Applications for new adult disability payment open in pilot areas

The new disability payment for adults has opened for applications from people living in three pilot areas.

The Adult Disability Payment will be administered through Social Security Scotland and will replace the Personal Independence Payment (PIP), which is delivered by the UK Government.

It will be open to people aged between 16 and state pension age, and who are disabled, have a long-term health condition or a terminal illness.

The pilot will run in the Dundee City, Perth and Kinross and Western Isles council areas and further council areas will be introduced in phases until the benefit is rolled out nationwide on August 29.

People with ongoing awards of PIP and Disability Living Allowance do not need to make an application for the Adult Disability Payment, as their awards will transfer to the Scottish social security system automatically from this summer.

Social Security Minister Ben Macpherson said: “Social security is a human right and none of us know when we might need it – it is a shared investment to help build a fairer society, together. We are developing a system that is rooted in trust to make sure people can access the support that they are entitled to.

“Launching this first Adult Disability Payment pilot is a significant milestone, as we start to deliver our biggest and most complex benefit. We are taking a positive and compassionate approach to delivering disability assistance, centred around our principles of dignity, fairness and respect.

“We know people have found applying for disability benefits stressful in the past. That is why we have listened to their experiences and have designed our service to work for people, not against them.

“We are ensuring that accessing Adult Disability Payment is as straightforward as possible and we will always start from a position of trust.

“Importantly, in the Scottish system no one will be subject to Department for Work and Pensions style assessments and we will never use the private sector to carry out health examinations.

“There won’t be any degrading functional examinations, such as asking a client to ‘touch their toes’. These changes have been welcomed by those with lived experience, who we have worked with to design this benefit.”

It is the 12th benefit to be introduced by the Scottish Government.

More than 300,000 people in Scotland are expected to be receiving PIP when applications for the Adult Disability Payment open nationwide.

The Scottish Government said that people who currently get disability benefits from the UK Government Department for Work and Pensions will have their awards transferred to the new Scottish system in stages in a “carefully managed process” after the new benefits are introduced.

Tracy McNally, director of Dundee Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB), said: “Helping people with social security payments, and disability payments in particular, is one of the biggest things we do and we’re excited that Dundee is one of the pilot areas for the rollout of adult disability payments.

“It’s really important that the new system is rooted in dignity and respect for applicants, and doesn’t cause unnecessary stress or anxiety.

“We’d encourage anyone who may be eligible for the support to apply, and if anyone ever needs help or advice on social security issues, your local CAB is here for you.”