Adult Disability Payment Scotland - Can I get Adult Disability Payment Scotland?

• Eligibility

• Disability affecting daily living or mobility 

• Find out if you qualify

• Terminal illness

• Further Guidance

Eligibility

Adult Disability Payment is only available for people who live in Scotland.

Adult Disability Payment is for people aged between 16 and 66. If you are already getting Child Disability Payment or child Disability Living Allowance and you live in Scotland, you can stay on your existing benefits until you are 18. 

Use the Adult Disability Payment eligibility checker on the Scottish Government website to see if you are eligible for this benefit.

Disability affecting daily living or mobility 

You may be entitled to Adult Disability Payment if you have daily living and/or mobility needs, or if you are terminally ill. 

Unless you are terminally ill or you are transferring onto Adult Disability Payment from Child Disability Payment, Disability Living Allowance or Personal Independence Payment your needs must: 

• Have lasted for the past three months, and 
• Be expected to continue for the next nine months. 

Daily living needs 

You may have daily living needs if your disability or health condition means you need help doing these things to look after yourself: 

• Make food or cook 
• Eat and drink 
• Take your medication 
• Do your treatment 
• Wash and bathe 
• Go to toilet 
• Dress and undress 
• Speak 
• Read and understand 
• Socialise 
• Handle money 

It doesn't matter whether you actually get the help you need. 

Help can include things like encouraging or reminding you to do something. 

Mobility needs 

You may have mobility needs if you need help to get around outside your home independently. 

For example, you may count as having mobility needs if you need help to plan and follow a journey because of a learning difficulty, a mental health issue or a sensory impairment. 

You may count as having mobility needs if you have difficulty walking or are unable to walk. 

What help counts 

You count as needing help to do an activity if you need a person or a thing to: 

• Do it for you 
• Do it with you 
• Remind you to do it 
• Watch you do it to keep you safe 
• You may count as needing help if you need help but do not actually get it. For example, if you do an activity yourself but: 
• It isn’t safe 
• You can’t do it well enough 
• You can’t do it often enough 
• It takes you a long time. 

Find out if you qualify 

To qualify for Adult Disability Payment, you have to score enough points for daily living or mobility (or both).

Terminal illness 

If you are terminally ill , your claim for Adult Disability Payment is treated differently. 

You do not need to show you have had the condition for three months.  

You do not need to score points on the questions asked in the ADP form. 

You will automatically be awarded enhanced rate of daily living and mobility components. Your payment can be backed to the date you were first diagnosed if you apply within 26 weeks.  Backdating after this point will be limited to 26 weeks. 

The Scottish Government uses a different definition of terminal illness to the English Government. The Scottish definition of terminal illness is based on your doctor’s opinion of your illness.  

Your doctor/healthcare professional will need to complete a Benefits Assessment Under Special Rules in Scotland (BASRiS) form. If they need support completing the form, they can call the clinicians’ helpline on 01382 931060, or visit the Social Security Scotland website.

Further Guidance

Disability Rights UK have a detailed online ADP guide. The guide covers information on such as how you're assessed and how you can keep a diary.