If you live in Scotland, you do not claim PIP. Disability benefits are devolved, and PIP has been replaced by Adult Disability Payment, delivered by Social Security Scotland. It does a similar job and pays the same rates, but the way it is run is deliberately different, with an emphasis on dignity, fairness and respect. This guide explains how Adult Disability Payment works, how it compares with PIP, and how to claim it.

What Adult Disability Payment is

Adult Disability Payment is the Scottish benefit for people aged between 16 and State Pension age who have a disability or long-term health condition that affects their daily living or mobility. It replaced PIP for people in Scotland, and existing Scottish PIP claimants have been moved across to it automatically. Like PIP, it is tax-free, not means-tested, and not affected by whether you work or what savings you have.

The same two components and rates

Adult Disability Payment has the same structure as PIP, with a daily living component and a mobility component, each paid at a standard or enhanced rate. The rates match PIP: for 2026/27 the daily living component is £76.70 a week at the standard rate and £114.60 at the enhanced rate, and the mobility component is £30.30 at the standard rate and £80.00 at the enhanced rate. The points thresholds, 8 for the standard rate and 12 for the enhanced rate, are the same too.

How it is assessed differently

The biggest differences are in how claims are handled. Social Security Scotland carries out the process itself rather than using private contractors, and there is far less reliance on face-to-face assessments. Where more information is needed, you may be invited to a consultation, but this only happens if it is necessary, and you can choose how it takes place. There are no informal observations of the kind used in PIP assessments, and the focus is on gathering the information needed to make a fair decision.

Help gathering your evidence

Another difference is that Social Security Scotland will help to gather supporting information about your condition, rather than leaving it entirely to you. You still describe how your condition affects you, but the system is designed to be more supportive in collecting medical and other evidence. This can take some of the pressure off, though it is still worth providing any evidence you have and describing your difficulties fully and honestly.

Applying for Adult Disability Payment

You can apply to Social Security Scotland online, by phone, by post, or with help in person. The application asks about how your condition affects your daily living and mobility, much like the PIP2 form. As with any disability benefit, give specific examples, describe your difficulties on bad days as well as typical days, mention any aids and the help you need, and remember the reliability principle of doing things safely, repeatedly, to an acceptable standard and in a reasonable time.

If you disagree with a decision

If you are unhappy with a decision, you can ask Social Security Scotland to look at it again, which is called a re-determination. If you are still unhappy after that, you can appeal to the First-tier Tribunal for Scotland, which is independent. Importantly, a feature called short-term assistance means that if your payment is reduced or stopped and you challenge the decision, you can keep receiving the previous amount while your challenge is considered, so you are not left worse off for exercising your rights.

How it differs in spirit

Social Security Scotland was set up with a stated commitment to treating people with dignity, fairness and respect, and this shapes the experience. Many people find the process less adversarial than PIP, with more emphasis on getting the decision right first time and supporting the claimant through it. The underlying rules about who qualifies are broadly similar, but the tone and administration are intended to feel different.

Other Scottish disability benefits

Adult Disability Payment is part of a wider set of Scottish benefits. Children under 16 claim Child Disability Payment instead of DLA, and people over State Pension age claim Pension Age Disability Payment instead of Attendance Allowance. Carers in Scotland may claim Carer Support Payment, which has replaced Carer's Allowance there. If you move to or from Scotland, your disability benefit will be handled by the relevant system, so it is worth getting advice about how a move affects you.

Moving to or from Scotland

If you move to Scotland while getting PIP, you will usually be transferred to Adult Disability Payment, and if you move from Scotland to England or Wales while getting Adult Disability Payment, you will move onto PIP. There are arrangements to keep your payments going during a move, but tell the relevant agency promptly so your benefit can be transferred without a gap. Getting advice before a move helps you understand what to expect.

Existing PIP claimants in Scotland

If you were already getting PIP when Adult Disability Payment was introduced, you did not have to do anything to move across; Social Security Scotland transferred existing Scottish PIP awards automatically, without a new application or assessment. Your payments continued without a break. If you are a Scottish resident still receiving PIP for any reason, or you are unsure which benefit you are on, you can check with Social Security Scotland, who can confirm your position.

Awards and reviews

Like PIP, Adult Disability Payment can be awarded for a fixed period or on a longer-term basis, with reviews to check whether your needs have changed. The approach to reviews is intended to be lighter touch and less stressful than under PIP, with the aim of not putting people through unnecessary reassessments. You should still report changes in your condition, as your needs increasing could mean a higher award.

Why the rates are the same

Although the administration is different, the Scottish Government chose to keep the payment rates the same as PIP, so that disabled people in Scotland are not financially worse off than those elsewhere in the UK. This is why the weekly amounts and the points thresholds match. The differences lie in how decisions are made and how people are treated, rather than in how much money is paid.

What the different approach means for you

In practice, the emphasis on dignity, fairness and respect means the process is designed to feel more like being helped than being tested. Decisions aim to be right first time, supporting information is gathered for you where possible, and consultations are used sparingly. None of this guarantees the award you want, and you still need to describe your difficulties fully and honestly, but many people find the Scottish system less stressful and adversarial than PIP, which can make a real difference when you are unwell.

In short

Adult Disability Payment gives people in Scotland the same financial support as PIP, delivered in a way designed to be fairer and less stressful. If you live in Scotland, this is the disability benefit to claim, not PIP.

Where to get help

Free help with Adult Disability Payment is available from Citizens Advice Scotland, local advice services and disability organisations. They can help you apply, gather evidence, and challenge a decision through re-determination and appeal. For the underlying framework, which Adult Disability Payment shares with PIP, see our guides to the points and descriptors and describing your difficulties.