Adult Disability Payment replaces Personal Independence Payment and Adult Disability Living Allowance in Scotland. If you are already in receipt of these benefits you will be transferred over to ADP in due course.
You can check online at mygov.scot to see whether you can apply to ADP.
Completing the form
Adult Disability Payment is made up of 2 parts:
| Daily living | Mobility |
| 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 | You may qualify for the mobility part if you need help with planning and following a journey or moving around. |
| How much you’ll get | |
| £72.65 a week for a standard award £108.55 a week for an enhanced award | £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
- It does not matter if you’re working or not. Your income and savings are not taken into account.
- You need to be between 16 and State Pension age.
You can apply for Adult Disability either on paper form or online.
| Online | By phone and paper |
| To apply online you will require a mygov.scot account. An application can be made here. You will have 2 weeks to complete part 1 and a further 8 weeks to complete part 2. | To apply by phone call Social Security Scotland free on 0800 182 2222 (8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday), you will complete part 1 over the phone and part 2 will be sent in paper form. You will have 8 weeks to return the completed application. |
| Helpful information to have to hand for: | |
| Part 1 | Part 2 |
| your personal details, such as date of birth and main address your National Insurance number – you can find this on your National Insurance card, a social security letter, payslip, P60 or P45 your bank, building society or credit union account details | information about your condition or your symptoms, if you’re still waiting for a diagnosis information about any medical tests you have had, and the results if you have them contact details for your GP contact details for anyone else who could give more information about your condition, such as a family member or someone who looks after you |
Part two asks about the daily living and mobility activities and any difficulties you may have completing them.
Do not worry if you think you have added some information in the wrong place, or repeated yourself.
Remember you have 8 weeks to complete this section and can always ask for an extension if you need one.
You can find the questions you will be asked here. They’re for reference only and you should not use them to make an application. The questions in here will be useful if you want to keep a diary as suggested in our hints and tips page.
Our Financial Wellbeing Officer is here to help with any questions and can even come out to help you fill in the form.
If you have any letters from your GP, specialist or nurse regarding your condition you can send this in with your application.
This can be either:
- Information from your nurse with details of how to inject yourself
- an official document, such as a prescription list, care plan, or a letter from your HR department about any workplace adjustments
- Your physiotherapy routine
- A report after an occupational therapy assessment on your home
If you do not have a letter from a professional you can send in a letter from your partner, carer or a friend that details the difficulties you have and any support they provide.
You can also give the details of a professional who knows your health condition to Social Security Scotland and ask them to contact the professional direct.
If you do not have letters to hand but know you will be getting one soon you have 28 days from the date you submit your form to send that to Social Security Scotland.
Find out more about supporting information and how to send it to Social Security Scotland.
If you want to apply in a language that’s not English
Social Security Scotland can use an interpreter to complete the application over the phone. The online and paper application forms are only in English.
Identity checks
After Social Security Scotland receive your application, you may be asked to verify your identity, this could be in a face to face meeting, over the phone or virtually.
It may be a quick call to answer a few questions or you may be asked to provide photographic ID and proof of address.
Photographic ID can be:
- Passport
- European Economic Area (EEA) National Identity Card
- UK provisional driving licence
- UK or EEA full driving licence
- UK Identity Card with “pass” logo
- Biometric Residence Permit
- Armed Forces Card
Proof of address can be:
- bank statement
- council tax statement or bill
- utility bill
- leasing agreement for a vehicle
- NHS appointment letter
- payslip
- mobile phone contract (from a defined list of major suppliers and not Pay As You Go)
- residential property rental/purchase agreement
- credit card bill
- mortgage statement
- local account
- student loan account
Please note, these cannot be an online copy or PDF, and must be dated within the last 6 months.
If you do not have photographic ID, Social Security Scotland will advise you of other forms of ID they can accept.
If you have changes while you are waiting for a decision where:
- anything changes that affects your condition or your needs
- you move house
- you stay in hospital, residential accommodation or legal detention for 28 days or more
- you need to update your payment details
You must let Social Security Scotland know.
The decision
You will receive a letter from Social Security Scotland with their decision in writing, this is called a determination.
It will detail the points that you have scored for each of the 12 activities, if you have been awarded, for daily living and mobility, how much you will receive and when.
If you have questions or do not agree with the decision
If you feel confident to ask Social Security Scotland to look at the award again you can fill in the form that comes with your award letter or call them on 0800 182 2222.
If you would like Haemophilia Scotland to help support you in disputing this decision, please contact our Financial Wellbeing Officer
If you get Child Disability Payment
When you reach 16 you have the choice of staying on Child Disability Payment or applying to Adult Disability Payments. You can claim CDP until you turn 18 and then a claim to ADP will need to be made as your CDP payments will stop.
Find out more about moving from Child Disability Payment to Adult Disability Payment.
Terminal illness
If you have a terminal illness your claim will be fast tracked under the Special Rules for Terminal Illness. You’ll automatically get the highest award for daily living and highest rate for mobility. Social Security Scotland will aim to make a decision as quickly as possible, in around 7 working days.
If you are in receipt of Child Disability Payment, you do not need to complete an application form if you want to move to Adult Disability Payment. You should contact Social Security Scotland for advice.
If you are too unwell to make an application, someone can do this over the phone on your behalf.