Meeting of the Parliament 25 March 2026 [Draft]
I am proud that the Government is delivering for disabled people by continuing to invest in helping them with the cost of everyday tasks. The causes of increased demand for disability benefits were analysed in a report that was published in January by the Government’s chief social policy adviser. The report found that the main contributors of increased demand are rising ill health and the United Kingdom Government’s raising of the state pension age, which, combined with an ageing population, means that more people can get adult disability payments for longer.
I am sure that Dr Gulhane will be aware that statistics that were published by Social Security Scotland on 17 March confirm that the proportion of adult disability payment awards that relate to mental and behavioural conditions has remained stable over the past two years.