Personal Independence Payment (PIP) will start to be replaced by the new Adult Disability Payment (ADP) from next month, opening for applications in three pilot areas in just two weeks time.
Legislation for the new benefit has now been formally approved by the Scottish Parliament which means that people of working age with a disability, long-term illness or physical or mental health condition, living in Dundee City, Perth and Kinross and the Western Isles council areas should apply for disability assistance to Social Security Scotland - and not the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) - from March 21, 2022 onwards.
A phased launch of the new support payment has been scheduled for all 32 council areas across Scotland with nationwide rollout due to begin on August 29, 2022.
People already receiving PIP will not need to apply for Adult Disability Payment and their awards will be transferred automatically to the Social Security Scotland’s system.
The Scottish Government confirmed that this migration “will be done safely and securely so that people will still get the same amount of money, to the same account” with the date of their first payment confirmed in writing before they transfer.
What will be different between Adult Disability Payment and PIP?
Guidance from the Scottish Government states: “Treating people with dignity, fairness and respect will be at the heart of delivering Adult Disability Payment. It has been designed in partnership with people who will use it.
Their input has been crucial in designing an improved service.”
Removal of routine face-to-face assessments
There will be no routine face-to-face assessments for Adult Disability Payment.
The Scottish Government said: “People with experience of applying for disability benefits have told us that assessments carried out on behalf of the Department for Work and Pensions can be stressful and anxiety inducing.
“Where we cannot make a decision on the available information, people may be invited to a consultation, which can be held virtually or in person. This will be a person-centred conversation with a health and social care practitioner employed by Social Security Scotland. Clients will be informed of everything that has been noted during the consultation and they will have a chance to review and respond to this. The consultation will also be audio recorded to ensure transparency and openness.”
Minister for Social Security Ben Macpherson said: “The unanimous passing of the regulations for Adult Disability Payment is a significant milestone for Scotland’s social security system. It means we can now take a very different approach to delivering disability benefits - in comparison to the current DWP system - and our focus is on providing a positive and compassionate experience for people applying for and receiving our new benefit.
“We know people have found applying for DWP disability benefits stressful in the past. That is why we have listened to their experiences and designed our new system to work for people, not against them. We are committed to doing things differently - we are ensuring that accessing Adult Disability Payment is as straightforward as possible and we will always start from a position of trust.”
He continued: “Importantly, we have abolished assessments in the form currently undertaken by the DWP.
“Instead, and only where required, we will hold consultations between the person and a Social Security Scotland health or social care practitioner. Our consultations will not involve functional examinations.”
The Scottish Government also announced that to ensure it does not create a two-tiered system during the transfer process from DWP to Social Security Scotland they will be “largely keeping the eligibility criteria for Adult Disability Payment the same [as PIP].”
There will also be a two stage independent review of Adult Disability Benefit.
“This review will begin later in the year, to consider what further changes and improvements could, and should, be made in the future,” explained Mr Macpherson.
Over 300,000 people in Scotland are expected to be in receipt of PIP and approximately 40,000 people of working age receiving Disability Living Allowance (DLA) when applications for Adult Disability Payment open nationwide in August.
What do you think of the new disability benefit replacing PIP? Have your say in the comments section here.
Who will be eligible to make a claim for the Adult Disability Payment?
Eligibility is 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.
Based on 2021/2022 rates the weekly amounts of Adult Disability Payment are:
Daily living
Standard rate: £60.00
Enhanced rate : £89.60
Mobility
Standard rate : £23.70
Enhanced rate : £62.55
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, with a range of adaptations at little or no cost.
Clients who have an existing Motability lease will be able to retain their vehicle until the end of that lease.
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