Automated decision making

Sometimes we may use automated decision making to reach a decision about your benefits.

Your personal data allows an electronic system to make a decision about a benefit without any human intervention. We only use automated decision making where the outcome provides a favourable decision for you.

We use automated decision making for the following benefits:

• Scottish Child Payment
• Best Start Grant - Early Learning Payment and School Age Payment
• Child Winter Heating Payment
• Winter Heating Payment

Scottish Child Payment

For Scottish Child Payment, automated decision making happens in the following way:

1. You submit your application.
2. The computer will automatically check the award criteria.
3. If the award criteria is met then the award will be made automatically.
4. If criteria not met the case will be handed off to case worker for manual assessment.

Best Start Grant – Early Learning Payment and School Age Payment

For these benefits,  automated decision making happens in the following way:

1. The computer will check whether there is a current award of Scottish Child payment.
2. If there is no current award of Scottish Child Payment, no further action will be taken to award the relevant Best Start Grant automatically.
3. If there is a Scottish Child Payment award, the computer will automatically check the award criteria.
4. If the award criteria is met then the award will be made automatically, unless you have opted out of being automatically awarded the payment.
5. If you opted out of automatic payment or Scottish Child Payment is not currently awarded, you will need to make a manual application.
6. Manual applications are handled by case workers.

Winter Heating Payment and Child Winter Heating Payment

For these benefits, automated decision making happens in the following way:

1. The computer will automatically check the award criteria.
2. If the award criteria is met then the award will be made automatically.
3. If criteria is not met, no automatic award will be made.
4. Manual applications are handled by case workers.

If you want to know more about how your personal data is used in decision making, visit the Privacy notice and Data protection - Social Security Scotland page.