Who you can get supporting information from

If you’re applying on behalf of someone else, including a child, you should provide supporting information about their conditions and needs.

Professionals

Professionals can provide confirmation of your conditions, disability or needs.

These are people who:

• are involved in your treatment or care
• understand your needs

They could be someone who works:

• in public or private healthcare, like a nurse, GP, health visitor or therapist
• in social care, like a carer
• in education, like a teacher or support worker
• for a charity, like a Macmillan nurse or counsellor

Wider support network

Someone from your wider support network can tell us how your conditions or disability affect your daily life.

These are people who:

• know you best
• can describe the impact of your conditions or disability on your daily life

They could be:

• a family member, partner or friend
• someone who helps care for you but not as part of their job
• another person in your life who knows about your needs, like a neighbour or volunteer
• unpaid carers or childminders
• volunteers leading groups or activities that you go to

Supporting information from your wider support network can be a letter or a phone call to Social Security Scotland. The letter cannot be written by you if you're completing either:

• an application form
• a Change of Circumstances form

If you give contact details in your form for someone in your wider support network who knows you, Social Security Scotland may get in contact with them.

We treat supporting information from professionals and your wider support network equally when we look at your application or when we review your award.