The Scottish Government has announced that the new Adult Disability Payment (ADP), will open for new applications in pilot areas across the country from 21 March 2022.

People living in Scotland are set to have their disability benefit payments administered by Social Security Scotland this summer, the Scottish Government’s new equivalent to the UK Government’s Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).

The new payment will replace the Personal Independence Payment (PIP) and Disability Living Allowance (DLA) currently delivered by the DWP.

Adults of working age with a disability, physical or mental health condition or long-term illness, who are not already in receipt of PIP or DLA, and living in Dundee City, Perth and Kinross or the Western Isles local authority areas, will be the first to be able to apply for the extra monthly financial support.

Advertisement | Continue story below

---

Further council areas will be introduced in phases until Adult Disability Payment rolls out nationwide from August 29, 2022.

Existing PIP and DLA claimants with ongoing awards from the DWP do not need to apply for Adult Disability Payment and will see their awards transferred automatically to the new Scottish system from August 2022, with no break in entitlement or payment.

The change will affect how claimants with disabilities access support from the Mobility Scheme, which enables anyone with a long-term illness or disability to use the mobility component of their payment to pay for a vehicle.

These vehicles can include new cars, vans, mobility scooters, powered wheelchairs and Wheelchair Accessible Vehicles (WAVs).

In 2022, changes to PIP in Scotland will include the end to “physical” tests as part of the assessment process and alterations to how mobility claims are put through.

Addressing this change, the Scottish Government states: “People who receive the highest rate of the mobility component of Adult Disability Payment (formerly PIP) 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.”

The Scottish Government’s new scheme works similar to its DWP predecessor with vehicles being handed out to claimants on lease terms.

Claimants will also be able to ask for adaptations and changes to their desired vehicle when putting in an application through the scheme for little to no extra cost.

Before putting in an application, claimants must have at least 12 months left before the end of their PIP benefit.

Ben Macpherson, Minister for Social Security, said: “Adult Disability Payment will be the 12^th Scottish benefit to be delivered by the Scottish Government, since we gained limited powers over social security and created Social Security Scotland in 2018.

“Adult Disability Payment will also be the most complex and large-scale Scottish benefit yet, reaching around 339,000 people once all awards transferring from the DWP are taken into account.

“We know people have found applying for DWP disability benefits stressful in the past. That is why we have listened to their experiences as we have designed our new system, and we are committed to doing things differently.

“We are introducing an improved application process and, in contrast to the DWP system, we are removing the burden from individuals to provide supporting information, so that the onus will instead be on Social Security Scotland to collect the information we require. Our new, person-centred decision making process will ensure everyone is treated with dignity, fairness and respect.

“Importantly, we have abolished assessments in the form currently undertaken by the DWP. Instead, and only where required, we will hold person-centred consultations between the person and a Social Security Scotland health or social care practitioner, starting from a position of trust. Our consultations will not involve functional examinations.

“Another key difference in our new system will be around the definition of terminal illness. We will follow the judgement of clinicians instead of being tied to fixed periods of life expectancy, and anyone with a terminal illness will be fast tracked.

“From the outset, the eligibility criteria for ADP applicants will remain mostly the same as existing DWP disability benefits, as will payment values for awards, so that we do not create a two-tier system with varying rules whilst Scottish PIP and DLA recipients are transferred to Social Security Scotland.

“We are committed to undertaking an independent review of ADP within a year of its full introduction, to consider the eligibility criteria, gather feedback from people who’ve applied and collect data to inform any proposed changes.

“We have also worked with people with lived experience and relevant organisations to develop all aspects of the application process, and make it easy and inclusive for people to access support they are entitled to.

“We are offering a range of ways to make an application, including online, by post, over the phone or face-to-face. Social Security Scotland local delivery teams will also be available to provide assistance.”

Phase One of the Adult Disability Payment pilot takes place in Perthshire and Kinross, City of Dundee and Western Isles on 21 March 2022.

Phase Two of the Adult Disability Payment pilot takes place in Perthshire and Kinross, City of Dundee, Western Isles, Angus, North Lanarkshire and South Lanarkshire from 20 June 2022.

Phase Three of the Adult Disability Payment pilot takes place in Perthshire and Kinross, City of Dundee, Western Isles, Angus, North Lanarkshire, South Lanarkshire, Fife, City of Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Moray, North Ayrshire, East Ayrshire and South Ayrshire from 25 July 2022.

https://thiis.co.uk/scottish-pip-claimants-switched-to-new-benefit-set-to-see-changes-to-the-motability-scheme/https://thiis.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/motability-awards-winners.jpghttps://thiis.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/motability-awards-winners-150x150.jpg2022-01-06T15:44:50+00:00Liane McIvorGovernment & Local AuthoritiesNewsroomThird SectorAdult Disability Payment,benefits,Disability,DLA,DWP,Motability,Personal Independence Payment,PIP,ScotlandThe Scottish Government has announced that the new Adult Disability Payment (ADP), will open for new applications in pilot areas across the country from 21 March 2022. People living in Scotland are set to have their disability benefit payments administered by Social Security Scotland this summer, the Scottish Government's new...Liane McIvorLiane McIvorliane@thiis.co.ukEditorTHIIS Magazine