Information relating to Social Security Scotland expenditure: FOI release

Information request and response under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002

FOI Reference: FOI/202500468686
Date received: 30 May 2025
Date responded: 27 June 2025

Information requested

You asked for the following information for Social Security Scotland for financial years 2021/22, 2022/23, 2023/24, 2024/2025, 2025-date:

Request for information 1: Total annual spending on staff overtime.

Request for information 2: Total annual spending on temporary or agency staff.

Request for information 3: Total annual spending on external consultants.

Request for information 4: Total annual expenditure on all advertising, including spending on social media campaigns.

Request for information 5: The total value and number of any write-offs, losses, or special payments (including ex gratia payments).

Request for information 6: Total annual expenditure on Equality, Diversity and Inclusion related activities, including training, events, internal/external communications, staffing, consultancy, or other related costs.

Response

Request for information 1:

Some of the information you have requested is available from Social Security Scotland Publications page under ‘Annual Report and Account’ for each complete financial year. Under section 25(1) of FOISA, we do not have to give you information which is already reasonably accessible to you. If, however, you do not have internet access to obtain this information from the website(s) listed, then please contact me again and I will send you a paper copy.

I have included below the link to the relevant pages for this information.

An exemption under section 30(c) of FOISA (prejudice to effective conduct of public affairs) applies to some of the information requested, namely unaudited information from financial year 2024/2025, and 2025 to date. Disclosing this information would substantially prejudice our ability to conduct financial management effectively which is based on our ability to analyse and discuss the cause of over or underspends and assess the risk around making different decisions to ensure financial balance. This would constitute substantial prejudice to the effective conduct of public affairs in terms of the exemption.

We have assessed this request against the ‘public interest test’. Therefore, taking account of all the circumstances of this case, we have considered if the public interest in disclosing the information outweighs the public interest in applying the exemption. We have found that, on balance, the public interest lies in favour of upholding the exemption. We recognise that there is a public interest in disclosing information as part of open, transparent and accountable government. However, there is a greater public interest in protecting the processes for financial management and ensuring that the Scottish Government can conduct this effectively. This means that we have not disclosed the plans or associated explanations of any variation against plan which is business judgement.

Publication of the annual accounts 2024/25 is scheduled for the start of November 2025.

Request for information 2:

Some of the information you have requested is available from Social Security Scotland Publications page under ‘Annual Report and Account’ for each complete financial year. Under section 25(1) of FOISA, we do not have to give you information which is already reasonably accessible to you. If, however, you do not have internet access to obtain this information from the website(s) listed, then please contact me again and I will send you a paper copy.

I have included below the link to the relevant pages for this information.

Please note that temporary or agency staff members are recorded under “interim workers” within these reports.

An exemption under section 30(c) of FOISA (prejudice to effective conduct of public affairs) applies to some of the information requested, namely unaudited information from financial year 2024/2025, and 2025 to date. Disclosing this information would substantially prejudice our ability to conduct financial management effectively which is based on our ability to analyse and discuss the cause of over or underspends and assess the risk around making different decisions to ensure financial balance. This would constitute substantial prejudice to the effective conduct of public affairs in terms of the exemption.

We have assessed this request against the ‘public interest test’. Therefore, taking account of all the circumstances of this case, we have considered if the public interest in disclosing the information outweighs the public interest in applying the exemption. We have found that, on balance, the public interest lies in favour of upholding the exemption. We recognise that there is a public interest in disclosing information as part of open, transparent and accountable government. However, there is a greater public interest in protecting the processes for financial management and ensuring that the Scottish Government can conduct this effectively. This means that we have not disclosed the plans or associated explanations of any variation against plan which is business judgement.

Publication of the annual accounts 2024/25 is scheduled for the start of November 2025.

Request for information 3:

Some of the information you have requested is available from Social Security Scotland Publications page under ‘Annual Report and Account’ for each complete financial year. Under section 25(1) of FOISA, we do not have to give you information which is already reasonably accessible to you. If, however, you do not have internet access to obtain this information from the website(s) listed, then please contact me again and I will send you a paper copy.

An exemption under section 30(c) of FOISA (prejudice to effective conduct of public affairs) applies to some of the information requested, namely unaudited information from financial year 2024/2025, and 2025 to date. Disclosing this information would substantially prejudice our ability to conduct financial management effectively which is based on our ability to analyse and discuss the cause of over or underspends and assess the risk around making different decisions to ensure financial balance. This would constitute substantial prejudice to the effective conduct of public affairs in terms of the exemption.

We have assessed this request against the ‘public interest test’. Therefore, taking account of all the circumstances of this case, we have considered if the public interest in disclosing the information outweighs the public interest in applying the exemption. We have found that, on balance, the public interest lies in favour of upholding the exemption. We recognise that there is a public interest in disclosing information as part of open, transparent and accountable government. However, there is a greater public interest in protecting the processes for financial management and ensuring that the Scottish Government can conduct this effectively. This means that we have not disclosed the plans or associated explanations of any variation against plan which is business judgement.

Publication of the annual accounts 2024/25 is scheduled for the start of November 2025.

Request for information 4:

Request for information 5:

Some of the information you have requested is available from Social Security Scotland Publications page under ‘Annual Report and Account’ for each complete financial year. Under section 25(1) of FOISA, we do not have to give you information which is already reasonably accessible to you. If, however, you do not have internet access to obtain this information from the website(s) listed, then please contact me again and I will send you a paper copy.

An exemption under section 30(c) of FOISA (prejudice to effective conduct of public affairs) applies to some of the information requested, namely unaudited information from financial year 2024/2025, and 2025 to date. Disclosing this information would substantially prejudice our ability to conduct financial management effectively which is based on our ability to analyse and discuss the cause of over or underspends and assess the risk around making different decisions to ensure financial balance. This would constitute substantial prejudice to the effective conduct of public affairs in terms of the exemption.

We have assessed this request against the ‘public interest test’. Therefore, taking account of all the circumstances of this case, we have considered if the public interest in disclosing the information outweighs the public interest in applying the exemption. We have found that, on balance, the public interest lies in favour of upholding the exemption. We recognise that there is a public interest in disclosing information as part of open, transparent and accountable government. However, there is a greater public interest in protecting the processes for financial management and ensuring that the Scottish Government can conduct this effectively. This means that we have not disclosed the plans or associated explanations of any variation against plan which is business judgement.

Publication of the annual accounts 2024/25 is scheduled for the start of November 2025.

Request for information 6:

While we aim to provide information whenever possible, Social Security Scotland does not have the information you requested. This is because all of our staff have diversity, equality and inclusion requirements within their roles and there is no business need for Social Security Scotland to record the time spent by it’s staff broken down in a way that would answer your question.

This is a formal notice under section 17(1) of FOISA that Social Security Scotland does not have the information you have requested.

You may find it helpful to know, however, that we have a specific Diversity and Inclusion team with a specific focus on equality, diversity and inclusion. Part of this team, and the Organisational Development and Learning team’s, responsibility is to deliver in-house training to our staff.

About FOI

Social Security Scotland is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. The Scottish Government also publishes responses to requests. You can view the responses at http://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.