Adult Disability Payment is set to replace Personal Independence Payment (PIP) for new claimants in seven more council areas this month, following on from the recent launch in Angus, North Lanarkshire and South Lanarkshire at the end of June. 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.
Earlier this year, the Scottish Government published new details of the transfer process from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to Social Security Scotland in the “Disability Assistance for Working Age People (Transitional Provisions and Miscellaneous Amendment) (Scotland) Regulations 2022”.
This included more information about pending award reviews and the transfer process and said that once Adult Disability Payment launches nationally on August 29, “individuals will, wherever possible, be transferred before they are required to undergo a DWP face-to-face assessment”.
The Scottish Government has also introduced a new individual consultation service to aid the decision making process.
It said: “This will be substantially different from the assessments used to determine entitlement to Personal Independence Payment by the Department for Work and Pensions.”
The guidance continued: “The Scottish Ministers have developed a safe and secure transfer process, which will require no action on behalf of the individual wherever possible.”
It added that this process has been designed in line with the following case transfer principles:
- No individual will be required to re-apply for their benefit
- After Adult Disability Payment is launched nationally individuals will, wherever possible, be transferred before they are required to undergo a DWP face-to-face assessment
- Individuals will continue to receive the right payment, at the right time
- Social Security Scotland will complete the case transfer process as soon as possible while ensuring it is safe and secure
You can read the full Impact Assessment on mygov.scot here.
Who will be eligible to make a claim for Adult Disability Payment?
Eligibility rules are 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.
Assessments will be audio-recorded to allow the assessor to focus on what the claimant is saying - people can choose to opt-out of this, but it may be useful if a decision is challenged.
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.
To keep up to date with the most-read money stories, subscribe to our newsletter which goes out three times each week - sign up here.
