Disability Assistance
Home | New Scottish Benefits |Personal Independence Payment, Disability Living Allowance and Attendance Allowance will transfer to the Scottish Government. When they transfer, you’ll continue to get benefit but if you live in Scotland it will be paid by Social Security Scotland, the new agency delivering Scottish benefits. The Scottish Government plans to make changes to how these benefits operate as it develops the new disability assistance.
Disability Living Allowance will be the first of these benefits to transfer. The new Scottish benefit will be called child disability payment and will be introduced in summer 2020. The plan is to transfer Personal Independence Payment from spring 2021 and Attendance Allowance from autumn 2021
ELIGIBILITY
There will be few changes to the eligibility rules at the point that disability benefits transfer. The Scottish Government is consulting on changes it might make in the longer term.
One planned change to eligibility is that you’ll be able to get Disability Living Allowance until you reach age 18. At present your Disability Living Allowance stops at age 16 and you apply for Personal Independence Payment instead.
Another planned change is that you’ll be able to get maximum entitlement if you’re terminally ill whatever your life expectancy. At present, maximum support for care needs is for terminally ill people with six months’ life expectancy.
WHAT YOU’LL GET
If you get Personal Independence Payment, Disability Living Allowance or Attendance Allowance at the point they become Scottish benefits, you’ll see no change to the amount of your benefit.
HOW YOU’LL APPLY AND BE ASSESSED
Now, you claim Personal Independence Payment, Disability Living Allowance and Attendance Allowance from the Department for Work and Pensions. When they become Scottish benefits, you’ll apply to Social Security Scotland.
Under Social Security Scotland, assessments won’t be done by private companies. The Scottish Government plans to have fewer face-to-face assesssments and longer awards. You could be asked to attend an assessment but you’ll be told why that’s the only practical way to get the information needed.
HOW YOU’LL BE PAID
Now, your disability benefit is paid by the Department for Work and Pensions into your bank account, building society or credit union account. When it becomes a Scottish benefit, it will be paid by Social Security Scotland.