Change of circumstances while you're getting Adult Disability Payment

This advice applies to Scotland. See advice for See advice for England, See advice for Northern Ireland, See advice for Wales

When to report a change of circumstances

You must tell Social Security Scotland if your circumstances change while you're getting Adult Disability Payment - for example, if you need more help or your condition improves. This might affect the amount of Adult Disability Payment you get.

You must tell Social Security Scotland if:

  • your personal or contact details change

  • your condition gets better or worse

  • the level of help and care you need changes

  • the support you need with your mobility changes

  • you move away from Scotland

  • you go into or leave a care home, hospital or hospice

  • you enter or leave legal detention.

You should tell Social Security Scotland about a change within 1 month, or as soon as can reasonably be expected after the change has happened. For example, if a change to your condition is gradual or goes up and down, it might take longer than a month for you to reasonably be expected to notice it.

If you do not report a change of circumstances

If you do not tell Social Security Scotland about a change in your circumstances, you might be overpaid or underpaid. If you're overpaid, you might be asked to pay the money back.

Find out how Social Security Scotland decides if you have to repay an overpayment.

You might also be committing a criminal offence.

Find out more about reporting a change of circumstances on mygov.scot.

How to report a change of circumstances

You can tell Social Security Scotland about a change of circumstances:

You can also fill in a form to authorise someone to speak to Social Security Scotland on your behalf. This might be helpful if you feel unable to find the information you need or understand things about your application. You can download a third-party authorisation form on mygov.scot.

Who else to tell

If your Adult Disability Payment stops, goes up or goes down because of a change of circumstances, this might affect other benefits you get.

You should tell your other benefit providers about any changes to your Adult Disability Payment.

If you get PIP

If you tell the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) about a change in your circumstances, you'll be moved over to Adult Disability Payment. Social Security Scotland will contact you about this.

If your condition changes

If your condition has changed - for example, it has got better or worse - Social Security Scotland might carry out a review to see if you still meet the conditions for Adult Disability Payment and are getting the correct components and rates.

You might be asked to provide supporting information about the change to your condition. You can provide this with the change of circumstances form or send it separately.

If you do not agree with the review decision, you can ask for this to be looked at again. You usually need to ask within 42 days of being told about the review decision.

If you move home

You must tell Social Security Scotland if you move home.

If you move from Scotland to another part of the UK

You can get Adult Disability Payment for up to 13 weeks and then it will stop. This is to give you time to apply for Personal Independence Payment (PIP) instead.

The amount of PIP you get might be the same as, more than or less than the amount of Adult Disability Payment you were getting.

You should tell Social Security Scotland that you've moved.

Read more about applying for PIP on GOV.UK.

If you move to Scotland from another part of the UK

If you get Personal Independence Payment (PIP) or Disability Living Allowance (DLA) for adults, you need to tell:

  • the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) in England and Wales

  • the Department for Communities (DfC) in Northern Ireland

of the date of your move.

You'll keep getting PIP or DLA until you move over to a Scottish benefit. Social Security Scotland will write to tell you when that will happen.

You will not have to apply again.

Find out more about changes to PIP or DLA for adults in Scotland on mygov.scot.

If you go into a care home

Adult Disability Payment can be affected if you have overnight stays in a care home.

If you spend time in a care home and this is paid for from public funds:

  • the daily living component will stop being paid after 28 days

  • the mobility component is not affected.

The days that you go into and leave a care home are not counted as days in a care home.

You'll still get the daily living component if your stay in a care home is funded by you, someone else or a charity.

Getting paid for the days you're at home

If the daily living component of your Adult Disability Payment stops being paid because you're in a care home, you'll still be entitled to a daily rate of the daily living component for any days you spend at home.

For example, if you've been in a care home for more than 28 days, the daily living component of your Adult Disability Payment will stop. But if you then go home on Friday and go back to the care home on Monday, you should get the daily living component at a daily rate for Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday (4 days).

Short stays in a care home

If you go into a publicly funded care home for a short stay, the daily living component of your Adult Disability Payment might be affected.

Short stays in a care home that are separated by no more than 28 days will be added together. Once these short stays add up to a total of 28 days, your daily living component will stop being paid.

If you spend more than 28 days at home before another short stay, the clock is reset. So, if you go back into a care home for another short stay, you'll have another total of 28 days before the daily living component is stopped again.

The rules are complicated and can affect other benefits. Get advice from a Citizens Advice Bureau.

If you go into hospital or a hospice

Adult Disability Payment can be affected if you have overnight stays in hospital.

If you're aged 18 or over and you go into hospital for medical treatment provided by the NHS, both the daily living component and the mobility component will stop after 28 days.

Short stays in hospital that are separated by no more than 28 days will be added together. Once these short stays add up to a total of 28 days, your Adult Disability Payment will stop.

The days that you go into and leave hospital are not counted as days in hospital.

You'll still get Adult Disability Payment if you're terminally ill and go into a hospice.

If you're detained in legal custody and you're aged:

  • 16 or 17, the daily living component will stop after 28 days - but you'll still get the mobility component

  • 18 or over, both components will stop after 28 days.

The days that you go into and leave legal custody are not counted as days in custody.