Take-up Rates of Scottish Benefits: October 2025

Future Analysis Developments

Scottish Government analysts continue to work on developing methodologies to estimate take-up rates for the other Scottish benefits not yet reported on (e.g. disability and carer benefits), which were still in the process of being launched or migrated as of the most recent complete financial year (2024-25). It is not possible to robustly estimate the number of recipients of benefits when case transfer is incomplete as the caseload is split between Social Security Scotland and the DWP.

Estimates of take-up have not been included for the following benefits:

Child Winter Heating Payment is paid automatically to children and young people who receive Child Disability Payment, Adult Disability Payment, Disability Living Allowance or Personal Independence Payment at a certain rate.

Similarly, Winter Heating Payment is paid automatically to people on low-income qualifying benefits and most people eligible for Pension Age Winter Heating Payment are paid automatically and do not need to apply.

Carer’s Allowance Supplement, is paid automatically to people who receive Carer’s Allowance or Carer Support Payment. Carer Support Payment only became available in November 2024 so case transfer from DWP continues and a take-up rate methodology has not yet been developed.

Scottish Adult Disability Living Allowance is replacing Disability Living Allowance for adults in Scotland but will not be open to new applications.

The Two Child Limit Payment will not be launched until March 2026.

Pension Age Disability Payment was only piloted in October 2024 so case transfer from DWP continues and a take-up rate methodology has not yet been developed.

Estimates of take-up have also not been produced for Child Disability Payment. This analysis does not include an estimate of take-up, but provides a summary of related analysis including the challenges that exist to producing a robust estimate of Child Disability Payment take-up at this point in time.

A similar preliminary analysis of Adult Disability Payment is planned for future publications. It is not currently possible to produce a robust take-up rate estimate for Adult Disability Payment due to challenges in estimating the eligible population and while case transfer from DWP benefits continued in the most recent financial year.