Adult Disability Payment
Adult Disability Payment is a benefit for people under State Pension age in Scotland.
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What is Adult Disability Payment (ADP)?
Adult Disability Payment (ADP) is a benefit for people aged 16 to State Pension age who live in Scotland.
It is for people who have problems with everyday tasks, getting around or both due to long term health conditions or disability.
If you live in England, Wales or Northern Ireland, apply for Personal Independence Payment (PIP) instead.
ADP has 2 parts:
- a daily living part – if you have problems with everyday tasks such as washing, dressing, cooking or eating
- a mobility part – if you have problems with moving around.
You may get 1 or both parts.
If you have reached State Pension age and are making a new claim, you should claim Pension Age Disability Payment instead of ADP.
PIP and DLA for adults in Scotland
In Scotland, Adult Disability Payment has replaced:
- Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
- Disability Living Allowance (DLA) for adults.
You cannot apply for these benefits now. If you live in Scotland and already get PIP or DLA for adults, you do not need to apply for Adult Disability Payment. DWP and Social Security Scotland will move you to:
- Adult Disability Payment if you currently get PIP
- Scottish Adult DLA if you currently get DLA for adults.
The DWP will continue to pay you PIP or DLA for adults until you start getting your new benefit. You do not need to contact the DWP to stop your PIP or DLA for adult payments. To learn more about this change, visit mygov.scot
If you prefer a factsheet, download our Adult Disability Payment (ADP) pdf for more information.
Related pages
Who can claim Adult Disability Payment?
ADP is not awarded on the basis of a cancer diagnosis. It is given based on how you manage daily living tasks such as washing, dressing, cooking and eating. These tasks can be affected by physical difficulties, but also by issues such as memory and concentration, or mental health issues such as anxiety and depression.
To get ADP, you must:
- have problems with daily living, moving around (mobility) or both.
- have had these problems for 3 months and expect them to last for at least another 9 months – this timeframe does not apply if you are terminally ill. See below if applicable.
- have lived in Scotland for at least 26 weeks of the last year – there are exceptions if you are terminally ill
- be in Scotland when you apply – there are more rules if you live abroad or are not a British or Irish citizen.
It is also important to know that:
- you can claim ADP whether you are working or not
- you do not need to have paid National Insurance to claim ADP
- your income and savings do not affect your claim
- if you are awarded ADP, your other benefits are not reduced – they may even increase
- ADP payments are tax-free
- ADP is based on how your condition affects you, not on the condition you have
- you can still get ADP if you do not have a carer.
How much Adult Disability Payment will I get?
How much ADP you get depends on the result of an assessment of your needs. The assessment gives you a score for the daily living part and a score for the mobility part of ADP.
If you get under 8 points in either the daily living or the mobility part, you cannot claim that part of ADP.
If you get 8 to 11 points, you will get a standard rate for the part.
If you get 12 points or more, you will get an higher rate for the part.
ADP is paid into your bank account every 4 weeks or weekly if you are terminally ill. To find out the current rates, visit mygov.scot
How do I claim Adult Disability Payment?
What do I do if my circumstances change?
You must contact Social Security Scotland if:
- you change bank account
- your circumstances changes
- you no longer need ADP.
What other financial support is available?
You may be able to claim other benefits to help with the cost of living with cancer.
Find out more about other benefits and financial support you might be entitled to.
Our expert money advisers on the Macmillan Support Line can help you deal with money worries and recommend other useful organisations that can help.
If you are worried about debt, we can refer you to our charity partner StepChange Debt Charity for advice.
Booklets and resources
Adult Disability Payment FAQs
You might have some more questions about claiming Adult Disability Payment. We've answered some of the most often asked questions below.
If you have a question that is not answered below, you can call our Macmillan Money Advisers.
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How much Adult Disability Payment could I get?
The amount of Adult Disability Payment you can get depends on how much your condition affects your daily life and mobility. You may qualify for either the daily living component or the mobility component, or both. For both components, you will either receive the standard rate or the enhanced rate. If you are terminally ill you will automatically receive the enhanced rate of the daily living component.
mygov.scot has the latest information on how much Adult Disability Payment you could get.
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Can I get help applying for benefits?
Our Money Advisers are here to help you with your Adult Disability Payment claim. They are trained to help you get the benefits you are entitled to and understand the benefits system for people living with cancer.
If you need help in another language, you can use our translation service to speak to our advisors. We also have information about claiming benefits translated into different languages.
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Can I apply for Adult Disability Payment on behalf of someone else?
Yes, you can apply for Adult Disability Payment on behalf of someone else. For example, if you are a carer, family member, or appointee.
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How long will I receive Adult Disability Payment?
You can get Adult Disability Payment for as long as you meet the conditions for it.
Your decision letter will have a review date on it. This is when Social Security Scotland will check to see if you’re still entitled to Adult Disability Payment.
There is more information about Adult Disability Payment review decisions on mygov.scot.
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How do I stop receiving Adult Disability Payment?
If you want to stop your Adult Disability Payment, you need to contact Social Security Scotland. They will ask you to complete a form to confirm that you want your Adult Disability Payment to stop.
About our information
This information has been written, revised and edited by Macmillan Cancer Support’s Cancer Information Development team. It has been reviewed by expert medical and health professionals and people living with cancer.
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References
Below is a sample of the sources used in our benefits information. If you would like more information about the sources we use, please contact us at informationproductionteam@macmillan.org.uk
GOV.UK www.gov.uk [accessed May 2025].
NI Direct www.nidirect.gov.uk [accessed May 2025].
Social Security Scotland www.socialsecurity.gov.scot [accessed May 2025].
Macmillan Welfare Rights Team
Reviewer
Date reviewed
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The language we use
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We want our information to be as clear as possible. To do this, we try to:
- use plain English
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We use gender-inclusive language and talk to our readers as ‘you’ so that everyone feels included. Where clinically necessary we use the terms ‘men’ and ‘women’ or ‘male’ and ‘female’. For example, we do so when talking about parts of the body or mentioning statistics or research about who is affected.
You can read more about how we produce our information here.