What is the Adult Disability Payment (ADP) in Scotland?
ADP is Scotland’s equivalent of Personal Independence Payment (PIP). ADP is a benefit for people living in Scotland and provides support for the extra costs that a disabled adult might have. It is not means tested so it does not matter if you're working or not as your income and savings are not taken into account. It replaced PIP from August 2022 for all new claimants living in Scotland.
When ADP was first introduced, most people living in Scotland and receiving PIP were moved automatically to ADP through a process known as case transfer. This process has now ended. If you move to Scotland while receiving PIP, you must tell the DWP (or the Department for Communities in Northern Ireland) about your change of address and make a new claim for ADP. PIP can usually continue for up to 13 weeks after your move to Scotland, helping to avoid a gap in payments while your ADP claim is considered.
You can claim and be awarded ADP if:
- You are ordinarily resident in Scotland, habitually resident in the common travel area, not subject to immigration control, are present in the common travel area and have been present for not less than 26 weeks in the previous 52 weeks (limited exemptions apply); and
- you are not already in receipt of Disability Living Allowance (DLA) or Personal Independence Payment (PIP); and
- you are aged between 16 years and State Pension Age; and
- you have either a physical or mental health condition or disability; or
- you are terminally ill.
What comes after Adult Disability Payment?
You can’t make a new claim for ADP after reaching state pension age. However, once ADP has been awarded as a working age claimant, there is no age-related end date, and it can continue to be paid as long as you meet the conditions of entitlement.
Updated 07.09.26
