Adult Disability Payment (ADP)
For more information, visit the Parkinson’s UK website (last updated July 2025).
If you live in Scotland and you need extra help with day-to-day activities or have trouble getting around due to a disability or illness, you may be able to claim ADP. New claimants need to be under State Pension age.
Personal Independence Payment (PIP) is the equivalent benefit to ADP in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Payment levels and criteria are the same. The main difference between ADP and PIP is how claims are made and assessed. If you were on PIP and live in Scotland, you should have already been transferred to ADP, and be receiving the same amount as you did on PIP.
The ADP assessment
The ADP assessment is a test of your ability to take part in everyday life. The criteria are based on your inability to perform different activities relating to certain daily living needs and your mobility. You’re given points depending on your difficulties.
The number of points you score will determine whether or not you’re entitled to either component of ADP and, if you are, at which rate.
Social Security Scotland will assess you for ADP by asking you to fill out the ‘How your disability affects you’ form.
The daily living activities
Your ability to carry out daily living activities is assessed by looking at 10 types of activity. These are:
- preparing food
- taking nutrition (eating and drinking)
- managing therapy or monitoring a health condition
- washing and bathing
- managing toilet needs or incontinence
- dressing and undressing
- communicating verbally
- reading and understanding signs, symbols and words
- engaging with other people face-to-face
- making budgeting decisions.
The mobility activities
Your ability to carry out mobility activities is assessed by looking at 2 types of activity:
- planning and following journeys
- moving around
How to claim ADP
Find out more about applying for ADP on the government website at the link below. You can start your claim online, by phone or post.
If you decide to start your claim on the phone you’ll need to provide details including your personal and contact details, National Insurance number and details of your bank or building society (for payment purposes). It will help if you have this information ready when you make the call.
If you meet the basic qualifying conditions (see previous section ‘Do I qualify?’), you’ll be sent a form to complete called ‘How your disability affects you’. You’ll have 8 weeks to complete the form (you can ask for an extension if you need to).
Follow the link below for guidance around filling in the ‘How your disability affects you’ form.
Filling in the ‘How your disability affects you’ form
Social Security Scotland makes decisions about ADP without the need for a face to-face consultation (unlike Personal Independence Payment). Instead, they’ll focus on the information in your claim form, together with information from the medical, social care and related professionals who support you. Social Security Scotland will ask them for supporting information that indicates you meet the criteria.
Redetermination
If you aren’t awarded ADP, you have 6 weeks to ask Social Security Scotland to reconsider, by asking for a ‘redetermination’. You can also ask for the decision to be looked at again if you’re unhappy with the level of the benefit you’ve been awarded or the period of time for which it’s been awarded.
You can ask for your redetermination on the phone, or call the number and ask them to send you a paper form. Social Security Scotland can help you complete your application.
Social Security Scotland will look at your request. They’ll then either change the decision in your favour, or let you know that they’re unable to change the decision.
How to appeal
If necessary, you’ll then have 31 days from the date on your redetermination notice to appeal to an independent tribunal. You can appeal by calling Social Security Scotland.
The appeal form will ask if you would like your appeal to be considered with or without a tribunal. Choosing and attending a tribunal can greatly improve your chances of a successful outcome.
The appeal will be considered by an independent appeal tribunal. These tribunals are informal – they’re not like the courts. If you have a carer, they can attend as well to provide information they have about your needs.
You can contact the Parkinson’s UK helpline or a local advice centre such as Citizens Advice to see if they can give you any support and possibly provide a representative to present your case at the hearing.
Changes in your condition
If you’re awarded ADP and there’s a change in your condition sometime in the future, you can ask for the award to be looked at again due to a change in your circumstances.
Always get in touch with Social Security Scotland immediately if you’re receiving ADP and your circumstances change. They can’t take into consideration any deterioration in your health before the time you contact them.
Hospital stays
You can make a claim for ADP if you’re in hospital, but payment can only start once you leave. If you pay your own fees for the hospital without help from the council or health service, your ADP can continue to be paid.
If you’re not paying the fees and already getting ADP when you go into hospital, payment will stop after a total of 4 weeks (either in 1 stay, or several stays where the gaps between stays are less than 4 weeks each time). It can restart when you return home, you won’t have to make a new claim.
Care homes
If you pay your own fees for your care home without help from the council or health service, your ADP can continue to be paid.
If the council helps with your fees, the ADP daily living component will stop after 4 weeks. This can be in 1 stay, or several stays where the gaps between stays are no more than 4 weeks each time. It can restart if you return home.
The mobility component isn’t affected even if the council helps with your fees.
If the health service pays for your nursing home, both the daily living and mobility components will usually stop after 4 weeks, but can restart when you return back home.