Scottish Adult Disability Living Allowance first introduced in Scotland

Adults in Scotland who were still receiving Disability Living Allowance (DLA) from the Department for Work and Pensions had their awards moved to a new benefit, Scottish Adult Disability Living Allowance (Scottish Adult DLA), from the end of March 2025¹. The allowance is administered by Social Security Scotland, which is taking over disability assistance payments from the DWP in Scotland². It is not a benefit that can be applied for¹.

The move began at the end of March 2025 and was expected to take until the end of 2025 to move all awards across, happening in stages rather than for everyone at the same time². The DWP was to tell claimants when their award would move and whether anything was needed from them, and claimants were to keep receiving regular DLA payments from the DWP until then². Marie Curie states that from March 2025 any adults living in Scotland still receiving DLA will have their award moved to Scottish Adult DLA¹.

Eligibility is limited to people who are over 18, already get DLA from the DWP and live in Scotland². Payments continue without a gap and at the same amount when the award moves². Motability Scheme payments were to continue to be paid by the DWP until the move was finished, with Social Security Scotland taking this over automatically afterwards, so there would be no gap in lease payments². Claimants were asked to tell the DWP about changes before they happen, including changes to health condition or needs (including becoming terminally ill), name, address, contact details and bank details².

Where a DLA award was already moving to Adult Disability Payment, that move continued; awards that moved before March 2025 stayed on Adult Disability Payment². If a DLA review was due before the award started moving, the DWP was to make contact, and claimants were to keep speaking to the DWP about the review until the award had moved to Social Security Scotland².

For people with a terminal illness, a BASRiS form (Benefits Assessment for Special Rules in Scotland) can be used to show a diagnosis where someone is already receiving Scottish Adult DLA¹. The form is completed by a doctor or nurse and can be used when applying for Adult Disability Payment, Child Disability Payment and Pension Age Disability Payment under the special rules; it is not needed if a DS1500 form has already been accepted¹. There is no charge for the form, and if a clinician returns it to the claimant it should be sent to BASRiS, PO Box 27165, Glasgow G4 7BR¹.

The DWP's benefit combination statistics for March 2026 do not include devolved Scottish benefits such as Scottish Adult DLA, Child Disability Payment, Adult Disability Payment, Carer's Allowance Supplement, Scottish Carer's Supplement or Pension Age Disability Payment³. The same release lists Scottish Adult DLA against DLA (working age and State Pension age) with a start date of March 2025³. It also states that from March 2026 the Scottish Government will introduce a Carer Additional Person Payment and replace Carer's Allowance Supplement with Scottish Carer's Supplement³.

Why it matters for households

For adults in Scotland whose DLA award moved, the practical effect was a change of administrator rather than a change in entitlement: the same amount continued to be paid, with no gap, and no application was required². Because the transfer ran in stages through 2025, the timing differed between households, and the DWP was to notify each claimant when their own award was due to move². Anyone whose DLA award was already transferring to Adult Disability Payment stayed on that benefit².

The change affects adults only. Disability Living Allowance continues for children, and the DWP statistics record 900,000 under-16s in Great Britain receiving DLA as a child in March 2026, a 15% increase from February 2025³. In Scotland, fewer than 100 people under 16 were recorded as receiving DLA as a child in March 2026, which the release attributes to the devolution of some benefits to Social Security Scotland³.

For households using the Motability Scheme, lease payments were protected during the transfer, with the DWP paying until the move finished and Social Security Scotland taking over automatically afterwards². New applicants could still apply to join while an award was transferring, but could not collect a new vehicle until the transfer was complete, because the DWP cannot arrange new payments during that period². In Scotland the scheme operates through the Scottish Government's Accessible Vehicles and Equipment scheme, and the higher mobility rate of Scottish Adult DLA with at least 12 months left on the award is a qualifying route².

What happens next

The transfer of awards was expected to be complete by the end of 2025². The DWP statistics release notes that from March 2026 the Scottish Government will introduce a Carer Additional Person Payment and replace Carer's Allowance Supplement with Scottish Carer's Supplement³. No further changes to Scottish Adult DLA itself have been reported.