Over £829 million in social security payments providing boost for families
The families of more than 329,000 children under 16 are benefitting from Scottish Child Payment, latest statistics show.
The weekly payment of £26.70, which is unique to Scotland, is helping families with the cost of living crisis, with over £677 million paid since the payment launched.
Scottish Child Payment is part of a wider package of payments – including the three Best Start Grants and Best Start Foods – which together have provided over £829 million in vital financial support at key stages of a child’s life.
There is no cap on the number of children in one family who can receive these payments.
In a survey, also released today, the majority of families said that the payments helped their child to take part in social or educational opportunities and also helped them buy milk and healthy food for their children.
Survey responses also suggest that families are finding it straightforward to apply with more than 90% of people noting the application was clear and did not take too long to complete.
Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said: “As the First Minister has set out, eradicating child poverty is the number one priority for the Scottish Government.
“Scottish Child Payment plays a key part in that mission. Together with our Best Start Grant and Best Start Foods payments, this package of financial support, which is worth almost £25,000 per child by the time their child turns 16, is helping to make sure all children in Scotland get the best start in life.
“We have provided over £829 million to help people raise their families, putting money into the pockets of people who need it most.
“This crucial cash is available as soon expectant parents know they are pregnant all the way through to their child starting nursery, then going to primary and secondary school and helps them cover costs of caring for their children.
“We know from our recent research that families say the application process is clear and doesn’t take too long to apply. So I would urge families to apply for our package of five family payments and get the money they are entitled to.”
Carer’s Allowance Supplement will be paid on Friday 7 June. The £288.60 payment will be made automatically to people who were getting Carer Support Payment or Carer’s Allowance on 8 April 2024.
Carer’s Allowance Supplement is an extra payment for people in Scotland who get Carer Support Payment or Carer’s Allowance on a particular date.
Carer’s Allowance Supplement is paid 2 times a year.
The next payment will be £288.60 from 7 June 2024.
You’ll get this payment if you’re getting Carer Support Payment or Carer’s Allowance on 8 April 2024. If you’re due to get a payment, you’ll get a letter from Social Security Scotland before the payment is made.
When designing our disability benefits, Social Security Scotland collaborated with disabled people and their families to create a better and more compassionate system, putting dignity, fairness and respect at its heart.
Child Disability Payment was launched in November 2021. It helps families cover the extra costs of looking after a child or young person who is disabled, who has a long-term health condition or who is terminally ill. Importantly, it isn’t means tested.
Since its introduction, over 80,500 children and young people have received the payment, with more than £621 million being paid out.
Shirley-Anne Somerville, the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, visited Carrongrange High School – Falkirk Council’s secondary school for pupils with severe and complex additional support needs – on 1 May.
The school’s motto is, ‘Carrongrange – Where you can be all you can be’.
We spoke to children and their families and learned what impact Child Disability Payment has on the lives of pupils who receive it and how it is helping them to live full and independent lives.
Dughall Boyne’s daughter, Rosselyn, has bilateral coloboma, a condition which prevented her eyes from developing properly. She receives Child Disability Payment.
Dughall, father of Rosselyn
According to Dughall: “Child Disability Payment has been very important for Rosselyn.
“Everything costs more when you have a disability. The payments have allowed us to find after-school activities for Rosselyn which have helped develop her independence. She likes horse-riding but riding lessons for the disabled cost a lot more, because you need three people around the horse.
“Rosselyn has now moved on to Adult Disability Payment and the transfer has been very smooth. We were told at regular intervals what was happening with things like setting up the named contact.
“There were no big forms to fill in and it was all online. We just had to tick the box saying that there had been no change in Rosselyn’s condition. Previously, with the DWP, there was a 13-page form to complete. It’s certainly helped to take a couple of hours off the process and it’s been well received by parents throughout the school.”
Catherine and her son Louis
Catherine Sneddon’s son, Louis, also goes to Carrongrange. She echoed Dughall’s words about Social Security Scotland’s human rights approach to delivering disability benefits.
“Louis has been on Disability Living Allowance since he was diagnosed in 2013. Back then I didn’t know if he’d be able to claim and it was a constant battle with the DWP.
“It’s only recently that he’s transferred over to Child Disability Payment. It was much more plain sailing than I anticipated. I expected a fight and what I got was a questionnaire through the post. The level of care he gets has been the same for three years so I ticked the box saying, ‘He’s stable.’ And that was it.
“With the DWP I would have had to get a letter from his neurologist to prove he still needed Disability Living Allowance for children. For them your child is what they see on the form. They don’t know how hard it is to care for a child with a disability at home, at school and in the community.
“Social Security Scotland is so different.”
Janine Proudlock, Carrongrange’s headteacher, described exactly how Child Disability Payment helps pupils be all they can be: “For me the Scottish Child Disability Payment supports families to ensure they have the right resources, at the right to time to do the right work to allow the whole family to flourish.
“Whether it’s caring support or specialised resources to meet their child’s needs, this is an essential fund to improve the lives of young people and their families.”
People can find out more about Child Disability Payment and apply by visiting mygov.scot/childdisabilitypayment or by calling Social Security Scotland free on 0800 182 2222.
The latest government announcement on reforms to financial support for those with ill health or disability is misleading rhetoric. The lives of those with ill health or disability are completely misrepresented, and the language they use is divisive, (writes TUC’s ANJUM KLAIR).
The Government has deliberately confused the purpose of this benefit in order to ramp up its benefit scrounger rhetoric. PIP is not an out-of-work benefit: disabled people in full-time employment can be, and are, assessed as eligible for PIP. It assesses whether someone’s impairment or health conditions affects their day-to-day life and is intended to cover some of the additional costs incurred as a result of being disabled. It is not for assessing if you are capable of work- or work-related activity.
The idea that you can claim PIP for mild mental illness is untrue. The criteria for accessing PIP is stringent. You have to be suffering from severe mental illness. It is a complex application process and have to provide medical evidence.
If the current data is showing rising numbers of those with severe depression and anxiety claiming PIP, you don’t change the eligibility criteria to reduce claimant numbers – you look at the underlying drivers of ill health.
More than a decade of austerity under the Conservatives has resulted in crumbling public services.
The approach by government is to blame individuals. Only recently the Prime Minister attacked those too sick to work, by saying UK had a sick note culture, yet the data on workplace sickness absence does not suggest any substantial challenges.
And again, government conflates two separate areas, sick notes look at short-term illness for those in work and not long-term illness and disability. It is the rise in long-term sickness and disability which is alarming.
The ideas proposed in the consultation also include the insulting suggestion that disabled people are not to be trusted with spending their benefits on essential support. As it moves away from a fixed cash benefit and proposes to reimburse for extra costs, this also assumes that disabled people have the money to pay up front for this.
The consultation also proposes accessing treatments rather than receiving benefits for ill health, yet it is the lack of access to treatment which is exacerbating the increase in ill health. The long delays are well documented. Just for mental health support there is around1.9 million people waiting for support in England,
The Work Capability Assessment (WCA) to be abolished and eligibility for the health top-up in Universal Credit (UC) ( in this case the health element) will be passported (i.e. approved) via PIP.
The current UC Limited Capability for Work and Work-Related Activity (LCWRA) element will be replaced with a new UC health element.
Introduce more tailored conversations for claimants with work coaches, to enter suitable employment.
While we have issues with the validity of WCA decisions, it is supposed to assess people’s ability to work, while PIP clearly does not do this. This proposed change would amount to a huge financial cut to those not well enough to work. The IFS estimates that one million disabled or seriously unwell people who can’t get PIP would lose out by £350 a month.
Wider problems in the Government’s plan include the proposed introduction of a new personalised health conditionality approach. Disabled people will also face a higher risk of sanctions, as at present people currently identified as being unable to work and prepare for work are protected but could lose this right under the changes.
Such measures do not consider the structural barriers that stop disabled people from entering into the workplace, such as discrimination from employers, a failure to put in place reasonable adjustments, and inaccessible transport. The result will be many disabled people whose health makes it difficult or impossible to carry out work activity without a realistic chance of getting a job, being threatened with sanctions.
Separately the Government has made changes to descriptors in the WCA to apply from September 2025 for new claimants. As a result, 424,000 fewer people are expected to be assessed as having limited capability for work and work-related activity by 2028 to 2029.
The theme by the Conservative government is to constantly reduce eligibility to cut social security entitlement for disabled people or those with ill health. Government needs to end this cruel assault on sick and disabled people.
New rules meaning over 180,000 Universal Credit claimants will have to look for more work have come into force today (Monday 13 May), as the Westminster Government helps people progress in work and off welfare.
Universal Credit claimants working less than half of a full-time week will have to look to increase their hours, benefitting from extra work coach support.
400,000 to receive more help to progress in work, as Mel Stride says “I want to help thousands of people on their journey off benefits”.
Changes come as the PM announces once a generation welfare reforms to help people find work, boost their earnings, and grow the economy.
Before 2022, someone could work only nine hours a week and remain on benefits without being expected to look for more work.
The latest rise in the Administrative Earnings Threshold (AET) means someone working less than 18 hours – half of a full-time week – will have to look for more work.
These Universal Credit claimants will move into the ‘Intensive Work Search group’, meeting with their work coaches more regularly to plan their job progression, boost their earnings and advance the journey off welfare altogether.
Combined with previous increases, 400,000 claimants are now subject to more intensive Jobcentre support – and with that the expectation that those who can work must engage with the support available or face losing their benefits.
The move comes as last month the Prime Minister announced a once in a generation package of welfare reforms to help thousands more people benefit from employment, building on the Government’s £2.5 billion Back to Work Plan providing extra help to over a million people to break down barriers to work.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “Welfare should always be a safety net, and not a lifestyle choice which is why we’re ushering in a new era of welfare reforms to help more people progress off benefits and into work.
“Today’s changes will help more people on Universal Credit move into well paid jobs and progress towards financial independence – which is better for them and for the economy.”
Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Mel Stride MP said: “We will always back those who want to work hard, and today we are radically expanding the support available to help people progress in work.
“With the next generation of welfare reforms, I want to help thousands of people on their journey off benefits and towards financial independence.
“Our plan is making work pay, with people in full-time work now £7,000 better off than on out of work benefits, and our tax cuts putting £900 back in the pockets of millions of workers across Britain.”
The AET determines how much support an individual will receive to find work based on how much they currently earn and how many hours they work.
Together with the accelerated rollout of Universal Credit, even more claimants will benefit from the dedicated employment support offered through our Jobcentres like CV support and skills training, so people can take up better paid, higher quality jobs.
This builds on the significant steps already taken to break down barriers to work, with almost four million more people in employment compared to 2010.
The UK Government is clear those who can work to support themselves, should work, and they should feel better off for doing so.
That’s why the Government is getting tough, putting work at the heart of welfare and enforcing a stricter sanctions regime.
The PM recently announced a package of welfare reform measures, including exploring legislation to close the claims of those who don’t comply with conditions set by their Work Coach after 12 months.
With over 900,000 job vacancies in the economy, the Government ‘makes no apologies for helping people achieve financial security through work, as we grow the economy and help people build a better life for themselves’.
Over £500m in Child Disability Payment paid to families
Parents of disabled children are being urged to make sure they’re not missing out on vital financial support from the Scottish Government.
Child Disability Payment is money to help families cover the extra costs of looking after a child or young person who is disabled, has a long-term health condition or is terminally ill.
Since being introduced in 2021, over 78,000 children and young people have received the payment, with more than £500 million being paid out in total.
Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville met parents and children at Carrongrange High School in Grangemouth to hear about their experiences of applying for and receiving the benefit and to urge other parents to apply.
Child Disability Payment, paid by Social Security Scotland, has replaced Disability Living Allowance for Children from the Department for Work and Pensions.
The devolved benefit, designed in partnership with parents of disabled children and charities, was designed to be as straightforward and stress free as possible.
Light touch reviews were introduced for children whose condition has not changed since the original application was made. This means children with lifelong disabilities do not need to face ongoing lengthy reviews to continue getting financial support.
Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said: “Children and young people with a disability, long-term health condition or terminal illness often have additional needs and the costs for families can add up.
“Far too many families found the previous DWP scheme complicated and stigmatising. We were determined to change that and hearing from parents shows that we have.
“The Scottish Government’s social security systems is built on encouraging people to apply, supporting them in the process and getting the decision right first time.”
“I’m pleased Child Disability Payment is there to support families who need extra help and I urge anyone whose child is eligible to apply.
“It’s money they’re entitled to and could help make life a bit easier.”
Catherine Sneddon, 37, Grangemouth, whose son receives Child Disability Payment said:“Louis has been on Disability Living Allowance since he was diagnosed in 2013. Back then I didn’t know if he’d be able to claim and it was a constant battle with the DWP.
“It’s only recently that he’s transferred over to Child Disability Payment. It was much more plain sailing than I anticipated. I expected a fight and what I got was a questionnaire through the post. The level of care he gets has been the same for three years so I ticked the box saying, ‘he’s stable.’ And that was it.
“With the DWP I would have had to get a letter from his neurologist to prove he still needed Disability Living Allowance. For them your child is what they see on the form. They don’t know how hard it is to care for a child with a disability at home, at school and in the community.
Janine Proudlock, Headteacher at Carrongrange High School in Grangemouth said:“For me the Child Disability Payment supports families to ensure they have the right resources, at the right to time to do the right work to allow the whole family to flourish.
“Whether it’s caring support or specialised resources to meet their child’s needs, this is essential money to improve the lives of the young people and their family.”
UK Government Work Scheme delivers almost 100,000 placements
Almost 100,000 workplace training places have been delivered in the past year for jobseekers, smashing the Government’s 80,000 annual target, new data has revealed.
Record number of workplace training places have been delivered this year helping boost jobseeker skills and the economy
Significant milestone hit as Prime Minister sets out welfare reforms to jumpstart UK labour market
DWP working directly with businesses to hire work-ready Brits and reduce dependence on foreign labour
Comes in week that NICs cuts worth £900 hit pay packets ensuring work pays
Part of the Westminster Government’s plan to help people back to work and grow the economy, Sector-based Work Academy Programmes (SWAPs) help benefit claimants move off welfare and into work by providing tailored training and work experience before a guaranteed job interview.
Businesses who are actively hiring help craft these six-weeks on-the-job programmes, so that participants gain the right experience and skills for their roles.
The latest figures published this week show that in the last year 98,710 places were delivered – the highest annual figure yet. It brings the total number of SWAP starts to 283,930 – in sectors ranging from coding to hospitality, construction, health and social care.
It comes in the week that the Government’s NICs cuts worth £900 to the average worker hits pay packets as part of the plan to cut taxes, grow the economy and build a brighter future for hard-working families.
Backed by industry giants such as UKHospitality, the British Chamber of Commerce and Business in the Community, alongside household brands like Amazon, JD Sports and Lidl, jobseekers leave SWAPs work ready as they apply for live job roles.
The milestone follows the UK Government’s ‘bold new vision’ for welfare, with the Prime Minister outlining reforms to tackle inactivity as we give more Brits the skills and support to get back into work as we bring down migration levels.
Secretary of State for Work & Pensions, Mel Stride MP said: “Our Jobcentres are a proven route to changing lives through work and the learning and upskilling opportunities they provide are second to none.
“As part of our plan to build our new welfare settlement for Britain and grow the economy, this major milestone helps people get on with the skills they need to secure a great job, a higher wage, and a brighter future for their family.
After the Prime Minister announced the accelerated rollout of Universal Credit last week, together with increases to the Administrative Earnings Threshold (AET), even more claimants will benefit from the dedicated employment support offered through our Jobcentres.
This includes all the programmes under the Department for Work and Pensions’ (DWP) £2.5bn Back to Work Plan, which is set to help over a million people, including those with long-term health conditions to break down barriers to work.
Keith, 47, from St Austell was looking to change careers after he finished a previous role. He said: “I was very interested in getting into Mental Health Care, but I had no qualifications or experience in the area. My Work Coach Tom was really supportive and told me how I could get experience in the sector through a SWAP with the NHS.
“The SWAP opened my eyes to the type of roles available within the NHS and gave me the confidence I needed to kickstart my new career. I’m now working as a Developmental Mental Health Assistant and cannot believe I’ve reached my dream of working in Mental Health so quickly with the help of SWAPs.”
Whether it’s someone’s first job or a career change, jobseekers of any age and experience can access invaluable work experience through SWAPs for a role actively being recruited for.
Andrew Bush, CPO of Greene King, said: “We were really pleased to be part of the sector-based work academy in partnership with the Department for Work and Pensions and other hospitality employers.
“Through collaboration, we were able to create a programme that gave candidates a greater insight into our exciting industry, providing opportunities for many to achieve a fulfilling career in hospitality.”
The UK Government is taking the long-term decisions to ensure the resilience of the UK’s labour market, building a strong economy where hard work is rewarded and where everyone has a brighter future.
Alexandra Hall-Chen, Principal Advisor for Employment and Skills with the Institute of Directors said: “At a time when many businesses are struggling to recruit the skills they need, SWAPs provide a valuable means by which employers can tap into a wider pool of candidates.
“By providing jobseekers with support and training targeted at key sectors, SWAPs are a key tool in tackling both skills shortages and barriers to employment.”
People in Scotland have received more than £30 million via two Scottish Government benefits to help them deal with increased energy costs this winter, new statistics have shown.
Winter Heating Payment supports households on low incomes, including older people, disabled people and families with children under five.
Child Winter Heating Payment helps families of the most severely disabled children and young people.
The official figures show more than 400,000 Winter Heating Payments of £55.05 were issued between November last year and the end of March. More than 30,000 Child Winter Heating Payments of £235.70 were made in the same spell.
Winter Heating Payment replaced the UK Government’s Cold Weather Payment in 2023. Most people getting it receive more money on average than via Cold Weather Payment.
People receive Winter Heating Payment whatever the weather, unlike Cold Weather Payment when the temperature needs to drop to a specific level.
Child Winter Payment, introduced in 2020, is not available anywhere else in the UK. There is also no cap on the number of children who can get it in the same family.
Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Shirley-Anne Somerville, said: “The £30.2 million paid over the course of winter provides support to those who need it most. It is being paid quickly and effectively to help mitigate the worst of the cost of living crisis.
“Winter Heating Payment guarantees those who qualify will get a payment every year – in contrast to the UK Government approach which needs the weather to be under a certain temperature for a sustained spell.
“Both Winter Heating Payment and Child Winter Heating Payment have recently been increased in line with inflation which means we will be getting more money into people’s pockets in 2024/25. I am pleased that we are getting the vast majority of these payments to people in good time.
“I urge anyone who is struggling during the cost-of-living crisis to visit the Scottish Government’s Cost of Living website for support and advice.”
THE Prime Minister has unveiled a package of welfare reform measures to tackle the unprecedented rise in economic inactivity and ensure the benefits system is ‘better targeted at those who need it most’.
PM to announce plans to overhaul benefits system to ensure people who are fit to work aren’t left behind on benefits
Fit note system to be reviewed after 11 million fit notes issued last year with 94% written off as unfit to work
Comes amid unprecedented rise in inactivity due to long term sickness with latest figures showing almost a third of working age adults are inactive
The Prime Minister’s new plan for welfare will end Britain’s “sick note culture”, which has resulted in a significant rise in people being unnecessarily written off work and parked on welfare.
It comes amid concerns that the fit note system has opened the floodgates for millions of people to be written off work and into welfare without getting the right support and treatment they might need to help them stay in work.
Data recently published by the NHS shows almost 11 million fit notes were issued last year, with an overwhelming 94% of those signed “not fit for work”. A large proportion of these are repeat fit notes which are issued without any advice, resulting in a missed opportunity to help people get the appropriate support they may need to remain in work.
To address this, the Prime Minister yesterday announced a review of the fit note system to stop people being written off as “not fit for work” by default and instead design a new system where each fit note conversation focuses on what people can do with the right support in place, rather than what they can’t do.
As part of this, the government will consider shifting the responsibility for issuing the fit note away from already stretched GPs, towards specialist work and health professionals who have the dedicated time and expertise to provide an objective assessment of someone’s ability to work and the tailored support they may need.
A call for evidence will be published later today to seek responses from a diverse range of perspectives, including those with lived experiences, healthcare professionals and employers, both on how the current process works and how it can better support people with health conditions to start, stay, and succeed in work.
The Prime Minister said: “We don’t just need to change the sick note, we need to change the sick note culture so the default becomes what work you can do – not what you can’t.
“Building on the pilots we’ve already started we’re going to design a new system where people have easy and rapid access to specialised work and health support to help them back to work from the very first Fit Note conversation.
“We’re also going to test shifting the responsibility for assessment from GPs and giving it to specialist work and health professionals who have the dedicated time to provide an objective assessment of someone’s ability to work and the tailored support they need to do so.”
Setting out his vision for a “new welfare settlement for Britain”, the Prime Minister outlined the new challenges that have emerged since the pandemic particularly the unprecedented rise in inactivity and how the government plans to tackle them.
Before the pandemic, we had the second lowest inactivity rate in the G7, lower than France, Germany, Italy, USA and Canada. But since the pandemic, a significant number of working aged people have become inactive due to long term sickness which has in large part been driven by mental health conditions.
Latest figures from the Office for National Statistics suggest there are currently 2.8 million people who are ‘economically inactive’ due to long-term sickness, a near-record high. Of those inactive due to long term sickness at the start of last year, 53% reported that they had depression, bad nerves or anxiety.
This is also driving an unsustainable increase in welfare spending as more people claiming disability benefits are now assessed as having anxiety or depression as their main condition.
Since the pandemic, total spending on working age disability and ill-health benefits increased by almost two-thirds from £42.3 billion to £69 billion and we now spend more on these benefits than our core schools’ budget or on policing.
The fit note process is often the first step to someone falling out of work and acts as a gateway towards some ill health and disability benefit assessments. There is also clear evidence that the longer someone is out of work, the lower the likelihood that they return to work – further exacerbating the rise in inactivity.
The Prime Minister made the case that we need to be more ambitious about how we help people, particularly with mental health conditions, back into work and ensure they are not left behind on the benefits system.
The Prime Minister added: “We should see it as a sign of progress that people can talk openly about mental health conditions in a way that only a few years ago would’ve been unthinkable, and I will never dismiss or downplay the illnesses people have.
“But just as it would be wrong to dismiss this growing trend, so it would be wrong merely to sit back and accept it because it’s too hard; or too controversial; or for fear of causing offence. Doing so, would let down many of the people our welfare system was designed to help.
“Because if you believe as I do, that work gives you the chance not just to earn but to contribute, to belong, to overcome feelings of loneliness and social isolation and if you believe, as I do, the growing body of evidence that good work can actually improve mental and physical health…
“…then it becomes clear: we need to be more ambitious about helping people back to work and more honest about the risk of over-medicalising the everyday challenges and worries of life.”
Yesterday’s fit note review builds on the significant steps the UK Government has taken so far to break down barriers to work and tackle inactivity.
This includes through our £2.5 billion Back to Work Plan which is already helping over a million people, including those with mental health conditions, break down barriers to work by expanding access to mental health services and putting an additional 384,000 people through NHS Talking Therapies.
The new WorkWell pilot is also being rolled out and will support almost 60,000 long-term sick or disabled people to start, stay and succeed in work once it has gone live in approximately 15 areas across England.
The WorkWell services provides a single, joined-up assessment and gateway into local employment support services, to help people manage their health conditions and get back to work sooner. This is part of an ambitious programme to support disabled people and people with health conditions to start, stay and succeed in work.
DWP are also testing reforms of the fit note process to integrate it more closely with WorkWell, enabling the people who need it to have a work and health conversation, with a single, joined-up assessment and gateway into local employment support services.
It will also complement the role of Occupational Health in ensuring employers understand and benefit from more expert work and health support to retain and support those in work.
The fit note call for evidence is part of five key reforms the Prime Minister outlined in his speech to put work at the heart of welfare and modernise the welfare system to ensure it is fit for the future.
Five areas first to get Pension Age Disability Payment
Pensioners in five Scottish local authorities will be the first in the country eligible for a new disability benefit, subject to parliamentary approval of regulations.
From 21 October, Pension Age Disability Payment – the replacement for Attendance Allowance – will be piloted in Argyll & Bute, Highland, Aberdeen City, Orkney and Shetland.
The benefit will become available in 13 more local authority areas on 24 March next year before becoming available across Scotland by 22 April.
Pension Age Disability Benefit is for people of pension age who have a disability or long-term health condition that means they need help looking after themselves or supervision to stay safe.
It is not means-tested and is worth between £290 and £434 a month depending on the needs of the person who gets it.
Currently over 150,000 people in Scotland get Attendance Allowance from the Department for Work and Pensions.
They do not need to take any action as their awards will be automatically moved from the DWP to Social Security Scotland. This will happen in phases, with the first expected to be transferred in early 2025.
Pension Age Disability Payment was designed with the people who will be eligible for the benefit and those who support them. Improvements include a streamlined process for people to nominate a third party representative who can support them to communicate with Social Security Scotland.
Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said: “In the midst of the cost of living crisis it is more important than ever that older people get the support they’re entitled to.
“We developed Pension Age Disability Payment by listening to the people who would be applying for it and those who support them. We made changes including making it easier for an eligible person to nominate a third party representative, something people told us was important for many older people.
“The pilot phase will allow us to put our different approach into practice, learning and improving before the benefit is rolled out across Scotland.
“If you think you might be eligible for support right now, I encourage you to apply for Attendance Allowance from the Department for Work and Pensions.
“Anyone getting that benefit will automatically have their award transferred to Pension Age Disability Payment next year so there is no reason to wait.”
