The Social Security Committee takes evidence on the new social security tribunal proposal
Opposition party leaders and MSPs quiz Nicola Sturgeon during first minister's questions
A members' debate marks Scottish Apprenticeship Week
Equalities secretary gives statement on plan to tackle child poverty
MSPs debate safeguarding cultural heritage
Image source, bbcThe second part of the committee session is taking evidence from panel-experienced professionals:
Scotland's new social security agency will have its headquarters in Dundee, the first minister confirmed last September.
Nicola Sturgeon said the new agency will also have a site in Glasgow, with 1,500 jobs split evenly between the cities.
The first minister made the announcement as she met social security stakeholders in Dundee.
The Scottish government will be given powers to deliver 11 devolved benefits.
Image source, bbcJane Smith
Jane Smith says the claimant does not have the back up the agency, however well intentioned, has.
Ms Adamson asks if there are any final thoughts from the panel.
Ms Smith asks what happens when something goes wrong with a tribunal and says she is concerned about the broad grounds in the legislation for barring someone from the tribunal.
Mr Balfour asks about any other major concerns about the regulations.
Andy Little says the drafting on what a supporter can do seems to fit badly with the role of representative, warning one may trespass on the other.
Steven McAvoy from Enable Scotland suggests it would not make sense to prevent supporters from performing the role of representative if they were legally qualified to do so.
Paul McCormack says a person being invited to give evidence would not be sitting in the tribunal from the start while a person providing moral support would be.
He therefore argues the roles need to be clear from the start of a tribunal.
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Tory MSP Jeremy Balfour says at the moment there is a three member tribunal for PIP with someone who has experience of a disability or working with someone with a disability.
He asks if a three person tribunal should continue or if it is too unwieldy.
Image source, bbcJane Smith says the non-qualified person on the tribunal is really important.
Ms Smith says it would be nice if the tribunal service could target things.
Steven McAvoy says he is broadly happy with the three person tribunals.
Steven McAvoy from ENABLE Scotland
Steven McAvoy from ENABLE Scotland says the the process of challenging decisions must be made as simple as possible because it is used by the most vulnerable people.
Tory MSP Jeremy Balfour asks for views on the awarding of expenses.
Jane Smith says that, generally speaking, claimants have few financial resources and therefore this could put people off appeal.
"I couldn't quite see what the issue was that it was designed to address", she adds.
SNP MSP George Adam says the minister has said the whole point of the new system is that it will be differnent and will give the agency the opportunity to get some of the issues sorted.
Andy Little from Midlothian Council says the culture change is positive and it could and should work.
However he says the preference would be for direct process of appeal.
Image source, bbcSNP MSP George Adam and Andy Little from Midlothian Council
Mr Adam says the minister says this is not mandatory reconsideration, rather a fresh set of eyes.
The Midlothian Council representative replies it's being a bit ambiguous with the wording, it is not changing the system.
He would prefer change to the wording and the system and to go to direct apppeals.
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Nev Cartwright has been left with complications including chronic infections and emphysema
In 2015, Nev Cartwright sat down with his specialist at a hospital in Leeds. He was told his hacking cough and breathing difficulties were caused by a tumour in his left lung. He was 45.
Since then he has had three operations and a lung removed. Nev was awarded the highest rate of Disability Living Allowance (DLA) - a benefit meant to pay for the extra costs of his condition.
But a year later he received a letter saying the DLA was being replaced by a new benefit, the Personal Independence Payment, and his needs would have to be reassessed by a private company.
The night before his assessment he watched a documentary which questioned how they were being conducted.
"I was really nervous about it and made the decision to audio record the interview covertly. It was a safeguard, an accurate record of what had taken place," he says.
After his interview Nev had his disability payments cut and had to return the car paid for by the mobility element of his benefits.
He wrote to the DWP and told them about his recording, sending them a written transcript put together by an independent firm.
Questions were raised in 2013 when mandatory reconsideration was first introduced as to why is was necessary, says Paul McCormack.
These concerns are well born out when looking at statistics given the amount of cases overturned, he adds.
Tory MSP Jeremy Balfour
Tory MSP Jeremy Balfour, who is a former member of the tribunals service, says reopening the whole case would still be possible in the proposed tribunal and asks for clarification on Mr Little's previous point.
Mr Little suggests the process "could be different" because the new tribunal is moving away from 'need not consider'.
Image source, bbcJane Smith
Jane Smith says good administrative practice is to review your decision.
"Going straight to appeal does not preclude that."
Ms Smith insists the business of going straight to appeal is cheaper, easier and simpler for claimants.
It does not prevent issues being sorted in house, she adds.
"So many cases fail at mandatory reconsideration that it is an expensive additional step."
Failings in disability benefits assessments - including claimants being asked when they had "caught" Down's syndrome - have led to a "pervasive lack of trust" in the system, MPs said last month.
The Commons Work and Pensions Committee said reports by private contractors for the two main disability benefits, PIPs and ESA, were "riddled with errors".
And it said contractors "universally missed", external the set performance targets.
The Scottish government has repeatedly emphasises its desire to place people at the heart of the new social security system to increase trust.
Tory MSP Adam Tomkins
Tory MSP Adam Tomkins suggests re-determination is an opportunity for an agency to correct errors in-house rather than going straight to appeal.
He asks how many additional cases tribunals would have to hear if appeals were direct.
Adam Little says mandatory reconsideration puts people off and delays proceedings, so direct appeal would speed the process up.
Image source, bbcAndy Little from Midlothian Council
Andy Little from Midlothian Council says the old system of mandatory reconsideration is not working according to the statistics.
Mr Little says streamlining the process makes sense.
Green MSP Alison Johnstone says appeals could be a very negative process and asks if Mr Little is satisfied by the changes that have been made.
The outcomes open to the tribunal need to be looked at, he says.
Mr Little says under this legislation the tribunal could look at everything.
Image source, LukassekThe Scottish government has confirmed that its social security legislation will allow people to have someone with them during welfare assessments.
A bill is currently under consideration at Holyrood to set up Scotland's own devolved social security system.
Social security minister Jeane Freeman said people would have the right to be accompanied during assessments.
The UK government welcomed the announcement, and said this was already the case under the current system.
Paul McCormack from Govanhill Housing Association
Labour MSP Pauline McNeill asks about an automatic right of appeal and re-determination.
Paul McCormack from Govanhill Housing Association says decisions should have an automatic right of repeal, which should be direct rather than going through re-determination first.
He says statistics suggest the additional stage has acted as a deterrent to appeal.
Image source, bbcCommittee convener Clare Adamson
Ms Adamson gets us underway by asking about the social security charter and what difference that will make to the way the tribunal operates.
Jane Smith welcomes the idea of a charter as do the other witnesses.
Image source, Getty ImagesThe Scottish government has proposed the creation of a new social security tribunal under its newly devolved welfare powers.
The tribunal will handle appeals made against decisions of the new Scottish social security agency.
The Scottish government is currently consulting on the proposals, external, which will close on 16 April.
The tribunals must have regard to the social security charter and take into account people's rights and the nature of delivery as set out in the charter.
Image source, bbcSocial Security Committee convener Clare Adamson first takes evidence from welfare rights experts, including: