Starting Monday, Personal Independence Payment (PIP) will begin to be replaced by the new Adult Disability Payment (ADP) in Scotland.
The benefit will be launched in three council areas — Dundee City, Perth and Kinross or the Western Isles — for new claimants beginning today
People under the State Pension age who have a disability or a long-term physical or mental health condition living in these areas will now be able to apply for financial assistance through Social Security Scotland rather than the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).
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A phased rollout of the benefit will see it launched in council areas across Scotland over the next few months, following a nationwide launch for existing PIP claimants on August 29.
As reported by the Daily Record, those living in the pilot areas who are eligible for the benefit can apply online, in person, over the phone, or by post.
People who already receive PIP or Disability Living Allowance (DLA) do not have to make a new application for ADP as they will be moved over to the new benefit automatically starting August.
New data revealed by the DWP shows that there are more than 305,000 people in Scotland receiving between £23.70 and £152.15 per week through PIP, a rise of 8,088 from the previous figure in October 2021.
Adult Disability Payment rollout dates
- March 21 - Dundee City, Perth and Kinross or the Western Isles
- June 20 - Angus, North Lanarkshire or South Lanarkshire
- July 25 - Fife, Aberdeen City, Aberdeenshire, Moray, North Ayrshire, East Ayrshire or South Ayrshire
- August 29 - if you live elsewhere in Scotland
How to apply for Adult Disability Payment
Social Security Scotland has worked alongside people who have experience applying for disability benefits, as well as relevant organisations to make the process of applying for ADP as easy and inclusive as possible.
There are a number of ways to apply for the new benefit, these include:
- Online
- By post
- Over the phone
- Face-to-face
Social Security Scotland local delivery teams will also be available to provide assistance in all 32 local authority areas.
Current Adult Disability Payment rates
ADP will have the same payment rate structure as PIP, which consists of two separate components — the daily living component and the mobility component.
The severity of a claimant's condition determines whether they get one or both of these components.
You could receive the following amounts per week depending on your circumstances:
Daily living
Standard rate - £60.00 (£61.85 from April 11)
Enhanced rate - £89.60 (£92.40 from April 11)
Mobility
Standard rate - £23.70 (£24.45 from April 11)
Enhanced rate - £62.55 (£64.50 from April 11)
The Scottish Government has also pledged to undertake an independent review of the new benefit within a year of its launch, to analyse its eligibility criteria and to collect feedback from those who have applied for it.
Who will be eligible to make a claim for Adult Disability Payment?
The eligibility criteria for ADP is similar to that of PIP, with claimants required to be between 16 to State Pension age, have difficulties with daily living or getting around their home home (or both), and 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 determine whether a claimant is eligible for ADP — as well as how much they receive — by analysing their account of their circumstances, as well as supporting information where available.
There will be significantly less face-to-face assessments than PIP applications, and will only be necessary when it is the only feasible way to make a decision.
Applicants will also no longer be required to carry out tasks which demonstrate how their condition affects their life.
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
What are the 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
Regarding the removal of routine face-to-face assessments for ADP claimants, the Scottish Government stated: “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."
He added: "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.
“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.”
How often will my award be reviewed?
While DWP benefits are reviewed regularly across a fixed time period, there will be no such end date for ADP claimants.
A new “indefinite award” will be introduced for people who live with a long-term health condition, which the Scottish Government hopes will help lower the anxiety among claimants regarding the length of the benefit.
PIP award reviews involve the claimant needing to undergo the assessment process again to determine whether there has been any change to their condition.
However, Social Security Minister Ben Macpherson recently announced that people awarded the highest levels of Adult Disability Payment awards - enhanced rates for daily living and mobility components - will receive long-term support, through an indefinite award to ensure they do not need to go through an “unnecessary” review when it is “reasonably expected that their situation will not change”.
He explained: “The introduction of indefinite awards, as part of ADP, underlines our commitment to deliver on the principles of Scotland’s social security system to treat people with dignity, fairness and respect. In making this decision, we have engaged with a wide range of people with lived experience of the current system and will continue to listen as we design and build a social security system that works for disabled people.
“We want to ensure that people on the highest levels of Adult Disability Payment awards receive long-term and adequate support, because those with lifelong conditions, or disabilities resulting in needs highly unlikely to change, should not be subject to unnecessary reviews when it is reasonably expected that their situation will not change.
“Under the UK Government’s Personal Independence Payment, similar awards have generally been reviewed between every two to 10 years. However, disabled people tell us that even review periods of 10 years can create stress and anxiety.
“That is why we have decided to introduce indefinite awards - we are determined to do things differently and build a more compassionate system in Scotland.”
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.
