Adult Disability Payment (ADP) can provide between £30.30 and £194.60 every week to people with a disability, long term illness, physical or mental health condition. The non-means-tested benefit has replaced all new claims for Personal Independence Payment (PIP) for people with a Scottish postcode.
Latest figures from Social Security Scotland show 504,710 people were receiving additional financial support through ADP at the end of April. The average time to process a new claim is 62 working days, just over 12 weeks, meaning people making a new claim this month could have an award decision by the end of November, although some applications can take shorter or longer to process.
Two components and eight possible awards
ADP has two components - daily living and mobility - and someone could be awarded one or both components at the standard or enhanced rate. People on ADP could be awarded the lowest rate of one or both parts, the highest rate of one or both parts, or a mixed award of the lower or higher rates of each component.
There are eight possible awards, listed below.
Single component award only
You may be awarded the lower or higher daily living or mobility component:
- Standard daily living only - £76.70 per week, £306.80 per pay period
- Enhanced daily living only - £114.60 per week, £458.40 per pay period
- Standard mobility only - £30.30 per week, £121.20 per pay period
- Enhanced mobility only - £80.00 per week, £320.00 per pay period
Lower rate for daily living and mobility
If you are on the lower rates of both components, your new payments are forecast to be:
- Standard daily living and standard mobility - £107 per week, £428 per pay period
Higher rate for daily living and mobility
If you are on the higher rates of both components, your new payments are forecast to be:
- Enhanced daily living and enhanced mobility - £194.60 per week, £778.40 per pay period
Lower rate of one component and higher rate of the other
If you are on the lower rate of one component and the higher rate of the other, your new payments are forecast to be:
- Standard daily living and enhanced mobility - £156.70 per week, £626.80 per pay period
- Enhanced daily living and standard mobility - £144.90 per week, £579.60 per pay period
ADP and all disability benefits are tax-free and do not affect the benefit cap.
Award reviews and entitlement start date
When a person is awarded ADP, Social Security Scotland will set a review date to ensure the financial support meets the needs of the claimant. Awards can be issued for anywhere between 24 months and 10 years, however, some people may be given an 'indefinite award' with no review date.
Social Security Scotland reviews take place at a time when a person's needs are likely to have changed, to ensure their payment continues to be at the right level. Payments will continue while a review is taking place and claimants do not need to re-apply during the process.
You may be given an indefinite award with no review date for ADP if your needs are highly unlikely to change, or if you are awarded the enhanced rate of both the daily living and mobility components of ADP. Guidance on mygov.scot states: "This means your award will not be reviewed in the future unless you tell us that something has changed."
ADP is paid four weeks in arrears and failing to submit the claim within the eight-week period may result in a different date of entitlement. Guidance from Social Security Scotland explains someone can begin an application either by phone or online - this is Part 1 of the application process.
It continues: "Once they have started, the individual has 8 weeks to return the completed Part 2 of the application in order to ensure their entitlement to Adult Disability Payment begins on the date they completed Part 1. If an application is submitted after the 8 week period, the date of their entitlement may be later, depending on whether they have good reason for having submitted it late e.g. they have been in hospital."
