Adult Disability Payment replaces PIP in Scotland

Adult Disability Payment has replaced Personal Independence Payment (PIP) in Scotland, according to mygov.scot, which states that "Adult Disability Payment is replacing Personal Independence Payment (PIP) in Scotland" and that "If you get PIP, it will be moved to Adult Disability Payment"¹. The benefit is operated by Social Security Scotland². Contact, an independent advice organisation, states that "All existing PIP claimants in Scotland have now been transferred onto Adult Disability Payment"³.

The transfer also covered some people on Disability Living Allowance for Adults. mygov.scot says: "Before 21 March 2025, some people who get Disability Living Allowance for Adults (DLA) may have had their benefit moved to Adult Disability Payment"¹. After a move, Social Security Scotland may review the payment, and both Social Security Scotland and the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) send a letter explaining what happens next¹.

Rates for Adult Disability Payment in 2026-27 are the same as PIP rates, according to Which?, and comprise two parts, with claimants possibly qualifying for one or both². Contact gives the same figures⁴.

Contact states that Adult Disability Payment initially has "very similar rules to PIP", but that the Scottish Government intends to carry out a full review of the benefit³. New claims for PIP in Scotland are no longer possible; Contact says that people who do not already receive DLA, PIP or Child Disability Payment "will need to claim Adult Disability Payment instead"³. Young people getting Child Disability Payment are not transferred automatically and must claim Adult Disability Payment at some point between their 16th and 18th birthdays³.

Separately, changes to PIP in the rest of Great Britain have been reported. Which? states that in spring 2025 the government said it would tighten the scoring rules for the daily living part of the PIP assessment, that the changes were originally due to come into force in November 2026, and that the government has instead launched a wider review of the benefit². Which? also reports that from April 2026 the DWP will carry out more face-to-face assessments and increase how often Work Capability Assessments for universal credit take place².

Why it matters for households

Adults in Scotland who received PIP have had their award moved to Adult Disability Payment, paid by Social Security Scotland rather than the DWP¹. The amount paid is unchanged in structure: the 2026-27 rates match PIP rates, at £76.70 or £114.60 a week for daily living and £30.30 or £80.00 a week for mobility². Because the benefit is no longer PIP, correspondence, reviews and queries go to Social Security Scotland, which can be called free on 0800 182 2222¹.

For families in Scotland, the age at which a young person's disability benefit changes is a practical issue. A child on Child Disability Payment is not moved automatically; a claim for Adult Disability Payment must be made between the ages of 16 and 18, and if a full claim is not submitted before the 18th birthday, Child Disability Payment stops on that birthday³. Where a young person's mobility award changes on moving to Adult Disability Payment, eligibility for the Motability Scheme can end, and transitional support payments of £2,000, £1,000, £500 or £250 are available depending on when the vehicle was first joined, provided it is returned in good condition by the agreed date³.

For PIP claimants elsewhere in Great Britain, the assessment rules and review frequency described by Which? affect how often awards are looked at, not the rates themselves².

What happens next

Social Security Scotland and the DWP send letters explaining what happens after a benefit has moved, and mygov.scot says people do not need to do anything until those letters arrive¹. The Scottish Government intends to carry out a full review of Adult Disability Payment, according to Contact³. On PIP in the rest of Great Britain, the Timms Review opened for evidence in March 2026 and is expected to report back in the autumn, Which? reports².