Written Question · S7W-04526 · Session 7
Whether it will review the eligibility criteria for mobility support for people who become disabled after reaching state pension age, and w…
The question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will review the eligibility criteria for mobility support for people who become disabled after reaching state pension age, and what its position is on whether the absence of a mobility component within Pension Age Disability Payment could result in people who develop severe mobility impairments in later life being unable to access the same mobility support as younger disabled people, regardless of their assessed needs.
The answer
The Scottish Government considered a mobility component before launching Pension Age Disability Payment (PADP), including an equality impact assessment in respect of protected characteristics. Recent analysis estimated the significant cost of such a change at around £1 billion for 2026-27. Because the UK Government has no equivalent measure there is no related block grant funding to the Scottish Budget, meaning such a measure in Scotland would need to be offset from other expenditure.Making such broad eligibility changes might also risk the passported UK benefits on which older disabled people rely. PADP sits alongside other benefits, premiums and services that only become available later in life
- the circumstances of people receiving it are meaningfully different to working age people.
- the circumstances of people receiving it are meaningfully different to working age people.
In the Official Report
No contribution in the Official Report cites S7W-04526 by reference.