Adult disability payment
Adult disability payment (ADP) has replaced personal independence payment (PIP) for new claims from people living in Scotland. People getting PIP or working-age disability living allowance (DLA) who live in Scotland are gradually being transferred to ADP.
ADP is a benefit for people who have care and/or mobility needs as a result of a physical or mental disability or health condition. It is for working-age clients but can often continue to be paid after pension age. It is paid by Social Security Scotland (SSS).
ADP has two components – a daily living component and a mobility component. Each component has two rates – a standard rate, and an enhanced rate.
Entitlement to ADP is determined by testing the difficulty a client has performing a specified list of activities. Points are given for each activity and benefit is awarded once a specified number of points is reached. Clients may be asked to take part in an assessment consultation which usually takes place over the phone.
To qualify for ADP, a client must usually have met the conditions for 13 weeks and be expected to meet them for at least a further 39 weeks. However, a client who is terminally ill (ie, who has a progressive disease that can reasonably be expected to cause their death) is normally awarded the enhanced rate of both components. This can be backdated to the date they were first judged to be terminally ill if they claim ADP within 26 weeks. If they claim later than this, ADP can be backdated for 26 weeks.
An award of ADP always makes a household better off. It is not means tested, taxable or based on national insurance (NI) contributions. Entitlement to ADP may mean that a client becomes entitled to a means-tested benefit or to an increased amount of a benefit that is already being paid. Someone who spends time caring for the client may also be able to claim carer’s allowance (CA) or carer support payment (CSP) (see here) and/or get the carer element of UC (see here). If a client is under 19 and gets the enhanced rate of the daily living component of ADP during a qualifying week in September, they will be entitled to child winter heating payment. Child winter heating payment is an annual payment which is paid automatically by SSS. ADP cannot be backdated unless the client is terminally ill.