National Transitions to Adulthood - strategy for young disabled people: supplementary report

Independent Living

Independent living is not just about where a young person lives, it’s about how they live. For young disabled people, the transition to adulthood should be a time of growing autonomy, confidence, and opportunity. Yet too often, this journey is shaped by barriers rather than choice. Whether it is housing, transport, financial support, or participation in community life, the systems that enable independence must be joined-up, person-centred, and responsive to individual needs.

Housing

A safe, appropriate, and supported home is one of the most crucial factors in a successful transition. Yet many young disabled people are unable to move into adulthood as they wish - or when they are ready - because suitable housing is unavailable. Some remain in family homes due to lack of choice. Others are placed in settings that are inappropriate, far from their community, or poorly aligned with their support needs. The Scottish Government declared a housing emergency in May 2024. In September 2025, building on significant action to date, the Scottish Government published a Housing Emergency action plan that reflects our determination to go further and faster in our commitment to tackling the housing emergency.

Housing to 2040 remains our long-term strategy that sets out a vision and roadmap to ensure everyone has a safe, good quality and affordable home by 2040. We want disabled people in Scotland to have choice, dignity and freedom to access suitable homes, built or adapted to enable them to participate as full and equal citizens.

Local Authorities are responsible for assessing housing need and demand and setting out how the requirement for housing will be met through their Local Housing Strategies and Strategic Housing Investment Plans, including the location and size and type of housing required. The Scottish Government compliments Local Authority decisions through the Affordable Housing Supply Programme, which has delivered a total of 2,648 homes between 2016 and 2024 for disabled people, including 2,345 homes specifically for wheelchair users.

Transport

Transport is a lifeline. Without reliable, accessible, and affordable transport, young people cannot take part in education, employment, social life, or services. Yet transport is one of the most commonly cited barriers in transitions, particularly in rural and island communities, where options are limited, routes are infrequent, and support is not always portable between school and adult life. Scotland’s National Transport Strategy includes a vision for inclusive, sustainable, and accessible transport. The transport strategy is supported by Scotland’s Accessible Travel Framework. This framework was co-produced in 2016 with disabled people, with a focus on improving the overall journey experience for disabled people by removing the barriers which prevent them travelling. The current framework comes to an end in 2026 with work underway to co-produce the next framework with disabled people so that current challenges and opportunities are accurately represented.

The Scottish Government provides several concessionary travel schemes which young disabled people may be able to benefit from. The schemes are intended to support users to access education, leisure and employment opportunities making sustainable travel a more attractive option and supports our net zero ambitions.

Over two million people across Scotland can travel for free by bus using a National Entitlement Card (NEC). This includes all young people aged 5-21, people aged 60 and over, and eligible disabled people (who may also be entitled to have a companion travel with them for free). Over 811,000 cards have been issued to young people, who have made over 244 million journeys since the scheme launched.

Young disabled people who are eligible for both a Young Person’s NEC and a Disabled Person’s NEC can choose which to apply for. If they are eligible to have a companion travel with them for free, they should apply for a Disabled Person’s NEC as the Young Person’s NEC does not allow anyone to travel with them for free. Some local councils also provide discounted travel on rail, tram or subway with a Disabled Person’s NEC.

Scotland’s Accessible Travel Framework was published in October 2024. The Mobility and Access Committee for Scotland (MACS) is an advisory non-departmental public body which provides annual work plans and reports monitoring the implementation of the Framework from the perspective of disabled people. MACS most recently published a work plan for 2025-26 to continue to drive improvements for disabled people in Scotland.

Citizenship and participation

Transitions are about identity and connection. Young disabled people have a right to participate in cultural life, sport, volunteering, political activity, and decision-making. Citizenship is not only about legal rights, it is about being recognised, included, and supported to contribute.

Services must see participation as a core outcome of transitions - not as an optional extra. This means supporting access to community groups, youth work, third sector programmes, and civic spaces. It also means ensuring that young people with the highest support needs are not excluded from these opportunities by a lack of funding, transport, or accessible environments.

To support citizenship and participation ILF Scotland manages the Transition Fund, which provides single year grant funding of up to £4,000 to assist disabled people aged 16-25 as they transition from childhood to adulthood. Grants are provided to support recipients in achieving outcomes that are important to them. Recipients use these grants to fund a wide range of activities including undertaking training, developing skills, participating in community groups, or purchasing equipment. Since opening in December 2017, the Transition Fund has made nearly 13,000 awards to young disabled people totalling more than £25 million, making a positive difference to the lives of thousands of young disabled people.

Social Security

Social security is a human right and a shared investment to help build a fairer society, together. Through Social Security Scotland, the Scottish Government offers two additional payments to disabled people in Scotland: the Child Disability Payment (CDP) and the Adult Disability Payment (ADP). Child Disability Payment has paid out over £1.2 billion to families with disabled children. As of 30 June 2025, it is estimated that 91,875 children and young people were in receipt of Child Disability Payment. Scottish Government have now completed the transfer of all children and young people in Scotland in receipt of Disability Living Allowance to Child Disability Payment.

The Child Disability Payment (CDP) is available to children and young people from the ages of 3 months to 18 years old, who have care and/or mobility needs because of a disability. It replaces Disability Living Allowance for children (DLAC) in Scotland that was previously delivered by the Department for Work and Pensions. The Adult Disability Payment (ADP) provides support to people aged 16 to pension age who have a disability or long-term health condition and replaces Personal Independence Payment (PIP) in Scotland that was previously delivered by the Department for Work and Pensions.

Young disabled people in receipt of Child Disability Payment (CDP) can apply for Adult Disability Payment (ADP) from age 15 years 9 months. This gives young people choice in whether they commence the journey to Adult Disability Payment as early as possible or whether they wait till they are approaching 18. They can continue to receive Child Disability Payment (CDP) until their first payment of ADP if they apply before they turn 18.