Scottish Adult Disability Living Allowance introduced and DWP Disability Living Allowance awards transferred

All adults in Scotland who were receiving Disability Living Allowance (DLA) from the Department for Work and Pensions had their award transferred to Scottish Adult Disability Living Allowance from 21 March 2025¹. The transfer was automatic, with no need for clients to do anything, and Social Security Scotland wrote to clients in advance¹. There will be no new applications to Scottish Adult Disability Living Allowance¹.

Scottish Adult Disability Living Allowance is a replacement for DLA for adults in Scotland, administered by Social Security Scotland, and provides money to help with the extra care and mobility costs a person living with a disability might have¹. Between 21 March 2025 and 31 July 2026, 65,675 individuals were paid the benefit, and £353.0 million was issued to clients across all local authority areas¹.

The same publication covers Pension Age Disability Payment, the replacement for Attendance Allowance in Scotland, which is also administered by Social Security Scotland¹. It opened for new applications in the pilot areas of Argyll and Bute, Highland, Aberdeen City, Orkney Islands and Shetland Islands from 21 October 2024, was rolled out to 13 more local authority areas on 24 March 2025 and became available nationally from 22 April 2025¹. From early 2025, people in Scotland receiving Attendance Allowance had their benefits transferred to Pension Age Disability Payment, again automatically, with Social Security Scotland writing to clients in advance¹.

Figures for Pension Age Disability Payment run from launch on 21 October 2024 to 31 July 2026¹:

Of the caseload at 31 July 2026, 144,280 (77%) were people whose award was transferred from the Department for Work and Pensions and 42,110 (23%) were new applicants¹. Of the total caseload, 122,930 (66%) were in receipt of the higher level and 63,450 (34%) the lower level¹. The median average processing time for normal rules applications from launch to 31 July 2026 was 8 working days, rising from 8 working days in April 2026 to 17 working days in July 2026¹.

On reviews, Social Security Scotland said:

Why it matters for households

Adults in Scotland who were on DLA have been on Scottish Adult Disability Living Allowance since 21 March 2025, and the payment is closed to new claims, so adults in Scotland cannot apply for it¹. The award level and payment they receive is a transferred one rather than a new decision. Pension Age Disability Payment is the route for new claims from people over State Pension age in Scotland, and it is open nationally¹. The publication does not set out Scottish Adult Disability Living Allowance award levels, payment rates or review arrangements, and these have not been reported in the figures covered here.

The caseload figures show how the two benefits are made up. Most Pension Age Disability Payment recipients, 77%, came across from the Department for Work and Pensions rather than applying, and 4% of the caseload at 31 July 2026, 7,380 people, were eligible under the Special Rules for Terminal Illness¹. Reviews completed by 31 July 2026 mostly left awards unchanged, with 32% increased and 1% decreased; of the decreases, 45 (51%) ended the award¹. Re-determinations requested reached 2,500, of which 2,190 were completed: 53% allowed, 42% disallowed and 6% invalid¹. Appeals received from launch stood at 160, with 50 received in the most recent quarter¹.

What happens next

The next publication, covering up to 31 October 2026, will be released on 15 December 2026¹.