Adult Disability Payment: Applications and Payments
type: Dataset
accuracy: 1) Rounding and disclosure control For statistical disclosure control, figures are rounded to the nearest five for applications received and authorised. The total value of payments is rounded to the nearest ten pounds. Data is suppressed where it would disclose fewer than five applications. 2) Incorrect application dates Quality assurance checks highlighted that a small number of cases had an application decision date on or prior to the benefit opening for applications on 21 March 2022. These cases were identified as test data and were removed from the data set. 2) Missing and duplicate applications The data comes from 100% data cut of the case management system. Clients may make repeated applications for the same payment, for example if their first application is denied. This means that there can be several applications in the data cut from the same client. 3) Authorisation and Payment For all applications, the date that applications were processed by client advisors is the date used to produce statistics of processed applications by month. After applications are authorised for payment by client advisors, the decision is approved by a manager, and then a payment is issued. In some cases, payments will be issued on the same day that payments are authorised by client advisors, however in other cases there can be a delay before payments are issued. Clients should receive money in their nominated account within four working days after payment is issued. In this publication, we report on the total value of payments that have been issued by the end of each month and not the payments successfully received by the applicants.
comment: Applications received and authorised, and total value of payments for Adult Disability Payment
completeness: Further information on new applications and clients who have had their awards transferred, award types, processing times and re-determinations can be found in the associated [publication page](https://www.socialsecurity.gov.scot/reporting/publications/adult-disability-payment-statistics-to-30-april-2025). The application stage for Adult Disability Payment involves a two part application process. The Part 1 form gathers key personal details of the client. The impact of the client's disability is asked about in Part 2 of the application form. The exception to this is for applicants applying under the special rules for terminal illness, where there is only one part to the application, to make the process simpler and quicker. The number of new applications received is referring to the number of Part 1 applications received.
confidentiality: For statistical disclosure control, figures are rounded to the nearest five for applications received and authorised. The total value of payments is rounded to the nearest ten pounds. Data is suppressed where it would disclose fewer than five applications.
consistency: Department for Work and Pension publish information about Personal Independence Payment and Disability Living Allowance in the [DWP benefits statistics releases](https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/dwp-statistical-summaries).
geographical coverage: S92
license id: uk-ogl
next update: 2025-09-01
quality management: The data used to produce these statistics is extracted from the Social Security case management system. Extracts from this system are also used on a daily basis for internal reporting within Social Security Scotland. As such, the data is checked daily for consistency with previous extracts (i.e. do applications, decisions and payments figures increase as expected over time, and are they in proportion to each other) and compared to other sources of information, such as the number of payment instructions reported by the finance team. Quality assurance and cleaning has been carried out on the variables used in the official statistics: * Checking for duplicate and missing application references * Checking application dates, processing times and payment times are within the expected ranges * Checking applicant dates of birth are within the expected range * Checking that payment date is present where a payment value is present * Checking postcodes that do not match to local authorities Once the data is aggregated and copied into the publication and supporting Excel tables, the final statistics are quality assured by a different member of the statistics team.
reference period: PeriodOfTime
  end date: 2025-01-01T00:00:00
  start date: 2022-01-01T00:00:00
timeliness: These statistics are updated every 3 months and relate to the quarterly publications on Adult Disability Payment. These can be found on the [Scottish Government website](https://www.gov.scot/collections/social-security-scotland-stats-publications/). Data is collected, validated and published in as timely a manner as possible in accordance with the Statistics Code of Practice.
uniqueness: Not assessed
update frequency: annual
validity: The Scotland Act 2016 devolved new powers to the Scottish Parliament in relation to social security, including responsibility for disabled benefits which had been administered to Scottish claimants by the Department for Work and Pensions. On 1 April 2020, executive competence for Personal Independence Payment and Disability Living Allowance was transferred to Scottish Government. There is a transitional period to allow administration of these benefits to be transferred, during which the Department for Work and Pensions will continue to administer their benefits on Social Security Scotland's behalf. From 13 June 2022, people who get Personal Independence Payment and from 29 August 2022 some people who get Working Age Disability Living Allowance from the Department for Work and Pensions started to have their award transferred to Adult Disability Payment in phases. Social Security Scotland aims to have the transfer process completed for everyone in receipt of Personal Independence Payment and Working Age Disability Living Allowance by the end of 2025. Further details about the benefit can be found on the [Scottish Government website](https://www.mygov.scot/browse/benefits/adult-disability-payment).
will be updated: true
contact point: ContactPoint
date modified: 2026-08-13T15:02:20.632641
date published: 2026-08-13T15:01:24.837738
description: Adult Disability Payment is the replacement for Personal Independence Payment and Working Age Disability Living Allowance in Scotland, which were previously delivered by the Department for Work and Pensions. It is the second application-based disability benefit to be introduced by the Scottish Government after Child Disability Payment and is administered by Social Security Scotland. It provides money to help with the extra daily living and mobility costs that a person living with a disability or long term health condition might have. From the 21 March 2022, new applications were taken for Adult Disability Payment for adults living in the pilot areas of Dundee City, Na h-Eileanan Siar and Perth and Kinross. The pilot expanded to include Angus, North Lanarkshire and South Lanarkshire on 20 June 2022. It further expanded to include Fife, Aberdeen City, Aberdeenshire, Moray, North Ayrshire, East Ayrshire and South Ayrshire on 25 July 2022, before launching nationally to all remaining local authorities on 29 August 2022. This dataset includes received applications (i.e. the total Part 1 applications registered), authorised applications and the total value of issued payments for Adult Disability Payment. Statistics are provided for the last day of the month (e.g. figures for 2023-04 are for applications received or authorised as of 30 April 2023). Further information on new applications and clients who have had their awards transferred, award types, processing times and re-determinations can be found in the associated [publication page](https://www.socialsecurity.gov.scot/reporting/publications/adult-disability-payment-statistics-to-30-april-2025).
included in data catalog: CKAN
keywords: Economic Activity, Benefits and Tax Credits
license: https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/

adult-disability-payment-applications-and-payments.csv
type: DataDownload
comment: Applications received and authorised, and total value of payments for Adult Disability Payment
dictionary: Column
  column: Units
  type: text
dictionary: Column
  column: GeographyName
  type: text
dictionary: Column
  column: Value
  type: int
dictionary: Column
  column: Measurement
  type: text
dictionary: Column
  column: DateCode
  type: text
dictionary: Column
  column: GeographyCode
  type: text
dictionary: Column
  column: Adult Disability Payment Indicators
  type: text
dictionary: Column
  column: GeographyType
  type: text
description: Data file for Adult Disability Payment: Applications and Payments
encoding format: CSV

Scottish Government
type: Organization
contact point: ContactPoint
  contact type: customer service