Adult Disability Payment (ADP)

What is Adult Disability Payment (ADP)?

Adult Disability Payment (ADP) is a benefit to help with the extra costs of being disabled or having a long-term health condition. It’s replacing PIP and DLA in Scotland as the disability benefit for people of working age.

If you're not already claiming PIP or DLA, you can't get these now. New claims will be for ADP instead.

I already get PIP or DLA in Scotland

If you already get PIP or DLA the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) or Social Security Scotland will contact you some time before autumn 2024 to move you across to ADP.

I already get PIP

Most people in Scotland will need to move from PIP to ADP if:

• you tell the DWP about a change in circumstances
• your PIP is ending or needs reviewing

You can keep getting PIP or DLA until you move to ADP.

You won’t need to re-apply when you move across from PIP to ADP. For most people, the rate and amount you get will be the same as for PIP.

I already get DLA

Most people in Scotland will need to move from DLA to ADP if:

• you tell the DWP about a change in circumstances
• your DLA is ending or needs renewing
• you ask to move to ADP

You won't need to move across to ADP if you were born before 9 April 1948. You can stay on DLA.

Who can claim Adult Disability Payment (ADP)?

If you have MS you might be able to claim ADP if:

• you’re between 16 years old and State Pension age
• you live in Scotland
• you’re not already receiving a disability benefit such as PIP or DLA
• you’re moving over from PIP or DLA (even if you’re over State Pension age)

If you're already getting ADP when you reach State Pension age, you’ll keep getting it.  

The application for Adult Disability Payment looks at two different parts of everyday life - 'daily living' and 'mobility'.

If you get ADP you could get an amount for one or both of these parts.

Daily living

To see if you can get the ADP daily living part, Social Security Scotland will look at how you can do different activities including:

• preparing food
• washing and bathing
• managing your toilet needs
• getting dressed and undressed
• communicating with words
• reading and understanding what you read
• engaging socially face to face
• making budgeting decisions

Then they’ll give points according to how well you can manage these things.

Mobility

You can get the ADP mobility part if your health or disability limits how you can plan and follow journeys or move around.

You’ll be asked questions about these things in your application. Social Security Scotland will give points according to the answers.

How much could I get with Adult Disability Payment (ADP)?

How much you could get with ADP depends on how much your MS (or other condition) affects your daily activities and mobility.

It's not affected by savings or what you earn (it's not 'means tested').

ADP is made up of two parts:

• daily living
• mobility

You could get one or both parts. And each has different rates, which pay different amounts (either ‘standard’ or ‘enhanced’). The enhanced rates pay more.

Find out the latest rates for ADP from the Scottish Government

Enhanced rate for mobility

If you get the enhanced rate for mobility, you can apply to lease an accessible vehicle and use the payments for that.

The ’20 metre rule’ is one way the ADP assessment decides if you can get the enhanced rate or not. If you can stand and walk over 20 metres, you may not get the enhanced rate. We know this means lots of people with MS miss out on this support and we’re still campaigning to change the 20 metre rule.

Tax, the benefit cap and other benefits

You don’t pay tax on ADP and it won’t reduce the amount you get from other benefits you claim. If you or your partner get ADP, the benefit cap won’t apply to your benefits. When the benefit cap applies, it limits the total amount someone can get in benefits.

You might be able to get other benefits or help if you claim ADP.

Citizens Advice has more about extra help available if you get ADP.

How will I get ADP payments?

ADP is usually paid every four weeks into your bank, building society or credit union account. If you don’t have an account, you can arrange payments with Social Services Scotland once your claim is successful.

Claiming Adult Disability Payment (ADP)

Before you apply for Adult Disability Payment, you might want to get advice from a benefits adviser. They can help you make sure it’s right for you. You can get in touch with our MS Benefits Advisers by calling 0808 800 8000 or emailing [email protected]

And as well as the information on this page, the charity Disability Rights UK has a free guide to claiming ADP which you might find useful for more detail.

You can apply to the Scottish Government for ADP:

• online
• by phone
• by post
• face to face
• using British Sign Language over video relay

If you apply online, you don't have to complete the whole thing in one go. You can save it and come back to it. And once you've finished, you can download a copy.

If you're applying by post, it's a good to idea to make a copy of what you send, if you can. A scan or photo on a smart phone is one way to do that.

Apply for ADP on the Scottish Government websiteTo claim ADP, there are two parts to the application:

• Part 1 asks for your personal details
• Part 2 asks about how your MS affects you. If you have another long-term condition or disability, you should reflect that in your answers too

For part 2, you’ll be spending time thinking in detail about what you find hard to do. So it can be stressful, tiring and upsetting. Our MS Helpline is here if you need information or support. They talk to people every week about benefits issues.

Time limit for your ADP application

There’s an 8 week time limit from starting to finishing your ADP application.

You’ve got 8 weeks to complete part 2 after you do part 1. If you won’t be able to do this let Social Security Scotland know. Depending on the reason, you might be able to get more time.

You won’t get any payments after part 1 of your application. But if you’re successful after part 2, payments will be backdated to when you applied with part 1.

Supporting information for an ADP application

For part 2 you should also include any supporting information that helps explain your answers. For example, that could be physiotherapy reports or a care plan.

You can either get supporting information yourself or ask Social Services Scotland to gather it.

Will I need an ADP consultation?

If Social Security Scotland can’t decide on your application after your part 2 form and supporting information, they might ask for a consultation. That’s a conversation where they’ll ask you for more detail about certain things in your application. They’ll let you know in advance which things.

For the consultation, you’ll speak to a Social Security Scotland health or social care professional. It can happen by phone or in person. You can have a friend, family member or independent advocate with you for the consultation.

The Adult Disability Payment points system

Social Security Scotland use a points system to decide on your Adult Disability Payment application. They look at part 2 of your application. They compare your answers and supporting information to their guidance on what points to award.

Higher points means they think there’s a bigger impact on your mobility or daily life. If your points reach a certain level, you can be awarded ADP. And the number of points affects how much you’ll get.

Read how the ADP points are awarded on the Child Poverty Group website

How long does it take to get an ADP decision?

You can usually expect to get a decision about your ADP application in 8 to 10 weeks. This decision is called the ‘determination’. Social Services Scotland will send it in the post.

The decision letter will tell you:

• if you can get ADP (if you can’t they’ll explain why)
• how much you’ll get
• when the award will be reviewed.

What if I don’t agree with the ADP decision?

If you don’t agree with the decision on your ADP application, you can ask Social Security Scotland to look at it again. Ask for a ‘re-determination’.

You might do this if you think you should get a higher level of ADP than you’ve been awarded. Or if the decision was not to award it at all.

You’ll usually have 42 days to ask them for the re-determination – from the day you got their decision. If you’ve missed the deadline, you can still ask for a re-determination up to a year from the decision, if you have a good reason for being late.

If you disagree with the re-determination decision, you can appeal that too.

If your situation changes

If your circumstances change, you might need to tell Social Security Scotland. For example, that could be if your MS changes over time, or if the help and support you need changes.

Get the full details about ADP on the Scottish Government website