List of changes and updates to the Social Security Scotland style guide.
Abbreviations and acronyms
Sources and evidence
Updates
- 13/02/2023 - introduced further exceptions and guidance on 80% rule.
Active voice
Sources and evidence
Updates
- 27/04/2023 - added link to Cambridge Dictionary for further guidance.
Addressing the user
Sources and evidence
Updates
- 13/02/23 - new entry to cover previous content under users, etc.
Adviser
Sources and evidence
Updates
- 31/02/2023 - linking directly to GOV.UK due to duplicated guidelines.
Ages
Sources and evidence
Updates
American and UK English
Sources and evidence
Updates
- 31/02/2023 - linking directly to GOV.UK due to duplicated guidelines.
Approaching 16
Sources and evidence
Updates
- 13/02/2023 - switched written numbers for numerals.
Bank details
Sources and evidence
Updates
- 31/02/2023 - linking directly to GOV.UK due to duplicated guidelines.
Benefits/assistance/award
Sources and evidence
- Experience panel 2019 research
- ‘Low Income Winter Heating Assistance’ renamed ‘Winter Heating Payment’
- benefit name exploration for Funeral Support Payment
- Renaming disability benefits playback 22nd November 2019 (third slide down)
Updates
- 9/02/2023 - Update to explain we no longer use the word ‘assistance’ to refer to a benefit. 'Assistance’ is the correct legal name in the Social Security Scotland Act (2018), but it could be misleading because people don’t always think automatically about financial assistance. They could also think about emotional or other non-financial support.
Bold
Sources and evidence
Updates
Brackets
Sources and evidence
Updates
- 13/02/2023 - included warning on potential confusion in final paragraph.
Capital letters
Sources and evidence
Updates
8/03/2023 - added confirmation capitals should be used for tools.
13/02/2023 - moved definition into guidelines and included links.
Case transfer
Sources and evidence
Updates
Claim and claimant
Sources and evidence
Updates
13/02/2023 - directing towards separate entities
Collective nouns
Sources and evidence
Updates
Colons
Sources and evidence
Updates
- 13/02/2023 - new entry, taking information from 'Colons and semi-colons- only.
Commas
Sources and evidence
Updates
Components
Sources and evidence
Updates
Contractions
Sources and evidence
Updates
Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Sources and evidence
Updates
- 31/02/2023 - linking directly to GOV.UK due to duplicated guidelines.
Dashes
Sources and evidence
Updates
- 13/02/2023 - rewritten for legibility and included further information on using dashes in online content.
Dates
Sources and evidence
Updates
Decisions, Determinations
Sources and evidence
Updates
Dependant
Sources and evidence
Updates
Dropdown
Sources and evidence
Updates
eg, etc and ie
Sources and evidence
Updates
- 31/01/2023 - linking directly to GOV.UK due to duplicated guidelines.
Email addresses
Sources and evidence
Updates
- 31/02/2023 - linking directly to GOV.UK due to duplicated guidelines.
European Economic Area (EEA)
Sources and evidence
Updates
Evidence
Sources and evidence
Updates
- 28/03/2024 - new entry.
Geography and regions
Sources and evidence
Updates
- 31/01/2023 - linking directly to GOV.UK due to duplicated guidelines.
Global Unique Identifier
Sources and evidence
Updates
- 13/02/2023 - included guidance on how to write entry.
Government
Sources and evidence
Updates
- 31/01/2023 - linking directly to GOV.UK due to duplicated guidelines.
Identity verification
Sources and evidence
Updates
i-Movo (New Payment Exception Service)
Sources and evidence
Updates
In person
Sources and evidence
Updates
- 13/02/2023 - removed reference to this only applying to operational guidance.
inSight
Sources and evidence
Updates
Italics
Sources and evidence
Updates
- 31/01/2023 - linking directly to GOV.UK due to duplicated guidelines.
Job titles
Sources and evidence
Updates
- 13/02/2023 - switched examples to be more Social Security Scotland specific.
Legal content
Sources and evidence
Updates
- 31/01/2023 - linking directly to GOV.UK due to duplicated guidelines.
Links
Sources and evidence
Updates
- 05/09/2023 - included further information on not using 'click here'.
Lists and steps
Sources and evidence
Updates
- 15/02/2023 - updated final bullet with full stop instructions for KCM notifications.
- 13/02/2023 - new entry.
Local authority
Sources and evidence
Updates
- 31/01/2023 - linking directly to GOV.UK due to duplicated guidelines.
Maths content
Sources and evidence
Updates
- 31/01/2023 - linking directly to GOV.UK due to duplicated guidelines.
Measurements
Sources and evidence
Updates
- 31/01/2023 - linking directly to GOV.UK due to duplicated guidelines.
Money
Sources and evidence
Updates
- 31/01/2023 - linking directly to GOV.UK due to duplicated guidelines.
National Insurance card and number
Sources and evidence
Updates
- 13/02/2023 - new entry - merged from ‘card’ and ‘number’.
Notice of determination
Sources and evidence
Updates
Numbers
Sources and evidence
Updates
- 31/01/2023 - linking directly to GOV.UK due to duplicated guidelines.
Page titles
Sources and evidence
Updates
- 7/08/2023 - new title, changed from ‘Titles’.
Per cent
Sources and evidence
Updates
- 31/01/2023 - linking directly to GOV.UK due to duplicated guidelines.
Please
Sources and evidence
Updates
Re-determination
Sources and evidence
Updates
‘Regular’ versus ‘recurring’ payments
Sources and evidence
Updates
Regulations
Sources and evidence
Updates
Reviews
Sources and evidence
Updates
Semicolons
Sources and evidence
Updates
- 31/01/2023 - linking directly to GOV.UK due to duplicated guidelines.
Sentence length
Sources and evidence
Updates
- 13/02/2023 - included further guidance on sentence length.
Short-term assistance
Sources and evidence
Updates
Sign in
Sources and evidence
Updates
- 13/02/2023 - included reference to system buttons potentially using 'log in'.
Slashes
Sources and evidence
Updates
- 7/03/2023 - changed page title from 'or'.
Social Security Scotland
Sources and evidence
Updates
- 13/02/2023 - included information on referring to Social Security Scotland.
Spaces
Sources and evidence
Updates
- 31/01/2023 - linking directly to GOV.UK due to duplicated guidelines.
SPM screen names and buttons
Sources and evidence
Updates
Summaries
Sources and evidence
Updates
- 13/02/2023 - included correct character lengths for mygov.scot content.
Supporting information
Sources and evidence
Updates
- 28/03/2024 - updated entry to clarify scenarios when term should be used.
- 13/02/2023 - removed reference to this being a pending decision.
System names
Sources and evidence
Updates
Tab
Sources and evidence
Updates
Telephone numbers
Sources and evidence
Updates
Timeframes
Sources and evidence
Updates
- 7/08/2023 - title changed from 'Days'.
Times
Sources and evidence
Updates
Users
Sources and evidence
Updates
- 7/03/2023 - entry removed during move to new format - information included in ‘Addressing the user' and ‘People who use our services'.
- 13/02/2023 - directing towards separate entry.
We
Sources and evidence
Updates
Webchat
Sources and evidence
Updates
- 18/04/2023 - new entry.
Words to avoid
Sources and evidence
Updates
Words to use and avoid when talking about disability
Sources and evidence
Updates
- 7/03/2023 - new entry.
Writing about death
Sources and evidence
Updates
- 7/03/2023 - entry retitled - previously under ‘Death’.