[Scotland] 13 changes as claimants move from PIP to Adult Disability P

08 Aug 2022

From August 29, people in Scotland will no longer be able to make a new claim for Personal Independence Payment (PIP). The benefit will be replaced by Adult Disability Payment (ADP) in all 32 council areas across the country, Daily Record reports.

Thirteen local authorities are now offering ADP to adults over 16 and under the State Pension age who are living with a disability, long-term illness or a physical or mental health condition.

The new devolved benefit will be delivered by Social Security Scotland. The process of transferring around 313,620 existing PIP claimants from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) began in mid-June and is reportedly expected to be completed by summer 2024. People already on PIP do not need to apply for the new benefit and there will be no interruption in payments during the migration which takes around three months to complete.

Claimants who receive ADP will be paid between £24.45 and £156.90 per week to help with the additional costs of daily living and mobility needs. The benefit is paid every four weeks so this amounts to between £97.80 and £627.60 every payment period.

Eligibility and payment rates are the same as PIP but the application process will be significantly different as it involves no face-to-face assessments.

Social Security Scotland has also said claimants will be at the heart of the process, with additional support available to anyone making a claim.

To help more people understand how the new benefit will differ from PIP, a new policy paper has been published on mygov.scot.

It reads, “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.”

Differences in disability benefit delivery

The document outlines how Social Security Scotland will deliver the devolved benefit from the DWP.

“We are ensuring that accessing Adult Disability Payment is as straightforward as possible and we will always start from a position of trust.”
“People will be able to choose how to apply, using a channel that meets their needs.”
“The application form will be straightforward and easy to use.”
“We are funding an independent advocacy service which will support people to access support.”
“There will be no DWP-style assessments and there won’t be any functional examinations.”
“Social Security Scotland will only need to collect one piece of formal supporting information when making a decision.”
“The onus will be on Social Security Scotland to collect information on people’s behalf.”
“We will place equal consideration on all sources of information, including clients’ family, carers and friends.”
“We will apply the eligibility criteria fairly and consistently to get more decisions right, first time.”
“We will take full account of people’s needs and of fluctuating conditions.”
“People challenging an Adult Disability Payment decision will be able to access Short Term Assistance when challenging a decision.”
“We will fast-track applications from people with a terminal illness.”
“Clinicians will use their judgement to determine whether a person is terminally ill, rather than using fixed periods of life expectancy.”

There is also a list of frequently asked questions about Adult Disability Payment at Disability Assistance in Scotland: Adult Disability Payment Policy Q&A, here.

Adult Disability Payment is already open to new applications in the location listed below:

Aberdeen City
Aberdeenshire
Angus
Dundee City
East Ayrshire
Fife
Moray
North Ayrshire
North Lanarkshire
Perth and Kinross
South Ayrshire
South Lanarkshire
Western Isles

PIP and ADP payment rates 2022/23

PIP and ADP are made up of two components: daily living and mobility.

Whether you receive one or both of these and how much depends on how severely your condition affects you.

You could receive 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

The Scottish Government has also made a commitment to undertake an independent review of Adult Disability Payment within a year of its full introduction, to consider the eligibility criteria, gather feedback from people who have applied and collect data to inform any proposed changes.

Social Security Scotland has also been working with people with lived experience and relevant organisations to develop all aspects of the disability benefits application process to make it easy and inclusive for people to access the support they are entitled to.

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's local delivery teams will also be available to provide assistance in all 32 local authority areas.

More information about Adult Disability Payment is available here.

Source: Daily Record

(Links and quotes via original reporting)