FOI/202600508271 · FOI · cost limit
Adult disability payment (ADP) reviews and renewals: FOI release
Information requested
All of the below information requested is in regard to Adult Disability Payment in Scotland. Can you please tell me:
Request for information 1: How many review cases of Adult Disability Payment are currently waiting to have a decision made on them?
Request for information 2: Are new claims for ADP and renewals dealt with by the same group of staff, or is it a different team/department?
Request for information 3: How many case managers are currently working solely on reviews of ADP?
Request for information 4: What is the average length of time that it takes for an individuals' ADP to be renewed following the review date?
Response
Individuals are informed in their decision letter that they will have a scheduled review after a certain date. This is to ensure that they still meet the eligibility criteria and continue to receive the appropriate rate. Unscheduled reviews are different from scheduled reviews. New information becoming available may prompt an unscheduled review of the individual’s case. Common examples include:
a new health condition that impacts on the individual’s ability to carry out the daily living and/or mobility activities
or
a deterioration or improvement in a condition that impacts on the individual’s ability to carry out the daily living and /or mobility activities.
Our ‘review’ process involves making a determination without a person in receipt of Adult or Child Disability Payment having to fill in a new application form. A change in circumstance can be reported by filling in a form online or on paper or by calling Social Security Scotland.
Guidance relating to change of circumstance can be found on the stakeholder resources and guidance section of our corporate website, but you may wish to note that clients remain in payment whilst awaiting a review decision and payments are backdated if a higher award is made.
Request for information 1:
As of 27 February 2026, 31,429 Adult Disability Payment reviews were ongoing. These included scheduled and unscheduled reviews and clients reporting a change of circumstances.
Request for information 2: These are dealt with by separate teams.
Request for information 3: I have interpreted your request as relating to the number of Full Time Equivalent (FTE) Case Managers who are engaged in processing reviews for Adult Disability Payment. As at 27 February 2026 174.48 Full Time Equivalent Case Managers were engaged in processing reviews for Adult Disability Payment.
It should also be noted that our workforce is increasingly multi-disciplinary and moves to priorities as per demand to meet benefit delivery. Therefore, the above figure is an indication of FTE staff processing Adult Disability Payment reviews on 27 February 2026 but should not be interpreted as a constant or historical staffing level for the processing of reviews.
Request for information 4: While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the cost of locating, retrieving and providing the information requested would exceed the upper cost limit of £600 underSection 12 of FOISA. This is because analysis would be required for over 230,000 reviews and a manual calculation of start and end dates for each review is required to calculate your request. Under section 12 of FOISA public authorities are not required to comply with a request for information if the authority estimates that the cost of complying would exceed the upper cost limit, which is currently set at £600 by Regulations made under section 12.
You may, however, wish to consider reducing the scope of your request in order that the costs can be brought below £600. You may wish to do this by narrowing the timeframe of your request or requesting a specific number of records to be analysed. You may also find it helpful to look at the Scottish Information Commissioner's 'Tips for requesting information under FOI and the EIRs' on his website at:
How do I ask for information? | Scottish Information Commissioner
You may be interested in our latest Official Published Statistics relating to Adult Disability Payment: Adult Disability Payment statistics to 31 October 2025 - Social Security Scotland. Information on reviews can be found on Table 28.
About FOI
The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at https://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.
Contact Please quote the FOI reference Central Correspondence Unit Email: contactus@gov.scot Phone: 0300 244 4000 The Scottish Government St Andrew's House Regent Road Edinburgh EH1 3DG
Detected exemption language
Request for information 4: While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the cost of locating, retrieving and providing the information requested would exceed the upper cost limit of £600 underSection 12 of FOISA. Under section 12 of FOISA public authorities are not required to comply with a request for information if the authority estimates that the cost of complying would exceed the upper cost limit, which is currently set at £600 by Regulations made under section 12.
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