Adult Disability Payment is set to replace Personal Independence Payment (PIP) for new claimants in seven more council areas next month, following on from the recent launch in Angus, North Lanarkshire and South Lanarkshire. More than 313, 600 existing PIP claimants in Scotland will start to transfer from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) system to Social Security Scotland this summer, in a move predicted to be completed by the end of 2025.
The rollout of the new benefit means that people of working age with a disability, long-term illness or physical or mental health condition, living in Fife, Aberdeen City, Aberdeenshire, Moray, North Ayrshire, East Ayrshire or South Ayrshire can apply directly for financial support from the Scottish Government from July 25.
If you live elsewhere in Scotland and Adult Disability Payment hasn't opened in your area or appears on the rollout schedule, you can apply from August 29. New claimants could have an award decision made within 10 weeks of applying for the benefit - if Social Security Scotland receives your completed application and all the information they need to make a decision.
The guidelines state: “Social Security Scotland aim to make a decision in 8 to 10 weeks, after getting your completed application and all the information they need to make a decision.”
However, if you have a terminal illness, they aim to make a decision within seven working days.
Social Security Scotland is also warning first-time claimants that the processing time may take longer due to “high demand” for the new benefit.
It said: “As Adult Disability Payment is a new service, some processes may take longer. Processing applications can also take longer because of high demand.”
By comparison, the latest figures released by the DWP show that the end-to-end turnaround time for new PIP applications is 22 weeks.
And you won’t receive an Award Letter to tell you about the outcome, it’s been replaced by a “notice of determination”, which is essentially the same principle as the PIP Award Letter as it will tell you whether your claim was successful or not and how much you will be paid.
What the decision letter will tell you
If your application is successful, the letter will tell you:
- which parts of Adult Disability Payment you will get - daily living, mobility, or a combination of both
- how much you will get for each part
- If your application is not successful, the letter will tell you why
How are claims assessed?
Social Security Scotland uses a points scoring system across 12 activities for the daily living and mobility parts. Each activity has a list of options. These options are descriptions for different levels of need.
One of these options is chosen for each activity based on Social Security Scotland’s understanding of your needs. You then score the points that are linked to that description.
Your decision letter will include a list of the points awarded for each of the 12 activities, and explain why you were awarded these points.
Social Security Scotland have also created a handy tool which allows you check if you qualify for Adult Disability Payment - you can use it here.
You can find out more about Adult Disability Payment, or apply online here.
Adult Disability Payment rates
Adult Disability Payment is made up of two parts:
Daily living
Mobility
Whether you get one or both of these and how much depends on how severely your condition affects you.
You could be paid the following amounts per week depending on your circumstances:
Daily living
Standard rate: £61.85
Enhanced rate: £92.40
Mobility
Standard rate: £24.45
Enhanced rate: £64.50
Adult Disability Payment launch dates
People living in the pilot areas aged between 16 and State Pension age can now make an application online, in person, over the phone or by post.
Adult Disability Payment rollout dates
- Now open - Dundee City, Perth and Kinross or the Western Isles
- Now open - 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
You do not need to apply for Adult Disability Payment if you already get PIP or Disability Living Allowance (DLA) for adults from the DWP.
Social Security Scotland will start to move your benefit to Adult Disability Payment without you having to do anything and notify you in due course.
Find out more about how your benefit is moving to Social Security Scotland here.
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