Who can claim?
For Retirement Pension Age 65+ depending on pension age. To check your entitlement for State Pension, visit GOV.UK – State Pension age
Basic qualifying period, care or support needs for six months. However, the claim can be made in that 6 months period. Some exceptions to the qualifying period rule.
Does not consider domestic duties e.g. housework, shopping, gardening. However if a bodily function impacts your ability to undertake activities detailed on the form and help is required, even if nobody gives you any help, it is considered.
Things to consider
The questions on the form consider not whether you manage a task but if there is difficulty performing a task.
Explain the difficulties e.g. through:
- Pain/severe discomfort
- Breathlessness/dizziness
- Risk/safety
- Time taken (time consuming)
- Confusion
- Motivation
- Weakness/coordination/dexterity problems
- Sensory impairment
The activities the form asks about are difficulties during the day:
- Getting in/out of bed (e.g. into bed at bedtime and out of bed in the morning)
- Toilet needs
- Washing/bathing/showering and looking after your appearance (includes e.g. shaving, brushing hair etc.)
- Dressing and undressing
- Moving around indoors, walking/using stairs/ getting in and out chairs and transferring to wheelchairs (not just your home, in shops or elsewhere)
- Stumbles/Falls and manner of mobilising
- Eating/drinking and cutting up food
- Taking medications/treatment
- Communication/understanding and remembering/using phone/dealing with mail and completing forms
- Risk and safety
Night time difficulties:
- Sleeping comfortably/turning in bed/toileting and medication (during the night)
- Risk and safety during the night
You will need the following information for the claim form:
- You will be asked about any health professionals you see/have seen and when you saw them.
- What health conditions you have and all medications/treatments you receive for these health conditions.
- It also asks about tests you have had and the results (if you know them) and if you are on a waiting list for surgery.
- Finally any aids/adaptations you have eg. hearing aid/magnifier, hand rails/grab rails/ double bannister, wet room, shower stool/perch stool, walking stick/rollator/wheelchair, community alarm etc.
For more information on Pension Age Disability Payment, visit My Gov Scot-Pension Age Disability Payment
Tips to help with the Pension Age Disability Payment claim form
- Don’t leave things out, even if you feel you can manage well enough.
- Describe any accidents or falls you’ve had.
- Explain the effects of all your disabilities and health conditions, and how they interact with each other.
- List things that you struggle to do unaided, even if you’ve developed ways to cope.
- If an activity takes you much longer than it would somebody without a disability, or if it’s difficult to do safely, include this too.
- Say if you need reminding or encouraging to do things, as this also counts as help.
- Focus on how frequently you need help. For example, if you need help looking after your appearance, this could add up to six or seven times a day, if you include help to check your clothes are clean after a meal, help to find a coat and matching shoes, and so on.
- Give plenty of information in your own words about your personal circumstances. Don’t worry if you need to repeat yourself.
Levels of benefit
There are 2 rates-higher and lower
High rate is assessed where help is needed during the day and at night.
Low rate assessed where help is needed only during the day or only at night.
How to claim
Online
The application is in 2 parts. This is unless you are applying for someone who is terminally ill, in which case there is only 1 part to make the process faster.
To apply online, start the application through myaccount. This lets you save the application as you go so you can come back to it when it suits you.
If you do not already have an account with myaccount, you’ll need to:
- register with a username and password
- give some personal details
If you or a relative have internet access go to MY GOV SCOT- Pension Age Disability Payment
Phone and Paper
You can call Social Security Scotland by phone to start an application.
Freephone: 0800 182 2222 (8am to 5pm, Monday to Friday).
You will be asked a series of questions.
- Name, address, date of birth, nationality
- Contact telephone number and National Insurance Number
- Bank account number and sort code
- Information about time spent abroad
The next stage is completing part 2, when you will be sent a form asking about your health difficulties.
This is unless you are applying for someone who is terminally ill, in which case you can complete the whole application over the phone.
Details about your condition/s and symptoms.
- If you still await a diagnosis
- You need to give detailed answers relating to how your conditions affect your ability to look after yourself
- About understanding information-any challenges
- What help and support you need and why
- How you move around
- Any medication/treatments or equipment you need
- Information about tests and results
- details of your GP and any other health professionals who support you
- Contact details of anyone that can give more information about your conditions e.g. family/carer
If you don’t agree with the award decision
If you don’t agree with the award decision you must first ask for a redetermination where they look again at the decision. This should be done within 42 calendar days of the date on your decision letter. You can send in more information or new support letters from professionals who know about your difficulties. If the result still isn’t in your favour you can request an appeal which is sent to the tribunal service. This should be done within a month of the date on the mandatory reconsideration decision letter.
You can lose or gain at the appeal, as they look at the whole decision again. Seek advice.
If you ask for a review as your health has changed you can lose or gain when you get a review of your entitlement, as they look at the whole decision again. Seek advice.