More than 305,000 benefit claimants in Scotland will start to see their Personal Independence Payment (PIP) replaced by the new Adult Disability Payment by the end of August, following the launch of a phased rollout across all 32 local council areas, which began in March.
This will be a new payment for working adults under State Pension age who do not already claim disability benefits from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).
The Scottish Government recently confirmed that those people already receiving disability benefits through DWP will have their awards transferred to Social Security Scotland from August 29 - without any interruptions to their award and will not have to apply for Adult Disability Payment.
One of the key areas Social Security Scotland aims to improve the application process for new claimants is by getting award decision right “first time”.
In new guidance for Adult Disability Payment, it states: “We intend to reduce the need for people to go through a re-determination or appeal process, by getting decisions on entitlement to Adult Disability Payment right first time.”
However, support will be available to those who want to challenge benefit decisions.
The guidance continues: “The Scottish Government is funding an independent advocacy service which will support people with re-determinations and appeals.”
Social Security Scotland is also making significant changes to the review process.
“People who already get disability assistance rely on this financial support. That’s why, if through a planned review the amount of financial assistance changes, and they feel this is not the right decision, we don’t want to leave people worse off while we look again at their entitlement, as currently happens in the UK system,” it explained.
People challenging an Adult Disability Payment decision will be able to access Short Term Assistance.
This will provide claimants with the same amount of money they were getting before a decision was made to lower or stop their payment.
And to ensure people are not put off seeking an appeal or re-determination, Social Security Scotland said that Short Term Assistance does not need to be repaid, regardless of the outcome of the appeal or re-determination.
What will stay the same as PIP?
In order to ensure that people who are already getting PIP or Disability Living Allowance payments will not need to apply for Adult Disability Payment, Social Security Scotland has prioritised the safe and secure delivery of the new benefit and transfer of awards from DWP.
This means that payment rates and the "majority of eligibility rules" for Adult Disability Payment will be the same as PIP when it launches.
This enables the Scottish Government to transfer people’s PIP awards to the Scottish social security system automatically, beginning in August.
The guidance states: "We will ensure this is done safely and securely so that everyone continues to get paid the same amount as they do now, with no break in entitlement.
"Keeping the eligibility criteria for Adult Disability Payment mostly the same as Personal Independence Payment will make sure that we don’t create a two-tiered system while we simultaneously undertake case transfer from the Department for Work and Pensions and get our new benefit up and running."
Who will be eligible to make a claim for the Adult Disability Payment?
Eligibility will be similar to PIP.
This benefit is for people who meet the following criteria:
You are aged between 16 to State Pension age
You have difficulties with daily living or getting around outside your home (or both)
You have had the physical or mental difficulty for at least 3 months and expect it to continue for at least 9 months
If a person is terminally ill these qualifying periods do not apply.
How are claims assessed?
Social Security Scotland will make decisions about entitlement for ADP using the applicant’s account of their circumstances and existing supporting information, where possible.
The number of face-to-face assessments will be significantly reduced and will only be necessary when it is the only practicable way to make a decision.
Claimants will no longer be asked to carry out tasks to demonstrate how their disability, long-term illness or mental health condition affects them as part of the application process.
Examples of supporting information
This will be used to help make a decision about your claim and will include:
a social care needs assessment
a report from a community psychiatric nurse
information from a carer
Payment rates for Adult Disability Payment
Social Security Scotland will provide the same rate of all forms of Disability Assistance as the current rate of the equivalent UK disability benefit (PIP) and will increase in line with inflation each year.
Payment rates are weekly and paid every four weeks.
Daily Living part
- Standard rate: £61.85
- Enhanced rate: £92.40
Mobility part
- Standard rate: £24.45
- Enhanced rate: £64.50
How often will my award be reviewed?
Unlike DWP payment awards which are reviewed regularly over a fixed-period of time, the ADP will be rolling, with no set end date.
Reviews will be ‘light touch’ and as non-intrusive as possible.
Will I still be able to swap all or part of my mobility payment for the Motability Scheme?
People who get the highest rate of the mobility component of ADP will be able to transfer either the whole or part of the money they get for the mobility component to access the Accessible Vehicles and Equipment Scheme .
This new Scottish scheme will provide a service similar to the current Motability scheme, with a range of cars, wheelchair accessible vehicles, scooters and powered wheelchairs on affordable leasing terms.
Clients who have an existing Motability lease will be able to retain their vehicle until the end of that lease.
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