Prior to Adult Disability Payment being introduced on 29 August 2022, we gave commitments to both conduct an independent review a year after national launch and undertake work to consider potential alternative approaches to the mobility component.
We held a public consultation seeking views on the eligibility criteria for the mobility component of Adult Disability Payment. The consultation ran from 31 January 2023 to 25 April 2023. Six remote and in-person events aimed at a variety of audiences, including disabled people and stakeholders, supplemented the online consultation.
This consultation did not set out or advocate a preferred Scottish Government position or policy. Instead, this consultation was an opportunity for the people of Scotland and our stakeholders to provide views on the evidence presented on the mobility component.
A total of 210 responses were received. Of these, 108 responses were received via a survey tool created, launched and promoted by MS Society Scotland. People with lived experience of Multiple Sclerosis were asked six questions, and their responses were automatically entered into Citizen Space. The tool automatically answered ‘yes’ to two further questions on behalf of respondents. Whilst some of these questions were different to the consultation questions, we have considered the responses as part of the consultation analysis.
Most formal consultation responses were from individuals, with 37 responses from organisations. A range of organisations responded including third sector organisations, local authorities and representative bodies.
During the consultation events, attendees also shared their views of the eligibility criteria for the mobility component of Adult Disability Payment. Their insights were considered alongside the formal consultation responses.
We commissioned an independent research company, The Lines Between, to conduct the analysis of the consultation responses and we have published the analysis report as well as an Easy Read version of the report on the Scottish Government website. The report presents the findings of the consultation and explains the methodology used to analyse the responses. We have published the consultation responses, where permission has been given to do this, on Citizen Space.
Your responses to the consultation and the outcomes of the research will help to inform the independent review of Adult Disability Payment when it commences later this year.
We are continuing to work through the details of the independent review and are taking the time needed to get decisions right. We will provide further details as soon as we are in a position to do so.
View submitted responses where consent has been given to publish the response.
Adult Disability Payment is the twelfth payment now delivered by Social Security Scotland. It replaces Personal Independence Payment (PIP) in Scotland, and it will provide support to over 510,000 disabled people by 2025.
In designing this new payment, we have carefully listened to the views of disabled people, stakeholders, and the public. We have made several improvements to Adult Disability Payment over PIP. These include substantial improvements to the application and decision-making process.
The eligibility rules for Adult Disability Payment have remained largely the same as under PIP as part of our commitment to a safe and secure transition of the devolution of social security payments. This is to avoid having two sets of eligibility criteria before completing the transfer of people’s payments from the UK Government to Social Security Scotland by 2025.
We recognise that there is considerable interest from disabled people and stakeholders about the eligibility criteria for the mobility component. We are consulting on the eligibility criteria for the mobility component to seek a broad range of views on this matter.
This consultation does not set out or advocate a preferred Scottish Government position or policy. Instead, this consultation is an opportunity for the people of Scotland and our stakeholders to provide views on the evidence presented on the mobility component.
The Scottish Government is committed to beginning an independent review of Adult Disability Payment later this year.
Read an Easy Read version of the consultation paper
We want to ensure that a range of voices are informing the review of Adult Disability Payment. We are doing this by listening carefully to disabled people and stakeholders about their views on the eligibility criteria for the mobility component.
Once the consultation closes and the responses have been independently analysed, the findings will inform the independent review of Adult Disability Payment commencing later this year. In considering the future delivery of Adult Disability Payment, it is important that any proposals for change are achievable, affordable and realistic.
This consultation has now closed.
The feedback from the consultation will be used to inform an independent review of Adult Disability Payment later in 2023.
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