One in six working-age adults in NI now claim a disability benefit, with rates rising among younger people
The proportion of working-age adults in Northern Ireland claiming disability benefits has risen to 16%, according to new figures obtained from the Department for Communities (DfC).
The data, provided in response to a parliamentary question from the Alliance Party's Sian Mullholland, shows that one in six people aged between 16 and 65 are now in receipt of support such as Personal Independence Payment (PIP), Disability Living Allowance (DLA), Employment Support Allowance (ESA) and other disability-related benefits.
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Daily Record
11 hours ago
- Daily Record
People making a new claim for Adult Disability Payment most-likely to get ‘indefinite' award
Most Adult Disability Payment awards are issued by Social Security Scotland for between two and 10 years. The latest statistics from Social Security Scotland show that at the end of January, some 433,055 people were receiving Adult Disability Payments (ADP), the devolved benefit that has now replaced all new claims for Personal Independence Payment (PIP) north of the border. Of that overall figure, 145,090 (34%) were new applicants and 287,960 (66%) had their award transferred from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). The data also shows that the average time to process a new claim for ADP is now 42 working days, just over eight weeks. This means people making a new claim in May could have an award decision before the end of July, although it's important to be aware that some applications can take shorter or longer to process. The Scottish Government estimates that ADP will support 612,000 people by 2028/29, providing financial support of almost £4.5 billion. When a person is awarded ADP, Social Security Scotland will set a review date, this is to ensure the financial support meets the needs of the claimant. Awards can be issued for anywhere between 24 months and 10 years, however, some people may be given an 'indefinite award' with no review date. Social Security Scotland reviews take place at a time when a person's needs are likely to have changed, to ensure that their payment continues to be at the right level. It's important to be aware that payments will continue while a review is taking place and they do not need to re-apply during the process. Adult Disability Payment Indefinite Awards You may be given an indefinite award with no review date for ADP if: Your needs are highly unlikely to change You are awarded the enhanced rate of both the daily living and mobility components of ADP Guidance on states: 'This means your award will not be reviewed in the future unless you tell us that something has changed.' The Scottish Government says that this meets the principles of 'dignity, fairness and respect'. PIP award review periods PIP awards can vary in length. The shortest award is nine months while the longest is an ongoing award with a 'light touch' review at 10 years. Most people will have their award regularly reviewed by the DWP, regardless of the length of the award, to ensure the level of financial support reflects their needs. This also usually means completing another health questionnaire and taking part in another assessment, or the person's entitlement will end. Some people will have a limited-term award for a fixed period of up to two years. The person must re-apply before the end of the two-year period, or their entitlement will end. Limited awards for a fixed period like this will be used if a DWP case manager thinks the person's health condition is expected to improve. Who might be eligible for ADP or PIP? To be eligible for ADP or PIP, you must have a health condition or disability where you: have had difficulties with daily living or getting around (or both) for 3 months expect these difficulties to continue for at least 9 months You usually need to have lived in the UK for at least two of the last three years and be in the country when you apply. In addition to what we have outlined above, if you get or need help with any of the following because of your condition, you should consider applying for PIP or ADP. preparing, cooking or eating food managing your medication washing, bathing or using the toilet dressing and undressing engaging and communicating with other people reading and understanding written information making decisions about money planning a journey or following a route moving around There are different rules if you are terminally ill, you will find these on the website here for PIP and here for ADP. DWP or Social Security Scotland will assess how difficult you find daily living and mobility tasks. For each task they will look at: whether you can do it safely how long it takes you how often your condition affects this activity whether you need help to do it, from a person or using extra equipment How are ADP and PIP paid? ADP and PIP are usually paid every four weeks unless you are terminally ill, in which case it is paid weekly. It will be paid directly into your bank, building society or credit union account. ADP is paid at the same rates as PIP. ADP and PIP payment rates You will need an assessment to work out the level of financial help you will receive for PIP and your rate will be regularly reviewed by the DWP to make sure you are getting the right support. ADP and PIP are made up of two components: Daily living Mobility Whether you get one or both of these and how much depends on how severely your condition affects you. You will be paid the following amounts per week depending on your circumstances: Daily living Standard rate: £73.90 Enhanced rate: £110.40 Mobility Standard rate: £29.20 Enhanced rate: £77.05 How you are assessed You will be assessed for PIP by an independent healthcare professional to help the DWP determine the level of financial support, if any, you need, for PIP. Face-to-face consultations for health-related benefits are offered alongside video calls, telephone and paper-based assessments - it's important to be aware the health professional and DWP determine which type of assessment is best suited for each claimant. You can find out more about DWP PIP assessments here. Adult Disability Payment consultations will not involve face-to-face assessments, unless this is preferred by the claimant and will be conducted by in-house Social Security Scotland staff - find out more about the changes here. How to apply for PIP You can make a new claim by contacting the DWP, you will find all the information you need to apply on the website here. Before you call, you will need: your contact details your date of birth your National Insurance number - this is on letters about tax, pensions and benefits your bank or building society account number and sort code your doctor or health worker's name, address and telephone number dates and addresses for any time you've spent abroad, in a care home or hospital How to apply for ADP People can apply ADP, over the phone, by post or in-person. To find out more or apply, visit the dedicated pages on here or call Social Security Scotland on 0800 182 2222.
Scottish Sun
a day ago
- Scottish Sun
Scots with free bus passes issued expiry warning – don't get caught out
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) SCOTS with free bus passes are being urged to check the expiry date - make sure you don't get caught out. Disabled and elderly people are entitled to free travel, depending on their age and circumstances. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up National Entitlement Card Renewal forms are no longer being sent to disabled passholders ahead of the expiry date. A renewal can take at least five weeks - users are advised to apply in pleanty plenty of time. And Scots are being advised to allow ten working days for a new card. Pensioners' passes do not have an expiry date and are valid for life. However cards belonging to disabled people will need to be renewed. But after Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced a crackdown on benefits, several claimants may no longer meet the eligibility requirements. In the Spring Statement, Ms Reeves froze key DWP Universal Credit payments for those too ill to work until 2030, meaning they will get less help every year as prices rise. Meanwhile people claiming incapacity benefits through Universal Credit will see their payments slashed from £97 to £50 a week. The Chancellor also announced a tightening of restrictions around people claiming Personal Independence Payments, a benefit designed to support those with health conditions in England and Wales. Award-winning holiday park in St Ives In Scotland, PIP is being phased out after ministers launched its replacement - the Adult Disability Payment- in 2022. And 14 per cent of our working population receive it compared to nine per cent down south. But it remains unclear as to whether the Scottish Government will be forced to spend hundreds of millions to keep ADP at its current rate after the announcement confirmed cuts to PIP. The cuts to PIP payments in England and Wales have meant that some existing PIP recipients, as well as new applicants, may no longer meet the requirements and could lose access to the benefit. 1 The National Entitlement Card Citizen's Advice Scotland chief executive Derek Mitchell blasted the cuts to benefits. He said: "It's important to understand the context of this. The cost of living crisis hasn't gone away. "There are no circumstances in which ill and disabled people should bear the brunt of the problems in the wider economy. 'It's in all of our interests to ensure the system works and is properly funded. We need more investment in social security, not less. The cuts announced today are in complete contradiction to this and will only cause more hardship and harm.' With that in mind, it's important to know who qualifies for a free bus pass or a National Entitlement Card, as it's known in Scotland, to avoid missing out. You can get free bus and long-distance coach travel in Scotland if you're: 60 or over under 60, disabled and meet certain conditions. You'll be eligible on the grounds of disability if you: get Adult Disability Payment get Attendance Allowance get Child Disability Payment at the higher rate of the mobility component, or at the highest or middle rate of the care component get Disability Living Allowance at the higher rate of the mobility component, or at the higher or middle rate of the care component get Pension Age Disability Payment get Personal Independence Payment get Short-term Assistance while you challenge an Adult or Pension Age Disability Payment decision get Short-term Assistance while you challenge a Child Disability Payment decision about the higher rate of the mobility component, or the middle or highest rate of the care component have a blue badge are profoundly or severely deaf have been told not to drive on medical grounds or you would be refused a driving licence, for example if you would not meet the eyesight standard have a learning disability or mental health condition that has lasted for more than a year. You must need to travel to health or social care appointments as part of treatment activities, care or for rehabilitation. Your ability to travel must also be impaired are terminally ill have a progressive degenerative condition and mobility problems have lost one or more limbs are an injured veteran with mobility problems are under 16 and have a diagnosis of severe sight impairment that's been confirmed by an optician or doctor are 16 or over and registered blind or partially sighted. Cabinet Secretary for Transport Fiona Hyslop said: "It is not yet clear what the UK Government cuts might mean for devolved disability benefits in Scotland and the people who rely on them. "The cuts announced by Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall appear to be driven by a desire to save money and seek to balance the books by targeting the most vulnerable in our society. "Here in Scotland, we are taking a positive and compassionate approach to delivering the Adult Disability Payment and to help reduce any anxieties around the recent announcements. "This approach is ensuring that more disabled people get the support they are entitled to, whilst making sure accessing this support is as straightforward as possible. "That also means that more disabled people are eligible for free bus travel and I would hope Sun readers who are disabled and do not have a Saltire card might now apply for one. "Already, over 2 million older people, disabled people, children and young people in Scotland are benefiting from free bus travel, making over 3 million journeys every week. "Since January 2022, over 200 million bus journeys have been made across Scotland by children and young people under 22 using their free entitlement – connecting multiple generations with free bus use.
Daily Record
2 days ago
- Daily Record
DWP measures to stop people fraudulently claiming monthly PIP of up to £749
DWP said £330 million was lost to fraud and error within the PIP system last year. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) recently confirmed it is 'committed' to tackling fraud and error within the benefits system, including recovering debts generated by Personal Independent Payments (PIP). Conservative MP Sir John Hayes asked DWP what steps it is taking to 'tackle people fraudulently claiming PIP'. In a written response, DWP Minister Andrew Western, explained new measures being introduced to 'prevent fraud entering the system based on the types of cases and trends we have seen'. This includes 'introducing more rigorous checks for customers changing personal details, including bank accounts'. Mr Western said: ' DWP is committed to tackling fraud and error in the benefits system and to the recovery of debts, including those generated by Personal Independent Payments. Working closely with counter fraud experts, the DWP has introduced measures to prevent fraud entering the system based on the types of cases and trends we have seen.' New DWP measures to tackle benefit fraud These include: Strengthening the Identity and Verification Process to prevent fraudulent cases entering the system Introducing more rigorous checks for customers changing personal details, including bank accounts Delivering awareness sessions for Case Managers and Healthcare Professionals, reinforcing action to take when suspicious cases are identified - for example, fake documents The Minister continued: 'DWP is delivering against key counter fraud activity, including investing in counter fraud professionals and building data analytical capabilities. The new Fraud, Error and Debt Bill will bring forward new measures to tackle fraud in the system. 'Details on the measures the Government will be legislating will be presented to Parliament in due course.' The DWP pays benefits to nearly 24 million people across Great Britain, including 3.7m on PIP. The latest DWP report shows £330m was lost to fraud and error in the PIP system last year, up from £90m in 2023/24. Fraud and error in the welfare system cost the taxpayer £9.5bn in overpayments last year, compared to £9.7bn in 2023/24. Fraud This guidance on explains that this relates to claims where all three of the following conditions apply: the conditions for receipt of benefit, or the rate of benefit in payment, are not met the claimant can reasonably be expected to be aware of the effect on their entitlement benefit payment stops or reduces as a result of a review of the claim. Claimant error These are overpayments where claimants have provided inaccurate or incomplete information, or failed to report a change in their circumstances which has led to an overpayment, but there is no evidence of fraudulent intent on the claimant's part. Official error This is where benefits have been paid incorrectly due to a failure to act, a delay or a mistaken assessment by the Department, a local authority or His Majesty's Revenue and Customs, to which no one outside of that department has materially contributed, regardless of whether the business unit has processed the information. Last year, Mr Western clarified that the proposed Fraud, Error and Debt Bill 'will not give DWP access to any bank accounts, nor any information on how claimants spend their money'adding that banks and financial institutions will share 'limited information' with the Department to 'help verify benefit eligibility by flagging possible conflicts with eligibility rules'. The DWP Minister said: 'As set out by the National Audit Office, access to data is key to prevention and detection of incorrect payments. The Eligibility Verification Measure (EVM) in the proposed Fraud, Error and Debt Bill will not give DWP access to any bank accounts, nor any information on how claimants spend their money. 'It will require banks and financial institutions to share limited information with the DWP to help verify benefit eligibility by flagging possible conflicts with eligibility rules - for example the £16,000 capital limit in Universal Credit. The information gathered will help DWP identify incorrect payments, prevent debts from accruing for the claimant and help identify where there may be fraudulent activity.' He added: 'The legislation will set out key safeguards, including reporting mechanisms and independent oversight. No benefit entitlement decision will be made solely because of the data obtained under EVM and a final decision on benefit entitlement will always involve a human agent. 'If a claimant wishes to challenge or appeal a benefit decision, they can do so following DWP's appeals processes.'
