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Literature Review: Decision-making for Adult Disability Payment

This literature review commissioned by the Scottish Commission on Social Security and produced by The Lines Between, explores decision-making for Adult Disability Payment.

8. Works cited

Audit Scotland, “Adult Disability Payment,” Scottish Parliament, Edinburgh, 2025.
E. Harris, “The Independent Review of Adult Disability Payment,” Scottish Government, 2024, Edinburgh.
Scottish Government, “Disability benefits policy evaluation: Decision-making,” Scottish Government, Scotland, 2026.
C. Kidner, “Disability Benefit Reform - Implications for Scotland,” SPICe Spotlight, 18 March 2025.
Social Security Scotland, “Client Survey - Adult and Child Disability Payment October 2024 March 2025: Summary Report,” Social Research, Scotland, 2025.
C. O'Cinneide, “The Social Security (Scotland) Act 2018 – A Rights-Based Approach to Social Security?,” Edinburgh Law Review, vol. 23, no. 1, pp. 117-123, 2019.
Scottish Government, “A New Future for Social Security: Consultation on Social Security in Scotland,” p. 3, 2016.
S. Wright, A. B. Stewart and P. Dwyer, “Final Findings: Social Security in Scotland,” ESRC, 2018.
P. Gray, “The Second Independent Review of the Personal Independence Payment Assessment,” Department for Work and Pensions, London, 2017.
G. Bowron, “From Assessment to Exclusion: Exploring the Role of Disability Hierarchies in PIP Claimant Experiences,” LSE Department of Social Policy, London, 2024.
M. Davies, L. Porter , H. Lepps and A. Bicquelet, “Experiences of Personal Independence Payment (PIP) for people with sensory loss,” Thomas Pocklington Trust, Royal National Institute of Blind People,, 2017.
H. Roberts, S. R. Stuart, S. Allan and A. Gumley, “‘It’s like the Sword of Damocles’ – A trauma informed framework analysis of individuals’ experiences of assessment for the Personal Independence Payment benefit in the UK,” Journal of Social Policy, vol. 53, no. 4, pp. 997-1015, 2022.
K. Pybus, K. E. Pickett, C. Lloyd, S. L. Prady and E. R. Wilkenson, “Functional assessments in the UK social security system: the experiences of claimants,” Journal of Social Policy, vol. 50, no. 2, pp. 305-322, 2021.
Department for Work and Pensions, “Health Transformation Programme management information to January 2025,” Department for Work and Pensions, London, 2025.
J. Barry, M. Blake, L. Bridges, D. Candy, E. Carragher, E. Duxbury, H. Fowler, C. Lambert and L. Morris, “Personal Independence Claimant Research - Final Report,” Department for Work and Pensions, London, 2018.
Department for Work and Pensions, “Question for Department of Work and Pensions: Personal Independence Payment Medical Examinations,” UK Parliament, London, 2024.
A. Mackley, F. Hobson and S. Kennedy, “Personal Independence Payment and disabled people,” House of Commons Library, London, 2025.
L. Judge and L. Murphy, “Delivering dignity? Early Lessons from the Introduction of Adult Disability Payment in Scotland,” Resolution Foundation, 2025.
S. Halliday, T. Csoban, R. Friskney, G. Macintyre, J. Meers, B. Seyd and J. Tomlinson, “Bureaucratic justice in disability benefits.,” Administrative Fairness Lab Report, 2025.
D. Heap, “Goodbye to PIP, but hello to what? Disability, social security, devolution and policy change in Scotland,” Policy Press, vol. 32, no. 1, pp. 170-180, 2024.
Scottish Government, “Adult Disability Payment: Consultation on the Mobility Component,” Scottish Government, Edinburgh, 2023.
MS Society, “Send your MSP a message: scrap the PIP 20m rule,” MS Society, 2021.
Scottish Government, “Adult Disability Payment Regulations: Analysis of Consultation Responses,” Scottish Government, Edinburgh, 2021.
Social Security Scotland, “Client Survey - 2023-2024: Summary Report,” Social Research, Scotland, 2024.
Resolution Foundation, “Reforms to Scottish disability payments suggest that the system can be kinder without being costlier,” Resolution Foundation, 2025.
Scottish Government, “Scottish Government Response to the Independent Review of Adult Disability Payment Final Report,” Scottish Government, Scotland, 2026.
mygov.scot, “Consultations Overview,” [Online]. Available: https://www.mygov.scot/adult disability-payment-consultations.
Scottish Government , “Scottish Government Response to the Independent Review of Adult Disability Payment Final Report,” Scottish Government, Scotland, 2026.
Benefits and Work: Guides you can trust, “More positive changes for Scottish PIP claimants as ADP rolls out,” 17 March 2022. [Online]. Available: https://www.benefitsandwork.co.uk/news/more-positive-changes-for-scottish-pip-claimants as-adp-rolls-out. [Accessed 27 February 2026].
Scottish Government, “Disability benefits - supporting information: qualitative research,” Scottish Government , Scotland, 2023.
mygov.scot, “If you need help challenging a decision,” Scottish Government, 2026.
Social Security Scotland, “Information relating to new applications to Adult Disability Payment scheme: FOI release,” Social Security Scotland, Edinburgh, 2024.
E. Young, “From advice to action: Improving access to disability payments,” Citizens Advice Scotland, Scotland, 2025.
Disability Rights UK, “Independent Review of Scottish Adult Disability Payment Highlights Importance Of “A Compassionate, Practical And Accessible System”,” 1 August 2024. [Online]. Available: https://www.disabilityrightsuk.org/news/independent-review-scottish-adult disability-payment-highlights-importance-%E2%80%9C-compassionate. [Accessed 16 2 2026].
Social Security Scotland, “Adult Disability Payment Statistics March 2025 to 31 October 2025,” Social Security Scotland, Scotland, 2025.
Department for Work and Pensions, “Personal Independence Payment: Official Statistics to October 2025,” gov.uk, London, 2025.
Department for Work and Pensions, “Personal Independence Payment Statistics to April 2025,” gov.uk, London, 2025.
Social Security Scotland, “Information relating to pending Adult Disability Payment applications awaiting supporting information: FOI release,” 26 April 2024. [Online]. Available: https://www.socialsecurity.gov.scot/publications/2024/04/information-relating-to-pending adult-disability-payment-applications-awaiting-supporting-information-foi-release. [Accessed 1 February 2026].
Social Security Scotland, “Information relating to Adult Disability Payment applications which are delayed due to an IT issue: FOI release,” 5 March 2024. [Online]. Available: https://www.socialsecurity.gov.scot/publications/2024/03/information-relating-to-adult disability-payment-applications-which-are-delayed-due-to-an-it-issue-foi-release. [Accessed 5 February 2026].
P. Gray, “An Independent Review of Personal Independent Payment Assessment,” UK Government, London, 2014.
S. Ray-Chaudhuri and T. Waters, “What has happened to disability benefits in Scotland? An update,” Institute for Fiscal Studies, 2024.
E. Congreve, “New awards of disability benefits for adults: Comparing Scotland with England and Wales,” Scottish Health Equity Research Unit, Glasgow, 2024.
Citizens Advice Scotland, “Challenging a Social Security Scotland benefit decision,” Citizens Advice, [Online]. Available: https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/scotland/benefits/benefits introduction/problems-with-benefits-and-tax-credits/challenging-benefit decisions/challenging-a-social-security-scotland-decision/challenging-a-social-security scotland-benefit-decision/. [Accessed 24 February 2026].
Citizens Advice , “Challenging a PIP decision - mandatory reconsideration,” Citizens Advice, [Online]. Available: https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/benefits/sick-or-disabled-people-and carers/pip/appeals/mandatory-reconsideration-pip/. [Accessed 24 February 2026].
Department for Work and Pensions, “Personal Independence statistics to July 2025,” UK Government, London, 2025.
R. Erez, “PIP fails: how the PIP process betrays people with MS,” MS Society, 2019.
Citizens Advice Scotland, “Client experience of Social Security Scotland’s redetermination and appeals process,” Scottish Parliament, Edinburgh, 2024.
C. Barnard and A. Ludlow, “Administrative (in)justice? Appellants’ experiences of accessing justice in social security tribunals.,” Public Law: the constitutional and administrative law of the commonwealth, 2022.
W. Rader, “Personal Independence Payment: An Independent Review of the Assessment Process,” Department of Communities (Northern Ireland), Belfast, 2018.
M. Cavanaugh, “Personal Independence Payment: A Second Independent Review of the Assessment Process,” Department of Communities (Northern Ireland), Belfast, 2020.
Child Action Poverty Group, “Response to the Adult Disability Payment Review: Call for Views,” CPAG, Scotland, 2024.
Child Poverty Action Group, “'Mandatory Reconsideration' in 2024: A briefing from CPAG's early warning system,” Child Poverty Action Group, 2014.
L. Blair, “A Rubber Stamp: Mandatory Reconsideration in the Personal Independence Payment application process,” Citizens Advice, Surrey, 2019.
K. Pybus, K. E. Pickett, S. L. Prady, C. Lloyd and R. Wilkenson, “Discrediting experiences: outcomes of eligibility assessments for claimants with psychiatric compared with non psychiatric conditions transferring to Personal Independence Payments in England,” British Journal of Psychiatry Open, vol. 5, no. 2, pp. 1-5, 2019.
F. McCormack and R. Machin, “The impact of the transition to Personal Independence Payment on claimants with mental health problems,” Disability & Society, vol. 38, no. 6, pp. 1029-1052, 2021.
Department for Work and Pensions, “Understanding PIP Applicant Experiences: the experience of applicants with anxiety,” Department for Work and Pensions, London, 2025.
Department for Communities Northern Ireland, “Personal Independence Payment Statistics - November 2025,” Department for Communities Northern Ireland, Belfast, 2025.
D. Kasparova, A. Marsh and D. Wilkinson, “The take-up rate of Disability Living Allowance and Attendance Allowance: Feasibility study,” Department for Work and Pensions, London, 2007.
Citizens Advice Scotland, “Insights into Adult Disability Payment: Evidence from Citizens Advice Scotland Quarter3 2025-2026,” Citizens Advice Scotland, Scotland, 2026.
Citizens Advice, “Written evidence from Citizens Advice (PIP0014),” UK Parliament, London, 2017.
Department for Work and Pensions, “Applicants' Journeys to Claiming PIP: Research,” Department for Work and Pensions, London, 2025.
Citizens Advice Scotland, “Client experience of Social Security Scotland’s redetermination and appeals process,” Scottish Parliament, Edinburgh, 2024.
Citizens Advice Scotland, “Insight into Adult Disability Payment: Evidence from Citizzens Advice Scotland Quarter 1 2025-2026,” Citizens Advice Scotland, Scotland, 2025.
Social Security Scotland, “Social Security Experience Panels - re-determinations and appeals, fraud and special measures for COVID-19: main report,” Social Security Scotland, Scotland, 2023.
SCoSS, “Scrutiny report on draft regulations: Disability Assistance for Working Age People (Scotland) Regulations,” Scottish Parliament, Edinburgh, 2021.
Social Research, “Client experiences of re-determinations, appeals and complaints,” Social Security Scotland, Scotland, 2024.
J. Shaw, “Jam today? The financial impact of claiming short-term assistance in Scotland,” Child Poverty Action Group, Scotland, 2023.
Social Security Scotland, “Benefit processing times and targets: FOI release,” Scottish Parliament, Edinburgh, 2023.
Scottish Government, “Independent Review of Adult Disability Payment: Call for evidence and consultation analysis,” Scottish Government, Scotland, 2024.
Scottish Government, “Evidence Review of Inequaities and Challenges Experienced by Disabled People in Scotland,” Scottish Government, Scotland, 2026.
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