Getting financial help from Social Security Scotland while you challenge a decision

Social Security Scotland can sometimes help whilst you challenge a Child Disability Payment, Adult Disability Payment or Pension Age Disability Payment decision. If your longstanding Child Disability Payment, Adult Disability Payment or Pension Age Disability Payment has been stopped or reduced, you can apply for Short-term Assistance during a re-determination or appeal to the First-tier Tribunal.

Short-term Assistance is a temporary payment available while your Child Disability Payment, Adult Disability Payment or Pension Age Disability Payment re-determination or appeal is ongoing. The payment replaces the amount your payment was reduced by. You can get Short-term Assistance if both of the following apply:

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

You will not need to pay back any Short-term Assistance you’re entitled to. It is not dependent on whether or not your re-determination or appeal is successful, unless it is found that the original disability benefit award was applied for fraudulently and you were therefore not entitled to any associated Short-term Assistance.

In addition, if you receive a higher amount of Short-term Assistance than you were entitled to in error, this could be recovered if this was an error you caused or contributed to, or an error a person could reasonably be expected to notice.

Get more information on Short-term Assistance.