People in Scotland will no longer be able to make a new claim for Personal Independence Payment (PIP) from August 29 when the benefit will be replaced by Adult Disability Payment (ADP) in all 32 council areas across the country. At present, 13 local authorities are now offering ADP to adults over 16 and under State Pension age living with a disability, long-term illness or a physical or mental health condition.
The new devolved benefit will be delivered by Social Security Scotland and the process of transferring some 313,620 existing PIP claimants from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) began in mid-June and is expected to be completed by summer 2024. People already on PIP do not need to apply for the new benefit, and there will be no interruption in payments during the migration which takes around three months to complete.
Claimants who receive ADP will be paid between £24.45 and £156.90 per week to help with the additional costs of daily living and mobility needs. The benefit is paid every four weeks so this amounts to between £97.80 and £627.60 every payment period.
Weekly payment rates for ADP
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.
Daily Living part
- Standard rate - £61.85
- Enhanced rate - £92.40
Mobility part
- Standard rate - £24.45
- Enhanced rate - £64.50
If you are considering making acclaim for ADP, there are several things you need to know and plenty of time to prepare to ensure that you’re ready to submit your application when it opens nationwide - or earlier if you’re in one of the phased rollout areas.
Claims can take as little as 10 weeks to process, half the current clearing time for new claims for PIP, which is currently 20 weeks.
You can apply for ADP now, if you live in:
- Aberdeen City
- Aberdeenshire
- Angus
- Dundee City
- East Ayrshire
- Fife
- Moray
- North Ayrshire
- North Lanarkshire
- Perth and Kinross
- South Ayrshire
- South Lanarkshire
- Western Isles
Making a claim for Adult Disability Payment
There are 2 parts to the Adult Disability Payment application:
- part 1 asks for your personal details
- part 2 asks for details about your condition and how it affects your daily life
Part 1
It will help you to complete part 1 if you have:
- your personal details, such as date of birth and main address
- your National Insurance number
- your bank, building society or credit union account details
Social Security Scotland advises that you can still apply for Adult Disability Payment if you do not have a bank, building society or credit union account - if your application is successful, you will need to contact them to agree how you want to be paid.
Part 2
Part 2 of the Adult Disability Payment application is similar to the ‘how your disability affects you’ evidence from for PIP.
It will ask you about:
- your condition and how it affects your ability to look after yourself, understand information, and communicate with other people
- what help and support you need and why
- how you move around outdoors
- any medication, treatment or equipment you need
Social Security Scotland advises that it can take a long time to complete part 2, but you do not have to do it all at once.
The guidance also states: “You'll only need to give detailed answers to the questions that are relevant to you. Social Security Scotland only asks you what they need to know to decide if you can get Adult Disability Payment.
“Social Security Scotland will consider your application in full. Do not worry if you think you have added some information in the wrong place, or repeated yourself.”
It will help you to complete part 2 if you have:
- information about your condition or your symptoms, if you're still waiting for a diagnosis
- information about any medical tests you have had, and the results if you have them
- contact details for your GP
- contact details for anyone else who could give more information about your condition, such as a family member or someone who looks after you
Questions you will be asked
You can download documents showing the questions you will be asked when applying for Adult Disability Payment.
The 100-page sample application form is for reference only and you should not use them to make an application.
View or download the sample application form on mygov.scot here.
Supporting information
Supporting information is information that describes how your condition currently affects you and what support you need.
Social Security Scotland will use supporting information to help them understand your application and make a decision.
You can provide any information you think will be helpful, however supporting information is usually copies of documents that you may have already.
This could be:
- social care assessments
- medical reports, letters or certificates
- prescription lists that show the medication you take
- test results
You can provide documents or Social Security Scotland can gather information on your behalf.
When you’re ready to submit part 2 of your application, remember to send any supporting information you already have.
Social Security Scotland explains that this will help them to make a decision more quickly. If they are waiting on information from you, it may take longer to make a decision about your application.
You can read more about supporting information here.
How long you have to apply
Once you have completed part 1 of the Adult Disability Payment application, you must complete part 2 within 56 days (eight weeks).
If you're applying online, you can save your application and continue when it suits you within the eight-week period.
You can ask Social Security Scotland for more time to complete part 2 if you need it and you do not have to give a reason.
You do not need to wait until you have supporting information before you submit part 2 of your application, you can submit part 2 and then send supporting information afterwards.
Read the full guidance to applying for Adult Disability Payment on the mygov.scot website, here.
To keep up to date with the latest benefits news, join our Money Saving Scotland Facebook group here, follow Record Money on Twitter here, or subscribe to our twice weekly newsletter here.
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