A public consultation on creating a new social security agency for Scotland has been launched by the Scottish Government.

The agency will administer a total of 11 individual benefits which are estimated to have an annual cost of £2.7bn.

The benefits are currently administered from Westminster through the UK Government's department for work and pensions and will be devolved to the Scottish Parliament as part of the Smith Commission agreement on more powers for Holyrood.

Social security security Angela Constance, who is the cabinet minister charged with building the government department, repeated the Scottish Government's promise to raise carer's allowance to the same level as job seeker's allowance.

She said: "We are already working to use these powers as quickly as possible to improve people's lives in Scotland and the launch of this consultation is an important step in this process.

"We have already committed to a number of measures that will benefit people in Scotland, including increasing carer's allowance to the level of jobseeker's allowance, and replacing the sure start maternity grant with an expanded maternity and early years allowance.

"However, we want to gather views from as many people as possible from across Scotland about their own experience of benefits, and how they think the system could be improved in the future.

"While the Scotland Act does not go as far as we would wish in devolving powers - leaving 85% of benefit spending in the hands of the UK Government - we will always use all of the powers available to us in the best interests of Scotland."

The individual benefits differ widely in cost to administer and the number of Scots who receive them. Disability living allowance is the single most expensive of the 11, costing £1.47bn in the most recent figures.

The Scottish and UK Governments are yet to set a date for the opening of the new agency and the formal transfer of responsibilities to Holyrood.

You can find out everything you need to know about the change here: