Independent Review of Adult Disability Payment: final report

What is Adult Disability Payment?

Adult Disability Payment launched nationally on 29 August 2022 to new applicants and is one of fifteen payments that Social Security Scotland delivers.

Adult Disability Payment has replaced PIP for disabled people of working age in Scotland, which is administered by the UK Government's Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).

Adult Disability Payment is a form of social security benefit provided by Social Security Scotland to support disabled adults. It is designed to help cover the extra costs that disabled people may incur due to their condition.

As of 30 April 2025, 476,295 people are receiving Adult Disability Payment, just under 8.7% of Scotland’s population.^[3] Most of the people receiving the payment have had their payments transferred across from PIP or Disability Living Allowance (DLA) (318,600 people or 67%) and the remainder are new applicants (157,700 people, or 33%).[4]

At the same time, 340,655 people had submitted the first part of the application for Adult Disability Payment and 287,780 people had submitted the second part of the application. Social Security Scotland has processed 313,430 applications with 47% being approved, 49% being denied and 4% withdrawn.

The total value of all Adult Disability Payments made to 30 April 2025 is £3.6 billion.

The number of people receiving Adult Disability Payment is forecast to grow from 379,000 in 2024-25 to 703,000 in 2030-31.^[5]