The Guardian today has two pieces very critical of the disability benefits system in England:

Disability benefits in England and Wales not fit for purpose, Timms review to find¹ and What is the Timms review into Pip and what is it likely to conclude?²

Extract:

The review by the disability minister, Stephen Timms, which was commissioned in the aftermath of Keir Starmer’s U-turn on welfare cuts, will also conclude that the assessment process is dehumanising for disabled people and the system actively hinders people from seeking work.

More important but not mentioned by the Guardian this time, writing under a Labour government, even though they had done so six years ago, under a Conservative Government:

Families and campaigners have demanded a public inquiry after a government watchdog found that at least 69 suicides could have been linked to problems with benefit claims over the last six years.³

How does the Scottish System compare, devolved in 2020, in the wake of the above shocking news?

The Timms articles highlight PIP’s points-based system as “in effect worthless” for fluctuating conditions (especially mental health), dehumanising assessments, low public confidence, and high stress that discourages work.ADP performs better on several of these:

• A less dehumanising and stressful process: Award reviews are deliberately “light touch” and new evidence is only collected if necessary. Only around 3% of reviews result in awards being ended or reduced vs around 20% for PIP. Processing times have improved dramatically, from around 96 days to 37 days. Client surveys show high ratings for being treated with kindness (87%), dignity (75%), respect (80%), and fairness (84%). Case transfers from PIP were rated good/very good by 77% of people. https://audit.scot/uploads/2025-09/nr_250918_adult_disability_payment.pdf
• Better for fluctuating conditions and mental health: The Scottish Government has accepted many recommendations on guidance, training, trauma-informed practice, and simplifying the application form. https://www.gov.scot/news/independent-review-of-adult-disability-payment/
• Higher success rates at the redetermination/appeal stage: The ADP redetermination success rate is around 52% vs 22% for PIP in comparable data. Claimant satisfaction with the appeals process is mixed but the system is generally seen as less adversarial. https://audit.scot/uploads/2025-09/nr_250918_adult_disability_payment.pdf
• Higher take-up and accessibility: The ADP has achieved significantly higher registration and authorisation rates than PIP in England & Wales, partly due to proactive promotion and easier access. This suggests it is better at reaching people who need support.

Since 2020–21, the DWP has started at least 240 reviews into cases of serious harm or death where its actions or omissions may have contributed. This includes suicides linked to benefit handling. Between 2023 and 2024 alone, it investigated around 40 deaths of claimants. 4

there have been no comparable reports in Scotland.

Other Sources:

1. https://www.theguardian.com/society/2026/jul/08/disability-benefits-not-fit-for-purpose-timms-review
2. https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/jul/08/what-is-the-timms-review-into-pip-and-what-is-it-likely-to-conclude
3. https://www.theguardian.com/society/2020/feb/07/dwp-benefit-related-suicide-numbers-not-true-figure-says-watchdog-nao
4. https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm5901/cmselect/cmworpen/402/report.html