The Short Answer
Adult Disability Payment replaced PIP in Scotland, at the same rates and against the same activities. What differs is the process. Social Security Scotland uses consultations rather than assessments, gives 42 days to request a re-determination rather than one month, and pays Short-term Assistance to protect income while a decision is challenged. New claims in Scotland are for ADP; PIP is not available.
The Rates Are Identical
mygov.scot publishes the same figures GOV.UK publishes for PIP.
| Component | Standard | Enhanced |
|---|---|---|
| Daily living | £76.70 | £114.60 |
| Mobility | £30.30 | £80.00 |
Last checked: 6 August 2026
Terminal illness is handled the same way in substance: mygov.scot states that "if you're terminally ill you'll automatically get the enhanced daily living award".
An enhanced mobility award opens vehicle leasing in Scotland as it does elsewhere.
Where the Process Differs
Four differences that change what a claim feels like.
| PIP (England and Wales) | ADP (Scotland) | |
|---|---|---|
| Face-to-face element | Assessment by a contracted provider | Consultation by a Social Security Scotland practitioner, only if needed |
| Challenge stage 1 | Mandatory reconsideration, 1 month | Re-determination, 42 calendar days |
| Challenge stage 2 | First-tier Tribunal (SSCS), 1 month | First-tier Tribunal for Scotland, 31 calendar days |
| Income protection during a challenge | None | Short-term Assistance |
Last checked: 7 August 2026
Consultations, Not Assessments
mygov.scot states that a decision is aimed at from the application form and supporting information, and that a consultation happens only where it is needed. You will be invited to one "if it's the only way to get the information they need".
It is carried out by "a health and social care practitioner from Social Security Scotland" rather than by a contracted provider, and it "is not a diagnosis or medical examination of your condition". It "only covers the areas of your application Social Security Scotland need more information about".
Consultations can be by phone, by video call, at a local public venue, or in your own home.
Re-determination Replaces Mandatory Reconsideration
Forty-two calendar days rather than one month, and a genuinely new decision. mygov.scot states that "a new team at Social Security Scotland" that "will not have been involved in making the original decision" makes "an entirely new decision".
The outcome can go up, down or stay the same. Late requests are accepted with a good reason up to one year after the decision letter.
The Missed-Deadline Right
If Social Security Scotland miss their deadline, you can appeal without waiting. mygov.scot states that "if Social Security Scotland miss their deadline to make a decision on your re-determination, you have the right to make an appeal to the First-tier Tribunal against the original determination without waiting".
There is no equivalent in the PIP system, where a slow mandatory reconsideration simply delays everything behind it.
Short-term Assistance
Money that protects income during a challenge. Where a longstanding award is reduced or stopped and you challenge it, Short-term Assistance tops the award back up to its previous level while the re-determination or appeal is decided.
mygov.scot describes it as "designed to protect people from a sudden drop in household income while they challenge this decision". It is available at both the re-determination and the appeal stage.
Contacting Social Security Scotland
0800 182 2222, 8am to 5pm Monday to Friday. Social Security Scotland publishes that line for both re-determination requests and appeal paperwork, and a paper form is available for either.
Last checked: 7 August 2026
Arrears Work the Same Way
An ADP award is backdated on the same principle as a PIP award: entitlement runs from the date it arose, and the weeks in between are paid as a lump sum. The challenge deadlines decide only how long the arrears take to reach you, not how far back they go — a re-determination requested within 42 calendar days, or an appeal within 31 days of the re-determination letter, still carries the award back to the original effective date.
The ADP Back Pay Calculator (Scotland) prices a window using the published rates, and the general method is the same one the PIP back pay calculator applies.
If you already receive PIP and are moving to Scotland, the transfer has its own rules: Moving From PIP to ADP.
Every combination of the two parts, weekly and every four weeks, is on ADP Rates 2026/27.
Northern Ireland diverges in the other direction — the same benefit, administered by a different department — and that is on PIP in Northern Ireland.