Explainers
Disability Assistance
In April 2020, several forms of disability assistance were devolved to the Scottish Government. Initially these were administered by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) under Agency Agreements, and they are now being replaced by Scottish payments. The Scottish Government is replacing most of these payments which will be administered by Social Security Scotland.
Child Winter Heating Payment (formerly known as Child Winter Heating Assistance) was launched on 27 November 2020. This was delivered as a new Scottish benefit, with no equivalent elsewhere in the UK. Child Disability Payment was nationally launched on 22 November 2021 and the Adult Disability Payment on 29 August 2022. Pension Age Disability Payment is replacing Attendance Allowance with a pilot which started in October 2024 and a national launch planned in early 2025.
The case transfer from DLA to Scottish Adult DLA will start in March 2025. The new Scottish Adult DLA will be a closed payment, and it will be only available via case transfer from DLA.
Launch dates for Employment Injury Assistance is still to be confirmed.
Adult Disability Payment
Adult Disability Payment (ADP) is the Scottish Government’s replacement for Personal Independence Payment (PIP). Both PIP and ADP provide financial assistance to contribute towards the increased costs incurred by an individual because of a disability or long-term health condition.
ADP opened for applications in March 2022 for people living in pilot areas and launched nationally in August 2022. New applicants now apply for ADP rather than PIP, with all current PIP recipients transferring to ADP. Our ADP forecast shows the total spending we expect across ADP and PIP.
We expect that the differences between ADP and PIP, particularly around the application and review process, will mean that spending on ADP is higher than what would otherwise have been spent on PIP.
Child Disability Payment
Child Disability Payment (CDP) launched nationally on 22 November 2021 and is designed to mitigate some of the additional costs of caring for a disabled or terminally ill child or young person.
Child Winter Heating Payment
This is an annual payment, paid each winter for children and young people who receive the highest rate care component of Disability Living Allowance for children or Child Disability Payment, and 16 to 18-year-olds receiving the enhanced rate of the daily living component of PIP or ADP.
Employment Injuries Assistance
Employment Injuries Assistance (EIA) is the planned replacement in Scotland for the Industrial Injuries Disablement Scheme (IIDS) which provides support for people who are disabled because of an accident at work, or who have one of the certain prescribed diseases caused by their work.
Pension Age Disability Payment
Pension Age Disability Payment (PADP) is the Scottish Government’s replacement for Attendance Allowance (AA) and is for people over State Pension age who need someone to help look after them because of a disability or long-term health condition.
Our PADP forecast includes the estimated additional spending arising from the differences between it and the replaced UK payment, Attendance Allowance.
Scottish Adult Disability Living Allowance
Scottish Adult Disability Living Allowance is replacing Disability Living Allowance (DLA) for adults in Scotland who have not had their award transferred to Adult Disability Payment by Spring 2025. Scottish Adult Disability Living Allowance will not be open to new applications. It is only available via case transfer from DLA. It will have similar eligibility criteria, rates and components to DLA.
Those whose awards transfer to Scottish Adult Disability Living Allowance will be able to remain on the benefit for as long as they are eligible. Those born after 8 April 1948 will have the option to move to Adult Disability Payment after transfer but will not be required to do so.
Severe Disablement Allowance
Severe Disablement Allowance (SDA) is a form of disability assistance that has been closed to new applications since 2001. It continues to be administered by the DWP under Agency Agreement following devolution of executive competence in April 2020. We do not expect this to be replaced by a new Scottish payment.