The Disability Assistance (Scottish Adult Disability Living Allowance) Regulations 2025: islands communities impact assessment

8. Conclusion

Scottish Ministers are aware of the duty to consult island communities before making a material change to any policy, strategy or service which, in the Scottish Ministers' opinion, is likely to have an effect on an island community which is significantly different from its effect on other communities. This impact assessment has highlighted that living in island and remote communities present unique challenges for disabled people.

However, the Scottish Government has not identified any evidence that the introduction of Scottish Adult Disability Living Allowance, or the case transfer from Disability Living Allowance to Scottish Adult Disability Living Allowance, will directly or indirectly discriminate against remote and island communities.

Scottish Ministers do not propose to make significant changes to the existing Disability Living Allowance eligibility criteria when introducing Scottish Adult Disability Living Allowance as part of the commitment to ensure a safe and secure transfer. However, some key changes are expected to have a positive impact for disabled people across Scotland, regardless of location (for example adopting a broader definition of terminal illness than the Department for Work and Pensions), with a secondary positive impact on their families and carers.

The Scottish Government recognises social security as a human right and has designed Social Security Scotland’s services with the people who use them so that everyone is treated with dignity, fairness and respect. The Scottish Government is committed to continually improving Scottish disability benefits by continuing to engage with disabled people and stakeholders to identify areas for further improvement in future.

The Scottish Government has concluded that no further changes to the Disability Assistance (Scottish Adult Disability Living Allowance) (Scotland) Regulations 2025 are necessary as a result of this Island Communities Impact Assessment.