People in Scotland will no longer be able to make a new claim for Personal Independence Payment (PIP) from August 29 when the benefit will be replaced by Adult Disability Payment (ADP) in all 32 council areas across the country. Case transfers began in mid-June, with more than 313,600 existing PIP claimants set to move from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to the devolved IT system at Social Security Scotland by the end of summer 2024.
Guidance on the transfer process says that existing claimants in Scotland cannot ask to be moved on to Adult Disability Payment until their case has been selected, however, there are three situations which would trigger a ‘natural transfer’ to the new benefit.
Cases that are not subject to the ‘natural transfer’ process as outlined below, will eventually be selected based on a set of ‘prioritisation criteria’ still to be agreed between Social Security Scotland and DWP - this is called ‘managed transfer’.
Natural transfer process from PIP to ADP
The three ways to trigger the ‘natural transfer’ process mostly involve existing claimants whose award is due to be reviewed.
These include:
- Reporting a relevant change of circumstances to DWP that would require a face to face assessment after Adult Disability Payment rolls out nationwide on August 29
- A fixed-term award where the end date falls after the nationwide rollout where the claimant has not already started the process of making an advance claim for PIP
- The claimant’s scheduled review with DWP is due to begin after the nationwide rollout, where the process for reviewing the case has not already started
It has also been made clear that existing PIP claimants do not need to make a new application for Adult Disability Payment for the transfer to take place. Instead, the DWP will pass the information used to make the PIP award to Social Security Scotland.
This information forms the basis for the individual’s Adult Disability Payment determination.
What happens once the transfer process has started?
The guidance on mygov.scot states that once Social Security Scotland receives the transfer information from
DWP, they will send a notification to the claimant.
This will explain:
- that their case has been selected for transfer from PIP to ADP
- a determination to begin entitlement of ADP and end PIP will be made within the period of specified time within the communication
- a determination will be made without the individual submitting an application
- the individual will be notified when the determination is made and information about their award and start date of ADP
- the individual’s PIP award will cease immediately before the award of ADP begins so there is no break in entitlement
- what their rights are to request a re-determination or appeal
Adult Disability Payment determination
Where their case has transferred, a claimant’s initial Adult Disability Payment determination, called a ‘transfer determination’, is based on:
- information Social Security Scotland receives from DWP regarding the individual’s PIP award
- any other relevant information available to Social Security Scotland at the time of the determination unless the individual has reported a change to DWP which has not been taken into account for PIP
Social Security Scotland said that a case manager will not typically review the PIP information before the initial Adult Disability Payment determination is made - this is an automatic process.
In most cases an individual will receive the same components at the same rates of Adult Disability Payment as they received in their PIP immediately before transfer when their initial Adult Disability Payment determination is made.
For example, if they received the enhanced rate of the daily living component and the standard rate of the mobility component of PIP, they are entitled to the enhanced rate of the daily living component and the standard rate of the mobility component of Adult Disability Payment.
How will Adult Disability Payment be paid?
It is usually paid every four weeks unless you are terminally ill, in which case it is paid every week.
It will be paid directly into your bank, building society or credit union account.
Weekly payment rates
Daily Living component
- Standard rate: £61.85
- Enhanced rate: £92.40
Mobility component
- Standard rate: £24.45
- Enhanced rate: £64.50
Adult Disability Payment opens to new claims across Scotland from August 29 - find out more on mygov.scot here.
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