Pilot expands to seven further council areas

Adult Disability Payment opened to new applicants in seven more Scottish council areas on 25 July 2022, according to official statistics published by Social Security Scotland¹. The areas added were Fife, City of Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Moray, North Ayrshire, East Ayrshire and South Ayrshire¹.

The payment is the replacement for Personal Independence Payment and Disability Living Allowance for adults in Scotland, delivered by the Department for Work and Pensions, and is administered by Social Security Scotland¹. It provides money to help with the extra daily living and mobility costs that a person living with a disability might have¹. Executive competence for Disability Living Allowance and Personal Independence Payment was transferred to the Scottish Government on 1 April 2020¹.

The rollout has been staged. New applications were first taken from 21 March 2022 for people living in Dundee City, Na h-Eileanan Siar and Perth and Kinross¹. The pilot expanded to Angus, North Lanarkshire and South Lanarkshire on 20 June 2022, then to the seven areas above on 25 July 2022, before launching nationally to all remaining local authority areas on 29 August 2022¹.

The application is in two parts, and once an applicant has filled out part 1 they have eight weeks to complete part 2¹. From 13 June 2022, people who got Personal Independence Payment, and from 29 August 2022, some people who got Disability Living Allowance for adults, from the Department for Work and Pensions started to have their award transferred to Adult Disability Payment in phases¹.

Why it matters for households

From 25 July 2022, people living in the seven added council areas could apply for Adult Disability Payment rather than Personal Independence Payment, which it replaces for adults in Scotland¹. The payment is for extra daily living and mobility costs, and awards can be made for either or both components, at enhanced or standard level¹.

The statistics also set out how the benefit has operated since launch. From 21 March 2022 to 31 July 2026, there were 489,995 part 1 applications and 400,640 part 2 applications received¹. There were 443,820 applications processed with a decision made by 31 July 2026, of which 43% were authorised, 54% were denied and 3% were withdrawn¹. As of 31 July 2026, 510,150 people were in receipt of Adult Disability Payment; of those, 201,645 (40%) were new applicants and 308,505 (60%) had their award transferred from the Department for Work and Pensions¹.

Between 21 March 2022 and 31 July 2026, the total value of Adult Disability Payments issued was £7.9 billion, of which £2.9 billion was to new applicants and £5.0 billion to people whose award was transferred¹. Daily Living awards accounted for 69% of payments by value, at £5.4 billion, while Mobility award payments accounted for 31%, at £2.5 billion, including payments of £567 million under the Accessible Vehicles and Equipment scheme¹.

The authorisation rate for Adult Disability Payment decreased from a peak of 64% in September 2022 to 33% in January 2026¹. The median average processing time from part 2 of the application being received for "normal rules" applications increased from 62 days in April 2026 to 86 days in July 2026¹.

What happens next

The next publication, covering up to 31 October 2026, will be released on 15 December 2026¹. Further detail on benefits and how they are administered is available in the site's guide.