We need a fair and humane social security system for Scotland
The Scottish Green Party has today called for the Scottish Government to explain why the rate of successful applications for a leading devolved social security payment has fallen dramatically since it launched.
Government figures show that only 35% of all applications for Adult Disability Payment in the current financial year were accepted, compared to 42% in 2024/25 and 51% in 2023/23.
New applicants are now less likely to receive support than new applicants elsewhere in the UK, with these figures comparing to 44% in the current year, 47% in 2024/25 and 49% in 2023/24, respectively, for the equivalent Personal Independence Payment in England and Wales.
This corroborates recent data released by Citizens Advice Scotland showing increasing numbers of people approaching them for help in challenging an ADP decision.
As a proportion of all ADP advice compared to last year, there was a 21% increase in those seeking help to overturn a disallowed or reduced award.
There is also a high proportion of successful appeals, which suggests that the Scottish Government is not “getting it right the first time.” Of the 4160 decisions challenged by applicants at tribunal since the launch of the payment, 54% have won their case.
Adult Disability Payment is paid to people in Scotland with disabilities and health conditions that affect their daily lives.
Green social security spokesperson Maggie Chapman MSP said:
“The devolution of social security was supposed to herald a new era of ‘dignity, fairness and respect’ after decades of cruel welfare reforms from successive Westminster governments.
“But after a promising start, a lower portion of applicants than ever are getting the support they need, and lower even than the infamous PIP system in England. But when they appeal, well over half get the payment they have been wrongly denied.
"It seems unlikely these are just natural changes, so we need to ask: have there been decisions within Social Security Scotland to assess applications more strictly than before?
“The Scottish Government must act swiftly to ensure that disabled Scots get the support they deserve. Particularly in a cost of living crisis like this, it is people on the lowest incomes who will be punished the most.”