Still no permanent city site for benefits agency

Social Security Scotland bosses in discussions to work out solution

The agency responsible for the roll-out of Scotland’s new benefits system has admitted it still does not know where in Dundee it will be permanently situated.

Chief executive of Social Security Scotland (SSS) David Wallace said there was a “restrictive” commercial property market in Dundee, where the majority of the agency’s staff will be based.

As many as 250 people are currently employed by the agency in the city, with plans for 750 in total to work for the government by the time the benefits system has completely rolled out.

The SSS currently rents space in Dundee House – home also to Dundee City Council, which recently sold the building to insurance giant Canada Life in a £23.8 million deal that will see it lease back the offices for 40 years.

Despite already handing out some benefits to Scottish recipients, Mr Wallace told the public audit and postlegislative scrutiny committee they were still to secure final office space.

As part of the cultural shift to Scotland’s benefit system, Mr Wallace said, the agency wants an accessible property able to house 750 employees in the city centre.

“In terms of staffing, Dundee is now our most significant centre of operations, with more people based there than in Glasgow, which has essentially been built up from a zero base for the Scottish Government in terms of Dundee,” he said.

“We had a small footprint of Scottish Government civil servants, but have essentially had to build that from a standing start and we are proud to have been able to do that in Dundee.

“The work with the local authority in that area has allowed us to do that at quite rapid pace as well.

“Members have been to see the operation in Dundee and we are very keen to ensure it maintains that transparency throughout.”

“We are working on a more permanent solution in Dundee, those discussions are at a fairly advanced stage and are commercially restrictive, so I would not like to put any more than that out in the public domain.

“It is important that, for culture reasons, staff are in the same building.

“The Dundee property market is relatively restrictive of the scale of commercial buildings in the city, but (staying in a single building) would be our preference.”

Dundee-based Labour MSP Jenny Marra, who chaired the committee meeting, said her interpretation of available commercial buildings differed from the SSS’s, saying there were “plenty” of available business properties in Dundee.

She said: “Everyone in Dundee knows that there is lots of empty office accommodation in the city and some that desperately needs a face-lift and occupants.”

All five floors of the city centre Earl Grey building, built on the controversial Site Six plot across from the rail station and V&A museum, is still available for let according to commercial property agent Ryden.

Discussions are at a fairly advanced stage. SOCIAL SECURITY SCOTLAND CHIEF EXECUTIVE DAVID WALLACE