Moving From Scotland: ADP to PIP

If you receive Adult Disability Payment (ADP) and you are moving to England, Wales or Northern Ireland, the first thing to know is that your money does not stop at the border. ADP is the Scottish benefit that replaced Personal Independence Payment for working age people, and it is tied to living in Scotland. When you move out, there is a built-in run-on that keeps you paid while you sort out the equivalent benefit in the rest of the UK. Moving out of Scotland is one of the few things that does bring an ADP award to an end, even an award with no review date (see does ADP ever end). For temporary trips rather than a permanent move, see ADP and going abroad.

The rule is simple to state and easy to get wrong in practice. Your ADP continues for up to 13 weeks from the day you stop living in Scotland, and if you are under State Pension age you claim Personal Independence Payment from the Department for Work and Pensions, or from the Department for Communities if you are moving to Northern Ireland, as soon as you have moved. Over State Pension age the safest timing is different, and the section on State Pension age below explains why. This guide sets out the timeline step by step, the exact points where people slip up and what to expect once you are on the rest-of-UK system, which works quite differently from the one you are leaving behind. It also covers what the move means for a Motability vehicle and the rules for people over State Pension age, who can be wrongly told they cannot claim PIP.

Why moving matters for your ADP

Adult Disability Payment has residence rules. It is designed for people who are ordinarily resident in Scotland, and Social Security Scotland administers it under Scottish legislation. Once your home is in England, Wales or Northern Ireland, you fall under the rest-of-UK system, and the benefit that mirrors ADP there is Personal Independence Payment, run by the Department for Work and Pensions (the Department for Communities in Northern Ireland) rather than Social Security Scotland.

Because the two systems are separate, moving is not a case of your file quietly following you south. Nothing transfers automatically. Instead the run-on protects your income while you make a fresh claim under the new rules. Understanding that distinction, a protected 13 weeks rather than an automatic swap, is what stops people from ending up with a gap in payments. At the end of the run-on, Social Security Scotland ends the ADP award itself, without you having to apply, and it will tell you when your ADP will stop.

The 13 week timeline, step by step

It helps to picture the move as a short overlapping period rather than a single switchover date. Here is how the weeks fall.

If you are under State Pension age, the single most useful habit is to treat the move and the start of your new claim as almost the same task. The 13 weeks is generous, but a rest-of-UK claim can take time to decide, and you cannot be paid PIP for the same days as your ADP run-on, so the earlier you get the claim in, the less risk there is of your ADP running out long before the new benefit is in payment.

Telling Social Security Scotland you are moving

Reporting the move is a duty, not an option. mygov.scot lists moving away from Scotland, temporarily or permanently, among the changes you must tell Social Security Scotland about. You can phone free on 0800 182 2222 (8am to 5pm, Monday to Friday) or use the online change of circumstances form. The law also covers a move you tell them about in advance, but for the new address itself mygov.scot asks you to report it once you have moved, and Social Security Scotland will need proof of address such as a bank or building society statement or a utility bill. Have your National Insurance number and bank details ready too.

Reporting the move does not start the run-on, and reporting it late does not give you extra weeks. By law the 13 weeks begin on the date you stop being ordinarily resident in Scotland, regardless of when you tell Social Security Scotland. Any ADP paid for days after the 13 weeks is treated as an overpayment, and mygov.scot warns that if you do not tell Social Security Scotland about your move within 13 weeks, you could be overpaid. A disability benefit stopping can also affect anyone who gets Carer's Allowance or Carer Support Payment for looking after you.

Claiming PIP in the rest of the UK

Once you live in England, Wales or Northern Ireland you make a fresh claim for Personal Independence Payment through the Department for Work and Pensions, or the Department for Communities in Northern Ireland. This is a new claim in its own right. It is scored on its own, and the department reaches its own decision. Although Adult Disability Payment broadly aligns with Personal Independence Payment and uses the same activities and points thresholds, the rest-of-UK process is run by a different body under different regulations.

In England and Wales you start the claim by calling the PIP new claims line on 0800 917 2222 (8am to 5pm, Monday to Friday), or by writing to Freepost DWP PIP 1. You then fill in the "How your disability affects you" form, which you should return within 1 month, and you might need an assessment if more information is needed. In Northern Ireland, nidirect explains how to claim through the PIP Centre. Your ADP history can help with the PIP qualifying period: where an ADP award for the same component and substantially the same condition ended no more than 2 years before the PIP claim, the three month part of the qualifying period does not have to be served again (regulation 15 of the PIP regulations).

The two benefits share the activities but not the process, and the differences matter once you are in the PIP system. See ADP and PIP compared.

The practical differences are worth bracing for. In Scotland, most ADP determinations are made on the papers, and Social Security Scotland can collect supporting information for you from the people you give permission to contact. In the rest-of-UK process, gov.uk says you might need to have an assessment if more information is needed, and it asks you to include supporting documents you already have, such as prescription lists, care plans or information from your doctor. The language differs too. Terms such as consultation and health and social care practitioner belong to the Scottish system, while the rest-of-UK process uses its own assessment framework.

If you are over State Pension age

This is where people moving from Scotland can be given the wrong answer. The general rule is that you cannot usually make a new claim for Personal Independence Payment once you are over State Pension age, and gov.uk points you to Attendance Allowance instead. But there is an exception that covers this situation, and gov.uk states it in one line.

People who reach State Pension age while getting ADP in Scotland stay on ADP; they are not moved to Pension Age Disability Payment. So if you have been on ADP for years, including on an award with no review date, the move ends that award once the run-on finishes, but it does not shut you out of PIP.

The law behind the 12 month rule

The rule is regulation 26 of the Social Security (Personal Independence Payment) Regulations 2013, which works together with regulation 15. Since 21 March 2022 both have counted a previous award of adult disability payment in the same way as a previous award of personal independence payment. Where regulation 26 applies, the State Pension age bar in section 83 of the Welfare Reform Act 2012 does not apply to your new claim. It applies when:

• your ADP award ended no more than 1 year before the date you make the PIP claim (regulation 26 shortens the usual 2 years in regulation 15 to 1 year for people over State Pension age)
• your ADP award included the same component you are now entitled to
• the Department for Work and Pensions accepts that your needs come from substantially the same condition or conditions as your ADP award, or from a new condition that developed as a result of one of them

When the 12 months starts

The 12 months is measured from the day your ADP award ended to the date you make your PIP claim. After a move, your ADP award ends when the 13 week run-on finishes, so that is where the clock starts, not the day you moved or the day you reached State Pension age. Do not treat the 12 months as time to spare, though.

When to make the PIP claim

gov.uk tells people moving with ADP to apply for PIP as soon as they move, and that is the right advice if you are under State Pension age. Over State Pension age it is not the safest course. Regulation 15 only applies where your previous award ended before the date of the PIP claim, and an ADP award still in its 13 week run-on has not ended yet. The matching rules for Child Disability Payment (regulation 15A(5)) and Scottish Adult Disability Living Allowance (regulation 15B(6)) treat an award still in its 13 week run-on as having ended immediately before the PIP claim, but regulation 15 has no such provision for ADP. A claim made during the run-on can therefore be refused because of your age.

The safest course is to ring the PIP new claims line on the first working day after your ADP ends. Social Security Scotland will tell you the date your ADP stops. If your ADP has already ended, ring straight away: PIP is paid from the date you make the claim and cannot be backdated before it, so every day of delay is money you cannot get back. When you call, say that you are over State Pension age, that you were getting ADP from Social Security Scotland and when it stopped, and keep your ADP award letter to hand, as it shows which components and rates you had.

If you have already claimed during the run-on and the claim is turned down because of your age, you can make a new claim once your ADP has ended, as long as you are still inside the 12 months, and you can also challenge the decision.

People who get Scottish Adult Disability Living Allowance rather than ADP follow different rules (regulations 15B and 26A of the PIP regulations), so the timing in this section is for ADP only. If that is your benefit, ask the PIP new claims line or a welfare rights adviser how the rules apply to you before you claim.

Limits on the mobility component

Over State Pension age, the mobility component of a new PIP award is tied to what you had on ADP. Regulation 26(2)(c)(i) says you are entitled to the enhanced rate of the mobility component "only if C was entitled to that rate of that component under the previous award of personal independence payment or adult disability payment", where C means the claimant. Read with the rest of regulation 26, that means:

• Enhanced rate mobility on ADP. PIP can include the enhanced rate of mobility if the Department for Work and Pensions assesses you as having severely limited ability with mobility activities, or the standard rate if it assesses you as having limited ability.
• Standard rate mobility on ADP. The most PIP can pay is the standard rate of mobility, even if your needs now meet the enhanced rate.
• No mobility component on ADP. The new PIP award cannot include the mobility component at either rate.

These limits apply to mobility only; regulation 26 does not cap the daily living component in the same way. They are also a ceiling rather than a promise. The Department for Work and Pensions still assesses the new claim and makes its own decision on both components.

If more than 12 months have passed

Once more than 12 months have gone by since your ADP ended, the exception no longer helps and the usual rule applies: over State Pension age you claim Attendance Allowance instead. Attendance Allowance is paid at £76.70 or £114.60 a week if you need help caring for yourself or someone to supervise you, but gov.uk is clear that "It does not cover mobility needs." To get it you normally need to have needed help for at least 6 months, and you cannot get it at the same time as ADP or PIP. In Northern Ireland, Attendance Allowance is dealt with by the Disability and Carers Service.

What happens to a Motability vehicle

Ring Motability as soon as you have a moving date. It gives 0345 155 6011 for questions about an allowance ending, and its customer services line is 0300 456 4566. Its published rules say this:

• The enhanced rate mobility part of PIP is a qualifying allowance for the Scheme, just as the enhanced rate mobility part of ADP is.
• If your allowance changes to a different allowance, Motability says whether you can stay on the Scheme depends what it changes to.
• If your allowance ends during your lease, Motability says you will not be eligible for the Scheme any more. It asks you to let it know if your allowance provider tells you that you are no longer eligible, and says it will write to you about when to hand the vehicle back and help you return it.
• Attendance Allowance does not qualify. Motability says you cannot apply to join the Scheme if you receive it.
• If you are 65 or over, Motability says you can apply as long as you already receive a qualifying allowance with at least 12 months left.

Put together with the age rules above, for most people the route to staying on the Scheme after a move over State Pension age is a PIP award that includes the enhanced rate mobility part, and that is only possible if your ADP included the enhanced rate of the mobility component. Ask Motability what happens to your lease payments if your ADP stops before your PIP decision arrives. For how the Scheme works with ADP, see ADP and Motability.

If you get Pension Age Disability Payment

If you first claimed in Scotland after reaching State Pension age, you will be on Pension Age Disability Payment rather than ADP. It follows the same pattern on a move: mygov.scot says it continues for up to 13 weeks after you move, under regulation 45 of the Disability Assistance for Older People (Scotland) Regulations 2024, which mirrors the ADP rule. The rest-of-UK equivalent is Attendance Allowance, and gov.uk says to apply for it as soon as you move to England or Wales. The 12 month PIP rule does not help here, because it only counts a previous award of PIP or ADP, and neither Pension Age Disability Payment nor Attendance Allowance has a mobility part.

Moving to Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland has its own PIP regulations, but the same exception is there. Regulation 26 of the Personal Independence Payment Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2016 also refers to a previous award of adult disability payment, with the same 1 year limit and the same mobility limits. Regulation 15 of the Northern Ireland regulations is worded in the same way, with no provision treating ADP as ended during the run-on, so the same timing applies: over State Pension age, claim on the first working day after your ADP ends. Claims go through the Department for Communities, so tell them when you claim that your previous award was ADP from Social Security Scotland.

Common mistakes when moving out of Scotland

Most problems come down to timing and paperwork rather than the rules themselves. These are the ones that catch people out.

• Assuming the award transfers. It does not. You must make a fresh claim for the rest-of-UK benefit; the run-on only buys you time to do it.
• Leaving the new claim too late. If you are under State Pension age, claiming in week 12 risks a gap between ADP stopping and the new benefit starting. Over State Pension age, the risk is waiting long after your ADP ends, because PIP cannot be backdated.
• Not reporting the move. The run-on starts on the day you move whether or not you report it, so silence buys no extra time, and ADP paid for days after the 13 weeks is treated as an overpayment.
• Accepting that you cannot claim PIP over State Pension age. If you got ADP in the last 12 months, you can make a new PIP claim, and the safest time to make it is the first working day after your ADP ends. See the section above.
• Confusing the two directions. Moving out of Scotland, Social Security Scotland pays the run-on. Moving into Scotland, the Department for Work and Pensions (or the Department for Communities, from Northern Ireland) does. Mixing them up leads to calling the wrong office.

What if you move back to Scotland

Life is rarely a straight line, and plenty of people move out of Scotland and later return. If that happens, the process runs the other way. The Department for Work and Pensions keeps paying your Personal Independence Payment for 13 weeks from the date you move to Scotland, and you apply for Adult Disability Payment from Social Security Scotland as soon as possible after moving, without waiting for the letter that gives your PIP end date. If your application is successful, mygov.scot says your ADP may be backdated to the day after your PIP ends, depending on your circumstances. When you are back in the Scottish system you also regain its features: mostly paper-based determinations, help collecting supporting information, rolling awards with no fixed end date and the 42, 56 and 31 day timescales for challenging a determination. Our companion guide on moving to Scotland walks through that direction in detail.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does my Adult Disability Payment stop the day I leave Scotland?

No. Your ADP continues for up to 13 weeks after you move to England, Wales or Northern Ireland, counted from the day you stop living in Scotland, and is paid as normal. That run-on gives you time to claim Personal Independence Payment, but you cannot be paid PIP for the same days, so if you are under State Pension age, claim as soon as you have moved. Over State Pension age, the safest time to claim is the first working day after your ADP ends.

When should I tell Social Security Scotland I am moving?

When you move, and certainly within 13 weeks. Call free on 0800 182 2222 or use the online form; mygov.scot asks you to report a new address once you have moved, with proof of address. Reporting does not start the run-on. The 13 weeks begin on the day you stop living in Scotland, and ADP paid after them is treated as an overpayment.

How do I claim PIP after leaving Scotland?

In England or Wales, call the PIP new claims line on 0800 917 2222. In Northern Ireland you claim through the Department for Communities. If you are under State Pension age, gov.uk says to apply as soon as you move, so start well within the run-on. Over State Pension age, ring on the first working day after your ADP ends instead. It is a fresh claim under the rest-of-UK rules, not an automatic transfer of your ADP award.

Will I have to be assessed again when I claim PIP?

Possibly. ADP broadly aligns with Personal Independence Payment, but it is a separate benefit run by a different body. The Department for Work and Pensions (or the Department for Communities in Northern Ireland) makes its own decision, and you might need an assessment if more information is needed, which differs from the paper-based approach common in Scotland.

Can I claim PIP if I am over State Pension age and moving from Scotland?

Yes, if you got ADP in the last 12 months. gov.uk says you can make a new claim for PIP if you got PIP or ADP in the last 12 months, under regulation 26 of the PIP regulations. The 12 months runs from the day your ADP ended to the date of your PIP claim, your needs must come from substantially the same condition (or one that developed from it) and the mobility component cannot be higher than the rate you had on ADP. Claim on the first working day after your ADP ends rather than during the run-on, and if it has already ended, claim straight away, because PIP cannot be backdated before the date of your claim.

What happens to my Motability car if I move over State Pension age?

The enhanced rate mobility part of PIP qualifies for the Motability Scheme, and over State Pension age a new PIP award can only include it if your ADP did. If your allowance ends, Motability says you will not be eligible any more and it will help you return the vehicle, and Attendance Allowance does not qualify. Call Motability on 0345 155 6011 as soon as you know your moving date.

What if I move back to Scotland later?

The process reverses. The Department for Work and Pensions keeps paying your Personal Independence Payment for 13 weeks from the date of the move, and you apply for ADP from Social Security Scotland as soon as possible after moving. If the application succeeds, ADP may be backdated to the day after your PIP ends. See our guide on moving to Scotland for that direction.

Can I keep my ADP if I am only moving temporarily?

A temporary stay elsewhere is different from moving your home. mygov.scot says that if you are away temporarily inside the Common Travel Area, which includes the rest of the UK, there is no time limit as long as it is not a permanent move away from your address in Scotland. If you are unsure whether your plans count as moving, call Social Security Scotland on 0800 182 2222 before you decide.

Do I get to keep the same amount when I move to PIP?

During the run-on you keep your ADP as normal. After that the amount depends on the decision on your new Personal Independence Payment claim. The benefits broadly align, but a fresh claim is scored on its own, so the outcome may not match your ADP award, and over State Pension age the mobility component cannot go higher than the rate you had on ADP.