Overview of Short-term Assistance

Short-term Assistance is a temporary payment. You can apply for this payment if you ask Social Security Scotland to look again at their decision about your Child Disability Payment or Adult Disability Payment. This process is called a re-determination. 

If you go on to appeal a decision, you can make another application for Short-term Assistance. You must ask for a re-determination before you can appeal. The Social Security Chamber of the First-tier Tribunal considers appeals. They’re independent and not part of Social Security Scotland.

You can only apply for Short-term Assistance if:

• Social Security Scotland reduces or stops your disability payment
• your request for a re-determination or appeal is accepted

How Short-term Assistance works

If your application is successful, Social Security Scotland will pay you Short-term Assistance while your re-determination or appeal is ongoing. The payment replaces the amount your disability payment was reduced by.

Short-term Assistance payments start once your re-determination or appeal request is accepted. They stop once the re-determination or appeal decision is made. 

You’ll be paid Short-term Assistance in the same way as your disability payment.  

If you apply for Short-term Assistance, it does not affect your re-determination or appeal decision.

When to apply for Short-term Assistance 

You should apply for Short-term Assistance at the same time you ask for:

• a re-determination 
• an appeal  

You cannot apply after the re-determination or appeal decision is made.

Your Short-term Assistance payments

You do not have to pay back any Short-term Assistance you're entitled to. It is not affected by Social Security Scotland’s new disability payment decision or your appeal outcome. 

If your re-determination or appeal is successful you may be owed some disability payment arrears or backdated payments. Social Security Scotland will deduct any Short-term Assistance you have been paid from those arrears so they do not overpay you.