Adult Disability Payment

You can apply for Adult Disability Payment if you:

• do not already receive Personal Independence Payment, and
• are aged between 16 and State Pension Age, and
• have a disability, long-term physical or mental health condition or terminal illness.

If you already receive Personal Independence Payment you do not need to apply for Adult Disability Payment.  Social Security Scotland will write to you when they are ready to transfer your payments over.

Payment components and rates

Adult Disability Payment is made up of 2 parts:

• daily living
• mobility

You may qualify for one or both parts.

The amount you get depends on how your condition affects your ability to do everyday activities and get around.

It does not matter if you are working or not and your income and savings are not taken into account.

Daily living

You may qualify for the daily living part if you need help with:

• preparing food
• taking nutrition (eating and drinking)
• managing therapy or monitoring a health condition
• washing and bathing
• managing toilet needs or incontinence
• dressing and undressing
• communicating verbally
• reading and understanding signs, symbols and words
• engaging socially with other people face to face
• making budgeting decisions

If you're awarded the daily living part you'll get either:

• £72.65 a week for a standard award
• £108.55 a week for an enhanced award

If you're terminally ill you'll automatically get the enhanced daily living award.

Mobility

You may qualify for the mobility part if you need help with planning and following a journey, or moving around.

If you're awarded the mobility part you'll get either:

• £28.70 a week for a standard award
• £75.75 a week for an enhanced award

If you get an enhanced award for the mobility part, you can apply to lease an accessible vehicle.

How to apply

You can apply online or phone Social Security Scotland on 0800 182 2222 (8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday).

You can upload evidence in support of your application to Social Security Scotland.

Terminal illness

Under the Social Security (Scotland) Act 2018, a person is said to be terminally ill if they have 'a progressive disease that can reasonably be expected to cause the individual's death'.

To meet this definition, their illness has to meet all of the following criteria:

• be advanced and progressive, or with a risk of sudden death
• not be amenable to treatment, or treatment is being refused or declined by the patient for any reason
• lead to an increased need for additional care and support.

In the application you'll be asked for some details and you'll be able to send Social Security Scotland the Benefits Assessments under Special Rules In Scotland form or SR1 form if you have it.

A Benefits Assessment under Special Rules in Scotland form is completed by a doctor or nurse if they decide that a person has a terminal illness. This means that Social Security Scotland can fast track their application for Adult Disability Payment when they get the form. This form can then be used to let Social Security Scotland know that a person is terminally ill when applying for disability benefits.

Social Security Scotland can request this from your healthcare provider if you ask them to.

You can apply online in these circumstances or by phoning Social Security Scotland's specially trained Client Advisors on 0800 182 2222 (8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday).

If you disagree with a decision

You can ask Social Security Scotland to look again at what they have decided, this is called a re-determination.  You can do this if:

• you have had a letter telling you that you're not going to be paid Adult Disability Payment and you think you should
• you think the amount of Adult Disability Payment you're going to be paid is wrong.

You can ask Social Security Scotland to look at their decision again by phoning 0800 182 2222 (8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday) or if you're a British Sign Language user, use the contactSCOTLAND app to contact Social Security Scotland by video relay or you can complete a paper re-determinations form and return your completed form to:

Social Security Scotland
PO Box 10303
Dundee
DD1 9FY

You will also be sent this form with the letter telling you whether you'll be paid Adult Disability Payment.  From the day you receive Social Security Scotland's decision about your application for Adult Disability Payment, you have 42 days (6 weeks) to ask them to look again at what they decided.

If you want to ask Social Security Scotland after the 42 days have passed, you'll need to let them know the reason why.

If Social Security Scotland consider that there is good reason for the request being made late they can still accept it. As long as it is made no more than one year after you're informed of their decision.

If your Adult Disability Payment has been stopped or reduced you can apply for short-term assistance while you apply for a re-determination.

If you disagree with a re-determination decision

Please contact Welfare Rights at this point by emailing welfarerights@pkc.gov.uk pr by phoning 01738 476900 (option 1) so we can assist with lodging the appeal and can represent you at any future appeal hearing.

You have the right to appeal Social Security Scotland's re-determination decision about your application for Adult Disability Payment.

From the day you receive Social Security Scotland's new decision you have 31 days to make an appeal. Appeals go to the Social Security Chamber of the First-tier Tribunal for Scotland (the Tribunal).

You can appeal to the Tribunal if:

• you do not agree with what Social Security Scotland decides
• Social Security Scotland tells you they have not been able to look at their decision again within 56 days (8 weeks)

If you choose to appeal the decision after 31 days you will require permission from the First-tier Tribunal for Scotland. Your appeal must be brought within one year of you receiving Social Security Scotland's decision.

If your Adult Disability Payment has been stopped or reduced you can apply for short-term assistance while you apply for an appeal.