Make a new application to Social Security Scotland

What you need to do

After you’ve told the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) about your change of address, you should contact Social Security Scotland if you get any of these benefits:

• Carer’s Allowance
• Disability Living Allowance (DLA) for children
• Personal Independence Payment (PIP)

To contact Social Security Scotland:

• call free on 0800 182 2222, opening times are Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm (except for bank holidays)
• contact the Text Relay Service on 18001 +0300 244 4000 (for the hard of hearing)
• British Sign Language users can use the Contact Scotland service
   

DWP will continue to pay your disability and carer benefits for 13 weeks from the date of your move.

Social Security Scotland can take several weeks to process applications. If you delay, you could:

• have a break in payment
• miss out on benefits or money you might be entitled to

Go to the 'How to apply' section at the bottom of this page to find out more. 

Backdated awards

If your application to Social Security Scotland is successful, your award entitlement may be backdated to the day after your DWP benefit ends. The backdated period will depend on your circumstances. 

Social Security Scotland will send you a letter with your award details, including any payments due to you for a backdated award.

What you need to do

After you’ve told the Department for Communities (NI) about your change of address, you should contact Social Security Scotland if you get any of these benefits:

• Carer’s Allowance
• Disability Living Allowance (DLA) for children
• Personal Independence Payment (PIP)

To contact Social Security Scotland:

• call free on 0800 182 2222 (choose option ‘X’ after the recorded message) – opening times are Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm (except for bank holidays)
• contact the Text Relay Service on 18001 +0300 244 4000 (for the hard of hearing)
• British Sign Language users can use the Contact Scotland service

The Department for Communities (NI) will continue to pay your disability and carer benefits for 13 weeks from the date of your move.

Social Security Scotland can take several weeks to process applications. If you delay, you could:

• have a break in payment
• miss out on benefits or money you might be entitled to

Go to the 'How to apply' section at the bottom of this page to find out more.

Backdated awards

If your application to Social Security Scotland is successful, your award entitlement may be backdated to the day after your Department for Communities (NI) benefit ends. The backdated period will depend on your circumstances. 

Social Security Scotland will send you a letter with your award details, including any payments due to you for a backdated award.

Adult Disability Payment is extra money to help people who have a long-term illness or a disability that affects their everyday life.

Learn more about Adult Disability Payment.

Your entitlement to PIP will stop 13 weeks after you move. Apply for Adult Disability Payment as soon as possible after moving or your payments could be affected. 

You cannot get Adult Disability Payment and PIP at the same time.

If you're over State Pension age

Whether a person can get the mobility component over pension age will depend on whether they were receiving it as part of PIP. Social Security Scotland will likely need copies of a person’s previous award letter to confirm this.

Check your State Pension age on GOV.UK.

Find out about requesting your personal information from DWP on GOV.UK.

For carers

If you get Carer's Allowance for someone on a disability benefit who has moved to Scotland and you’ve also moved to Scotland:

• you'll need to tell DWP your change of address
• you can make a new application to Social Security Scotland for Carer Support Payment

Child Disability Payment provides support for the extra costs that a disabled child might have.

Learn more about Child Disability Payment.

Their entitlement to DLA for children will stop 13 weeks after you move. Apply for Child Disability Payment as soon as possible after moving or your payments could be affected.

You cannot get Child Disability Payment and DLA for children at the same time. 

For carers

If you get Carer's Allowance for someone on a disability benefit who has moved to Scotland and you’ve also moved to Scotland:

• you'll need to tell DWP your change of address
• you can make a new application to Social Security Scotland for Carer Support Payment

Carer Support Payment is money to help people who spend over 35 hours per week caring for someone who receives qualifying disability benefits. Carer Support Payment is paid at the same rate as Carer’s Allowance. 

Learn more about Carer Support Payment.

Your entitlement to Carer’s Allowance will stop 13 weeks after you move. Apply for Carer Support Payment as soon as possible, after moving to Scotland.

If you’re a carer who’s moved to Scotland, you can apply for Carer Support Payment regardless of whether the cared for person lives in Scotland or the rest of the UK. You must be still caring for a person receiving disability benefits for 35 hours a week.

If the person you care for is also moving to Scotland, their benefit needs to be awarded to make you eligible for Carer Support Payment. Their application may take longer to process than yours. This means your payments could be affected.

You cannot get Carer Support Payment and Carer's Allowance at the same time. 

Extra payments

If you get Carer Support Payment, you may get these extra payments automatically:

• Carer's Allowance  Supplement, twice a year
• Christmas Bonus – learn more at GOV.UK
• National Insurance credits – learn more at GOV.UK

You do not need to apply for any of these.

Learn more about support for carers.

Apply online

Choose from the following:

• Apply online for Adult Disability Payment

• Apply online for Child Disability Payment

• Apply online for Carer Support Payment
• How to apply if you have a terminal illness

Apply by phone

Social Security Scotland might not have your personal details or details of your award on record. It’ll help if you have the following information ready before you call:

• your National Insurance number
• proof of your new address in Scotland, like a tenancy agreement or utility bill
• the date you moved to Scotland
• benefit award or entitlement letter from DWP or the Department for Communities (NI)
• bank account details

To contact Social Security Scotland:

• call free on 0800 182 2222 - opening times are Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm (except for bank holidays)
• contact the Text Relay Service on 18001 +0300 244 4000 (for the hard of hearing)
• British Sign Language users can use the Contact Scotland service

Paper application forms are accepted but may take longer to process than online or by phone. 

You can contact Social Security Scotland to request a paper form or support to complete an application if needed.

If you have the legal right to act for the person

You do not need to apply to become an appointee if you already have the legal right to act for someone. This could be because you have:

• power of attorney
• a guardianship order
• another court order allowing you to manage the person’s benefits

Social Security Scotland will need to see proof of your legal rights. They’ll ask you to send them the original legal documents or certified copies. 

Find out more about acting on behalf of someone applying for benefits.

Third party representatives

If a person can make their own decisions, they cannot have an appointee. However, you can still help them as a third party representative. 

Find out how to get authorised as a third party representative.

If you want to become an appointee

You can apply to become an appointee if you do not already have the legal right to act for the person.

A Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) appointee cannot normally act for someone’s Social Security Scotland applications and awards. This is because Scottish law about appointees is different to UK law. Scottish law aims to give greater protection to disabled adults and support their wishes and feelings. 

Find out more about applying to become an appointee. 

If you live in Scotland and have been diagnosed with a terminal illness, you can apply for disability benefits under Special Rules for Terminal Illness.

Benefits awarded under Special Rules for Terminal Illness by Social Security Scotland differ from the rest of the UK in two ways:

1. Social Security Scotland does not require your healthcare professional to determine life expectancy when supporting your application.
2. They're lifetime awards and will not be reviewed unless your circumstances change.

Find out more about how to apply for Scottish disability benefits if you have a terminal illness.

It's free for you to apply in a language that’s not English. This is only available over the phone. 

Contact Social Security Scotland to apply over the phone. You can do this in over 100 languages with an interpreter they’ll give you on the phone. You can also book a call in advance. 

The online and paper application forms are only in English. 

When you apply you can ask for any letters Social Security Scotland send to you to be in other languages.

When you apply you can ask for any letters Social Security Scotland send to you to be in other formats, such as:

• large print
• braille
• Easy Read

Contact Social Security Scotland to request a letter in a different format.