Scotland’s new disability benefit opens for applications nationwide

Adult Disability Payment, which replaces UK Government’s Personal Independence Payment (PIP) in Scotland, has opened for new applications nationwide.

The national rollout of the payment, which is delivered by the Scottish Government, follows successful pilots in 13 local authority areas, which began in March 2022.

Adult Disability Payment opened for applications as a pilot in Dundee, Perth, and the Western Isles in March. Angus, North Lanarkshire, and South Lanarkshire in June. Aberdeenshire, City of Aberdeen, Fife, Moray, East Ayrshire, North Ayrshire, and South Ayrshire in July.

The benefit 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 can be used to purchase essential assistive technologies for enhanced independence, such as rollators, crutches, or grab rails.

There are a range of ways to apply for Adult Disability Payment, including online, by post, over the phone, and face-to-face.

Minister for Social Security Ben Macpherson said: “The national launch of Adult Disability Payment is a significant milestone in the development of our new social security system, that will treat everyone with dignity, fairness and respect.

“This is the twelfth and most complex devolved benefit to be introduced and, once all the awards have transferred from the DWP, this new payment will be supporting more than 300,000 people.”

People already receiving PIP or Disability Living Allowance (DLA) do not need to apply for Adult Disability Payment. These existing awards will transfer automatically from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to Social Security Scotland.

Cases will transfer in stages starting from this summer; this process is expected to be completed by the end of 2025, according to the Scottish Government.

“In creating our new system, we have worked extensively and collaboratively with people who will use this service,” continued Ben. “Their input, and their direct experience of the DWP system, has significantly informed our policy development and resulted in the number of improvements that we are making to the way in which we are delivering our new service.

“The Scottish Government is focused on providing a positive and compassionate experience for people applying for and receiving our Adult Disability Payment.

“In our Scottish system no one will be subject to DWP style assessments or degrading functional examinations, and we will never use the private sector to carry out health examinations.

“People will only be invited to a consultation on occasions when we require more information so we can make a decision. This will be a conversation with a health and social care professional to understand how a person’s disability or health condition impacts them.

“Social security is a shared investment in building a fairer Scotland. It is a human right and we encourage those who may be eligible for support to apply.”