Adult Disability Payment – an introduction

ADP is the key benefit if you are aged between 16 to State Pension age, have an illness or disability and live in Scotland.

If you have a long-term disability or illness, you may be entitled to extra money to help you with the costs of daily living.  In Scotland this is called Adult Disability Payment or ADP. In England and Wales, it is called Personal Independence Payment, or ‘PIP’.

ADP has now replaced Personal Independence Payment (PIP) in Scotland and everyone who previously got PIP should have been transferred automatically to ADP. If you live in Scotland and are still getting PIP, you will have to make a new application for ADP.  mygov.scot has further details about how to contact Social Security Scotland by webchat, phone or postOpens in a new window

ADP can be worth up to £10,000 a year. How much you get depends on your condition and how much support you need.

It is made up of two parts: daily living and mobility. Both parts have a standard award and an enhanced award depending on how your condition affects your ability to do daily tasks and get around. You can get one part or both.

These are the rates for 2026/27:

Daily living part

• £76.70 a week – standard award
• £114.60 a week – enhanced award

Mobility part

• £30.30 a week – standard award
• £80 a week – enhanced award

You could be eligible for ADP if you have a mental or physical health condition that impacts your daily living.

You must also:

• Live in Scotland (or live in the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein or Gibraltar and have spent a major part of your life in Scotland)
• Be aged between the ages 16 and State Pension age - check your State Pension ageOpens in a new window on GOV.UK.
• If you claimed PIP in England and have moved to Scotland, you can get help on mygov.scotOpens in a new window
  

No. There is no list of eligible conditions. The important thing to know is that it is how your daily living or mobility is impacted by your mental or physical health.

If you’re terminally ill you could get ADP under ‘Special Rules for Terminal Illness’, this means you could automatically get the higher rate for both daily living and mobility.

Your award will start from the date Social Security Scotland receives your application or the date a medical professional said your illness was terminal - whichever is earliest. mygov.scot has more information about the Special Rules for Terminal illnessOpens in a new window

ADP is tax-free and not means-tested. This means how much income you may get from employment, savings or investments does not matter.

No. If you’re over State Pension age, you won’t be able to make a new claim for PIP or ADP. Instead, you’ll have to claim a different type of support – the  Pension Age Disability Payment. But if you get ADP before you reach State Pension Age, you keep the ADP.

Once you reach State Pension age, as long as your circumstances remain the same, you’ll continue to get ADP. If, for example, your condition changes and you need a different level of help with your daily life, you will need to claim the Pension Age Disability Payment (PADP) instead.

Your application will be in two parts. You can complete your application online or by phone and paper.

• Online:  Claiming ADP initially involves registering through myaccountOpens in a new window and submitting both separate parts of an application online.
• Phone and paper:  You can call Social Security Scotland free on 0800 182 2222. They’re open from 8am to 5pm, Monday to Friday. They will help you start your application and help you complete the first part of the application over the phone.
• Social Security Scotland will then send you a paper application form and return envelope, which you will need to complete within eight weeks.
• If you are a sign language user: If you’re a British Sign Language user, you can use the Contact Scotland serviceOpens in a new window to contact Social Security Scotland.
• If you are terminally ill or applying for someone who is terminally ill – you can complete the whole application over the phone.

Don’t worry. It is perfectly understandable if you’d prefer someone to help you apply. The application process can feel daunting especially if it’s your first time claiming a benefit or if your illness or disability makes it difficult for you to fill in forms etc.

You can ask someone to apply on your behalf. This could be:

• a family member
• a friend
• a carer, support worker or someone else who helps you
• an appointee acting on your behalf.

If you need face-to-face support with your application, you can call Social Security Scotland 0800 182 2222 and ask for an appointment with a client support adviser from their local delivery service. Find out about how Social Security Scotland can helpOpens in a new window

Part one of the application is basic details about you and your circumstances. Part two asks you to explain, in more detail, about how your condition affects you and your everyday life.

It’s vital to take your time and get detailed, accurate information about how your health impacts your daily life and mobility. Try to gather specific examples and any medical records or evidence – such as reports from doctors, lists of medication you’re taking or treatments you’re undergoing.  Some people  find keeping a diary helpful.

If you’d like help in getting a better understanding of how to fill in your application clearly and what sorts of details to include, you can visit Citizens Advice for a video on how to fill in your applicationOpens in a new window – its guidance has been set up for PIP but it applies equally to ADP.

You can also visit Citizens Advice Scotland for general information about ADPOpens in a new window

How your life is affected by your condition and how well you can explain this will determine if you get ADP and how much you get. It is based on a point-scoring system. You can find out more details about how the point scoring system works at CPAG.  The points are awarded on how your condition limits your everyday life. To get the standard rate, you need to score at least 8 points, for the enhanced rate you need to get at least 12 points.

When you have completed both parts of your application, you need to send it to Social Security Scotland and you will be assigned a case worker and – if they can – they will make a decision based on your application.

Maybe. If your case worker needs more information, they will invite you to take part in a consultation with a healthcare professional. This could be in person (in your home or at a local venue), over the phone or by video call.

After your consultation (if you have one), the health care professional will complete their report. Once they have done this, they will send it to your Social Security Scotland case manager who will decide the outcome.

You will get a letter telling you if you have or haven’t been awarded ADP. 

Your letter will tell you how long you will get ADP for, at what rate, and how much you will get. It will also tell you the conditions you need to meet to continue getting it. If your condition changes or you have other circumstances that change, it is important that you notify Social Security Scotland.

If you aren’t awarded ADP your letter will list the points you scored and why you were awarded these points.

If you are not awarded ADP, or you think you should have got the enhanced rate and not the standard rate, you can ask for your claim to be looked at again. You have 42 days from the date of the decision to ask Social Security Scotland to look at your claim again. This is called a ‘re-determination’. If you need more than 42 days, to gather extra information, you can ask for an extension if you have a good reason.

Here’s how to ask for a re-determination:

• Download a paper re-determination formOpens in a new window to complete
• Send this to: Social Security Scotland, PO Box 10303, Dundee DD1 9FY
• You can also ask for a re-determination by calling Social Security Scotland on 0800 182 2222 (Relay UK, for the hard of hearing, 18001 then 0300 244 4000).
• If you are deaf and use British Sign Language, you can use a video relay serviceOpens in a new window

If you are awarded ADP but your situation changes, you can ask Social Security Scotland to re-determine your claim at any-time. If your health improves, this may mean ADP will reduce or stop if you no longer qualify. If your condition has got worse, your ADP might increase but the claim will be looked at again.