The Short Answer
Adult Disability Payment replaced PIP in Scotland, at the same rates and against the same activities. In 2026/27 it pays £76.70 or £114.60 a week for daily living and £30.30 or £80.00 for mobility. 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 while a decision is challenged. New claims in Scotland are for ADP.
ADP Rates for 2026/27: The Same as PIP
mygov.scot publishes the same four weekly rates for ADP that GOV.UK publishes for PIP, and ADP is paid every 4 weeks. Each part is awarded on its own points, so an award can hold one part, the other or both. The DWP's adult DLA amounts, used for DLA back pay and DLA-to-PIP moves, are listed in DLA Rates 2026/27. People who first claim after reaching State Pension age apply instead for Pension Age Disability Payment, which is replacing Attendance Allowance in Scotland.
| ADP part | Standard, weekly | Enhanced, weekly | Standard, every 4 weeks | Enhanced, every 4 weeks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daily living | £76.70 | £114.60 | £306.80 | £458.40 |
| Mobility | £30.30 | £80.00 | £121.20 | £320.00 |
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Every combination of the two parts, including the highest combined award, is tabled on ADP Rates 2026/27.
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.
Who Can Get Adult Disability Payment?
You can get Adult Disability Payment if you live in Scotland, are between 16 and State Pension age, and a disability or long-term condition limits your daily living or mobility. mygov.scot names "a disability, long-term physical or mental health condition" or a terminal illness, and states you can "apply even if you're waiting for a diagnosis".
The points test mirrors PIP. Regulations 8(3) and 9(3) of the Disability Assistance for Working Age People (Scotland) Regulations 2022 set "at least 8 points and no more than 11 points" for the standard rate and "at least 12 points" for the enhanced rate, in each part separately. The benefit ADP replaced for people living in Scotland is set out on What Is PIP (Personal Independence Payment)?, and the activities and descriptors are the same.
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How Do You Apply for Adult Disability Payment?
You apply to Social Security Scotland online, or by phone on 0800 182 2222 followed by a paper form, in two parts. mygov.scot sets the deadlines: "Submit part 1 within 14 days (2 weeks)" and "Submit part 2 within 56 days (8 weeks)", with more time available on request.
| Route | How it works | Time limit |
|---|---|---|
| Online | Apply through the Social Security Scotland account | Part 1 in 14 days, part 2 in 56 days |
| Phone and paper | Call 0800 182 2222 (8am to 5pm, Monday to Friday), then return the paper form | 8 weeks to return the form |
| Terminal illness | A single-part application | No part 2 |
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Social Security Scotland aims to decide from the application and the supporting information you send, and invites you to a consultation only where that is "the only way to get the information they need".
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 |
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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.
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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.
Northern Ireland diverges in the other direction — the same benefit, administered by a different department — and that is on PIP in Northern Ireland.