Applications by channel (method of application)

Around 92% of applications received by 31 March 2023 were made online and 6% were made through a telephone application.

A small proportion of applications were made through paper application and other channels (table 2).

Applications by age of applicant

Around 83% of applications were made by people aged 18 to 44 in the 2022/23 financial year.

Around 18% of applications were made by people aged 45 or over, and less than 1% were made by people under 18 (table 3).

Applications by local authority area

In 2022/23 financial year:

• applications were received from people living in all 32 local authority areas in Scotland
• the highest number of applications were 25,600 from Glasgow City, 11,925 from Fife and 11,750 from North Lanarkshire (table 4).
• while the percentage of processed applications authorised in 2022/23 to date was 87% overall, this varied between local authority area, ranging from the lowest at 81% in Shetland Islands to the highest at 88% in nine local authority areas – Angus, Clackmannanshire, Fife, Glasgow City, Inverclyde, North Ayrshire, Scottish Borders, South Ayrshire, and Stirling (table 4).

More information on deriving the local authorities for applications can be found in the Geography section.