Current status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 18 March 2026
To as the Scottish Government for what reason the rate of successful applications for Adult Disability Payment is reportedly at an all-time low, and now lower than the equivalent payment in England and Wales.
Since the launch of Adult Disability Payment (ADP) in March 2022,45% of new applications have been approved–slightly higher than the 44% of new applications awarded Personal Independence Payment (PIP) in England and Wales over the same period.
Social Security Scotland’s latest statistics show that application volumes have been consistently higher than they were for PIP in Scotland. In the year up to October 2025, there were around 9,600 applications per month for Adult Disability Payment, compared to around 6,000 monthly PIP applications in the year prior to the launch of Adult Disability Payment.
Although ADP and PIP share eligibility criteria, ADP was designed to be more person-centred, prioritising dignity, fairness and respect, and offering a wide range of support to complete an application. As the system has matured following national rollout, award rates have reduced and stabilised, mirroring what happened when PIP was introduced.
Social Security Scotland and the Scottish Government continue to monitor authorisation rates and provide management information to the Scottish Fiscal Commission to support its forecasting.