We're calling on the Scottish Government to end the 20 metre rule
On 31 January 2023, the Scottish Government launched a consultation on the mobility component of Adult Disability Payment (ADP), including the 20 metre rule. Find out what we’re doing to make sure the voices of people with MS are heard.
Scotland replaced PIP with ADP. And The Scottish Government is holding a consultation on the mobility component of ADP. This includes asking for feedback on the ‘moving around’ component, including the 20 metre rule.
Twenty metres is roughly the length of two double-decker buses. The Scottish Government says you don’t need the higher rate of mobility support if you can walk just one step over this distance unaided.
We think this makes no sense and has failed people living with MS, and that it should be scrapped.
Saying no to the 20 metre rule
The rule was introduced in 2013. Since then, people with MS have told us it’s an unfair and unsuitable way of measuring mobility. And we’ve been campaigning to have the rule removed ever since.
In 2021, more than 3,000 people signed our petition calling for the 20 metre rule to be scrapped from ADP.
Now, the Scottish Government has launched a consultation. And we believe they have a chance to listen to the MS community. They could remove the senseless 20 metre rule, and take the opportunity to build a world-leading social security service.
What’s next?
The decision to hold the consultation and seek feedback from people affected by the mobility component is good news. But there’s still a lot of work to be done. So we’re asking for your help.
The next step is to complete key questions from Sections 1 and 3 of the consultation. These are ‘The moving around activity’ and ‘Support for people with fluctuating conditions’ sections.
This is your opportunity to tell the Scottish Government the 20 metre rule is failing people with MS and other conditions that can change day-to-day.
We want to hear from you
We’ll continue talking to people with MS while the consultation happens. And we’ll share evidence that the 20 metre rule is failing people with changing conditions.
Visit the Scottish Government's consultation page
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