Disability Assistance for Working Age People (Scotland) Regulations: equalities impact assessment (EQIA)

Independent review of Adult Disability Payment and monitoring

We have undertaken comprehensive consideration of the desirability and practicability of changes to the eligibility criteria and consulted widely on this issue. We are mindful that making even relatively minor changes to entitlement to Adult Disability Payment may have a considerable impact on safe and secure transfer. We are also confident that the draft regulations, taking into consideration the very different approach to delivery, provide a basis for significantly improved client experiences and outcomes and are a robust starting point both for the successful delivery of disability benefits and for future policy development.

However, we understand that many people are eager to see changes made to the eligibility criteria. We therefore plan to establish a group to undertake a review of Adult Disability Payment to commence in summer 2023. The members and chair of the group will be drawn from outside the Scottish Government. The group will also secure input from people with lived experience.

Holding the review in summer 2023 will provide the opportunity for Social Security Scotland to administer Adult Disability Payment for a full year so the necessary data and feedback from individuals can influence the recommendations.

The review will be wide ranging to allow consideration of the suitability all of the activities, descriptors and supporting criteria. For example, the review will enable an understanding of the impacts of how the eligibility criteria is being applied, including the reliability criteria, and whether there are any disproportionate impacts on those with protected characteristics. The review will allow a measurement of the extent to which Adult Disability Payment has reduced the negative impacts identified in this Equality Impact Assessment.

We will then make the independent report and recommendations publically available to allow for transparency, scrutiny and visibility.