Pension Age Disability Payment

What is Pension Age Disability Payment

Pension Age Disability Payment is a benefit for adults of State Pension age or over who live in Scotland. It’s to help with the extra costs of being disabled or having a long-term health condition.

Pension Age Disability Payment is paid by Social Security Scotland. It has replaced Attendance Allowance in Scotland.

If you’re terminally ill, there’s a quicker process for applying for Pension Age Disability Payment. Read more about applying for Pension Age Disability Payment if you’re terminally ill.

Who can get Pension Age Disability Payment

To get Pension Age Disability Payment, you must be of State Pension age or over and have a long-term health condition or disability that means you need help or supervision - even if you don’t currently get that help.

A long-term health condition or disability includes:

• a physical disability or health condition

• a mental health condition

• learning difficulties

• a sensory condition – for example, if you’re deaf or blind

• a condition that affects your brain or memory – for example, dementia

• difficulties with personal tasks – for example, if they take you a long time, you experience pain or you need physical help

• a terminal illness.

You might need help or supervision:

• with your personal care – for example, getting dressed, eating or drinking, getting in and out of bed, bathing or showering and going to the toilet

• to stay safe

• during the day or at night, or both.

You must have had care or supervision needs because of your disability or illness for at least 26 weeks before your Pension Age Disability Payment can start – unless you have a terminal illness. But you don’t need to have a formal diagnosis.

If you have not yet had care or supervision needs for at least 26 weeks, you can still apply. If you meet all the other conditions, you’ll get the payment from the date when the 26 weeks have passed.

In most cases, you must also live in Scotland.

How old must you be

You need to be of State Pension age or over to get Pension Age Disability Payment. You can check what your State Pension age is on GOV.UK.

If you’re under State Pension age, you can apply for Adult Disability Payment.

How much is Pension Age Disability Payment

There are 2 rates of Pension Age Disability Payment - the higher rate and the lower rate.

The rate you get will depend on:

• the difficulties you have

• how much help or supervision you need

• when you need help or supervision.

If you need help or supervision either during the day or at night, you’ll get the lower rate of £76.70 a week.

If you need help or supervision both during the day and at night, you’ll get the higher rate of £114.60 a week.

You can spend the money however you like. For example, it could help you stay independent in your own home for longer.

Rules about living in Scotland

You must meet the rules about living in Scotland to get Pension Age Disability Payment.

Check the rules about living in Scotland for Social Security Scotland benefits.

How to apply

You can apply:

• online - by completing an application form on mygov.scot

• by post - you can phone Social Security Scotland free on 0800 182 2222, Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm, to ask for a paper form with a pre-paid envelope

• face to face - an adviser from Social Security Scotland’s local delivery service can help you apply. Phone 0800 182 2222 to make an appointment.

If you’re a British Sign Language (BSL) user, you can use the contactSCOTLAND app to contact Social Security Scotland by video relay.

Completing the application form

If you apply online, you’ll need to create an account on mygov.scot with a user name and password. This is so you can save your application and come back to it later.

There are 2 parts to the Pension Age Disability Payment application form. You start the application by completing part 1. You then have 8 weeks to complete part 2.

You should try to complete part 1 as soon as you can, because Pension Age Disability Payment can be paid from that date.

If you phone Social Security Scotland to ask for a paper form, part 1 will be completed over the phone.

If you’re going to have difficulty completing the application within the 8-week deadline, you should tell Social Security Scotland. If you have a good reason for not meeting the deadline, you might be able to get more time.

You can read more about what you need to apply for Pension Age Disability Payment on mygov.scot.

Supporting information

Supporting information describes how your condition affects you and what support you need. Social Security Scotland uses supporting information to help them make a decision.

You can provide any information you think will be helpful, but supporting information can be copies of documents that you might have already, for example:

• social care assessments

• medical reports, letters or certificates

• prescription lists that show the medication you take

• test results.

Supporting information can also be a statement from someone who knows you well and how your health problem or disability affects your daily life.

If you don’t have any supporting information, don’t delay returning part 2 of the application. Social Security Scotland might be able to help get supporting information if you ask them to.

Read more about supporting information on mygov.scot.

If you're terminally ill

You can apply for Pension Age Disability Payment straight away. It does not matter how long you’ve been terminally ill for.

If you’re awarded Pension Age Disability Payment, you’ll get the higher rate.

To apply, you need to complete a shorter application form. You also need to provide a special form called a ‘BASRiS form’, completed by your doctor or nurse. You can tell Social Security Scotland to ask your doctor or nurse directly for the BASRiS form.

Once you apply, your application will be fast-tracked and dealt with by specially trained staff. Social Security Scotland will make a decision when they have both your application form and the BASRiS form.

There are factsheets and other resources about terminal illness on the Social Security Scotland website.

Get advice and help to apply from an adviser at a Citizens Advice Bureau.

Get help to apply

You can get help to apply from:

• Social Security Scotland’s local delivery service - phone 0800 182 2222 to make an appointment

• a Citizens Advice Bureau.

Or you can get help to apply for Pension Age Disability Payment on mygov.scot. This includes if you want to apply in a language other than English.

You can also authorise someone to speak to Social Security Scotland on your behalf. This might be helpful if you feel unable to find the information you need or understand things about your application.

You can complete the third-party authorisation section of your Pension Age Disability Payment application form or download a third-party authorisation form on mygov.scot.

Get help from an advocate

You might be able to get help from advocacy.scot to speak to Social Security Scotland. Advocacy.scot is an independent advocacy service provided by Advice Direct Scotland.

You can get an advocate to help you express your views, get the information you need and make decisions.

You can get an advocate by:

• asking Social Security Scotland to refer you to advocacy.scot. Find out how to contact Social Security Scotland on mygov.scot

• contacting advocacy.scot. Find out more on the advocacy.scot website.

How decisions are made

Social Security Scotland will make a decision about your application using:

• what you’ve said on your application form

• any supporting information you’ve provided or they’ve obtained on your behalf.

If it’s not possible to decide on your application based on that information, Social Security Scotland might contact you with follow-up questions.

Getting a decision

Once you’ve applied, you’ll get updates on the progress of your application.

A decision will be sent to you by post. A decision is called a determination.

If you’re terminally ill, Social Security Scotland will aim to make a decision within 7 working days.

If you’re not terminally ill, you should get a decision within a few months.

If your application is successful, the money will be paid into your bank, building society or credit union account.

If Social Security Scotland decides that you’re not entitled to Pension Age Disability Payment, they’ll send you a letter explaining why.

When is Pension Age Disability Payment paid

Pension Age Disability Payment will be paid every 4 weeks in arrears into your bank, building society or credit union account.

If you’re terminally ill, payments will be made every week in advance.

You can choose what to spend the money on. Social Security Scotland will not ask for receipts.

Once you’ve been awarded Pension Age Disability Payment, you’ll continue to get it as long as you still meet the conditions for it.

Reviews

If your needs are highly unlikely to change, you might be given an indefinite award. This means your award will not be reviewed in the future unless you tell Social Security Scotland that something has changed.

Otherwise, your award letter from Social Security Scotland will give a review date. This is to make sure that you continue to get the right amount of Pension Age Disability Payment for your needs.

A review is a chance to discuss any changes that have happened since you applied, or since your last review.

When the review is complete, Social Security Scotland will make a new decision called a determination. They’ll write to let you know the outcome of the review.

Read more about Pension Age Disability Payment reviews on mygov.scot.

How Pension Age Disability Payment affects tax and other benefits

Pension Age Disability Payment is not means tested, so it does not matter how much you earn or how much money you have in savings.

You will not pay tax on Pension Age Disability Payment.

Pension Age Disability Payment does not reduce your means-tested benefits, but it might lead to increases in them.

You might be able to get other benefits and help because you get Pension Age Disability Payment.

If your circumstances change

You must tell Social Security Scotland if your circumstances change - for example, if:

• your condition gets better or worse

• the level of help and support you need changes

• you move away from Scotland

• you go into other accommodation - like a hospital or a care home.

Find out more about how a change of circumstances can affect Pension Age Disability Payment.

Get more help

You can get more advice from a Citizens Advice Bureau.

You can get advice from the Money Talk Team at your local Citizens Advice Bureau. You can call 0800 028 1456 to be directed to your local bureau. You can find more information on the Money Talk Team website.

You can also contact Social Security Scotland.

Read more about Pension Age Disability Payment on mygov.scot.