UK Benefit Reform: What It Means for Scotland

The UK Government announced in March that it is planning major changes to disability benefits, especially Personal Independence Payment (PIP), starting from 2026. These changes include making it harder to qualify for PIP, increasing face-to-face assessments, and using PIP as the gateway to health-related top-ups in Universal Credit. There has been a lot of talk around how this will affect Scotland, so we’ve summarised the key things you should know.

Key Information:

• In Scotland, PIP has been replaced by Adult Disability Payment (ADP), which is run by the Scottish Government.
• The Scottish Government has confirmed it will not make the same changes, and ADP will continue to be more inclusive and easier to access.
• Scotland gets funding from the UK Government based on how much is spent on PIP in England and Wales. If UK spending goes down, Scotland’s share drops too. The Scottish Government could have a shortfall of up to £850 million by 2029.
• Due to the number of Carers expected to lose entitlement to Carers Allowance in England and Wales, the Scottish Government may also need to cover funding shortfalls to maintain Carer Support Payment levels.
• We don’t yet know how Adult Disability Payment claimants in Scotland will access the health element of Universal Credit in 2028.

We’ll keep an eye on developments and update you with any decisions that are made, particularly around the implications for unpaid Carers. You can read the Scottish Government’s briefing paper on the proposed reforms below.

Photo by William Warby: https://www.pexels.com/photo/coins-in-white-background-19679312/