
• Words to use and avoid when talking about disability
• Writing about death
• Writing about our users

Addressing the user

Our users include:

• Social Security Scotland colleagues, like client advisers and case managers
• clients
• client representatives

When addressing the user in content, use ‘you’.

For more information, see the GOV.UK style guide entry on ‘Addressing the user’.

Adviser

Follow the GOV.UK style guide entry for ‘adviser’.

Claim and claimant

Do not use claim or claimant. Use application or applicant, then client once the award decision has been made.

For full guidance, follow our entries on:

• ‘addressing the user’
• ‘writing about our users’

Collective nouns

Collective nouns like family, government or team take a singular verb or pronoun when they’re thought of as a single unit.

When they’re thought of as a collection of individuals, use the plural forms.

Dependant

A person reliant on another (usually financially). For example, a person’s child or an adult who relies on a person financially.

Use 'dependant' for the noun (British English version), not the American English version 'dependent'.

Social Security Scotland

Use ‘we’ or ‘us’ when referring to Social Security Scotland, except in MyGov content.

For MyGov content use ‘Social Security Scotland’.

Social Security Scotland should be referred to as a singular entity: “Social Security Scotland is…” rather than “Social Security Scotland are…”

Never abbreviate to ‘SSS’ or refer to ‘agency’.

We

Use ‘we’ or ‘us’ when referring to Social Security Scotland, except in MyGov content.

MyGov

For MyGov content, use ‘Social Security Scotland’, as ‘we’ on MyGov refers to the 'Scottish Government'.

Words to use and avoid when talking about disability

Follow the GOV.UK entry on ‘words to use and avoid when talking about disability’.

Writing about death

Be direct wherever possible. Say ‘death’ instead of ‘loss’ and ‘died’ instead of 'passed away'.

Research shows that brief, plain language is more helpful than content added to make something sound more sympathetic. People would rather quickly understand what they need to do than read through lengthy condolences. (From ‘Designing content for people dealing with a death’).

Writing about our users

Do not use claimant or customer.

Use:

• applicant (before award)
  
• client (after award)
• individual
• child (if under 16)
  
• young person (if 16 and older)

If someone gets a benefit on behalf of someone else, make it clear what terms you're using and who you mean by each.

For example, a parent getting Child Disability Payment for their child.