Adult Disability Payment rolled out to more people in Scotland

People living in Angus, North Lanarkshire and South Lanarkshire can now apply for Scotland’s new disability benefit.

The Scottish Government Adult Disability Payment replaces the UK Government’s Personal Independence Payment (PIP) and provides financial support to people aged between 16 and state pension age who are disabled, have a long-term health condition, or have a terminal illness. The money could be used to help people get vital independent living equipment or aids to daily living if they have restricted mobility, for example.

Adult Disability Payment is being introduced in pilot areas ahead of opening nationwide on 29 August.

It was successfully introduced in Perth, Dundee and the Western Isles in March. The next stage of the Adult Disability Payment pilot will be introduced in Fife, City of Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Moray, North Ayrshire, East Ayrshire and South Ayrshire from 25 July 2022.

People already receiving PIP and Disability Living Allowance do not need to make an application for Adult Disability Payment. These existing awards will transfer automatically from the DWP to Social Security Scotland. Cases will transfer in stages starting from this summer and this process is expected to be completed by the end of 2025.

Minister for Social Security Ben Macpherson said: “We are taking a positive, responsible and compassionate approach to delivering disability benefits, centred around our principles of dignity, fairness and respect. Adult Disability Payment is the twelfth Scottish benefit to be introduced, and without doubt the most complex.

“People can apply for Adult Disability Payment in the way that suits them best. As well as online and over the phone, local delivery staff can provide pre-application advice and encourage people to take up their entitlements. I encourage those who think they could be eligible to check and apply.”

Ben outlined that Adult Disability Payment will take a different approach to PIP, saying that people will be treated with “dignity and respect.”

“There will be no private sector assessors and clients will be given greater choice to help them, including times and locations of meetings, with home visits available,” he added.

Differing from PIP, Adult Disability Payment introduced a new definition of “terminal illness”, removing the time requirement that a person must reasonably be expected to die within six months and instead using the clinical judgement of doctors and registered nurses involved in the individual’s care.