Independent Review of Adult Disability Payment: call for evidence

Section 1 – Factors affecting take-up of Adult Disability Payment

Take-up is a measure of how many people who are eligible for a benefit actually get the benefit.

There is a lack of evidence on disability benefits take-up rates within Scotland

Estimating take-up rates of Adult Disability Payment is challenging. Whilst some national statistics and surveys ask whether a person has a long-term health condition or disability, that does not necessarily mean that person would or would not be entitled to Adult Disability Payment.

Current strategies for improving take-up across all Scottish Government benefits focus on raising awareness of benefits and supporting people to access them.

There is currently no benefit-specific take-up strategy for Adult Disability Payment, but this is something that the Scottish Government may consider in the future. The Scottish Government plans to increase engagement with seldom-heard communities in future strategies. Existing strategies for improving take-up across all Scottish Government benefits include:

• a range of marketing and engagement activities to increase awareness and support people to apply
• the use of research to identify who the Scottish Government wants to reach and ensure that it uses the right methods to reach those people
• continued funding of the Independent Advocacy Service
• use of Social Security Scotland’s Local Delivery service
• the opening of Social Security Scotland’s Dundee office to the public.

Estimating take-up rates for PIP

For context, the UK Government does not publish take-up rates for the disability benefits it delivers. The UK Government also does not have a take-up strategy for the disability benefits it delivers.

The following questions ask about factors affecting take-up and peoples’ decision to apply for Adult Disability Payment.

Question 1

The Social Security Scotland Charter specifically states that the Scottish Government will ensure as many people as possible get the benefits they are entitled to. This includes making a particular effort to reach people who are most likely to be excluded. Thinking about take-up of Adult Disability Payment for seldom-heard groups, what evidence exists about:

(a) Levels of awareness and barriers to awareness of Adult Disability Payment amongst seldom-heard groups?

(b) The particular barriers to application facing people in specific seldom-heard groups?

The term 'seldom-heard groups' refers to under-represented people who face barriers in engaging with others. Examples of people who may be considered as having seldom-heard voices include:

• people experiencing homelessness
• people whose first language is not English
• people experiencing domestic violence
• people living in rural or island communities
• people with learning difficulties
• carers
• lone parents
• refugees and asylum seekers
• LGBTI people
• ethnic minority groups.

Question 2

In relation to Adult Disability Payment, can you provide evidence about any initiatives or activities that have measurably increased:

(a) awareness

(b) take-up?

You may wish to consider both in the context of seldom-heard groups or more widely.

Question 3

Can you provide specific examples of the factors that affect whether someone chooses to apply for Adult Disability Payment or chooses not to apply?