Independent Review of Adult Disability Payment: consultation

Section 1 – 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 in 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 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.

Take-up of Personal Independence Payment

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 question will ask about methods to increase take-up and awareness of 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. For example:

• 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.

(a) How effective do you think the following methods could be at helping people to find out about Adult Disability Payment?

Advertisements for Adult Disability Payment (television, social media/online, newspapers etc).

• Very effective
• Effective
• Somewhat effective
• Not very effective
• Not effective at all

Working with organisations like charities to inform those who use their services about Adult Disability Payment.

• Very effective
• Effective
• Somewhat effective
• Not very effective
• Not effective at all

Running events within communities to inform people about Adult Disability Payment.

• Very effective
• Effective
• Somewhat effective
• Not very effective
• Not effective at all

(b) Do you think there is anyone who might be left out by these methods? Please give reasons for your answer.

(c) Are there any other methods that might help people find out about Adult Disability Payment? Please give reasons for your answer.

(d) What do you think the Scottish Government could do to help people who know Adult Disability Payment exists but are unsure if they should apply or might be unwilling to apply?

(e) What reasons do you think might mean someone may be unwilling to apply for Adult Disability Payment?

Question 2

Do you think there is anything else that could be done to encourage people to apply for Adult Disability Payment?