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Scottish government ‘moving the goalposts’ after removing new disability benefits from its website

THE Scottish government is “moving the goalposts” after information about its new disability benefits was taken offline, Scottish Labour charged today.

The adult disability payment, launched as a pilot scheme in the spring, is extra money given to people who live with a disability or long-term health conditions that impacts their everyday life.

Until recently, public guidance for the support said that Social Security Scotland, an executive agency of government dealing with social security provision, aimed to make a decision on applications for the benefit in “eight to 10 weeks.”

This target timescale has now been removed from the website, with no update on how long processing applications will take.

Scottish Labour called the move a “shameless” attempt by SNP ministers to try to “mask their failures” after official figures last month showed almost a sixth — 15 per cent — of applicants were left waiting more than 10 weeks for a decision.

“The SNP is already breaking promises on social security, but instead of fixing the problem, it is moving the goalposts,” said Scottish Labour spokeswoman Pam Duncan-Glancy, the first permanent wheelchair user elected to the Scottish Parliament.

“The SNP can’t just change targets to suit their failures — people need the fairer social security system they were promised.”

The payments were introduced as a pilot in March, starting with new claims being accepted in a small number of local authorities, ahead of a full national launch at the end of this month. 

A Social Security Scotland spokesperson said: “Our priority is to give people timely decisions on their applications [for the scheme], which is still in its pilot stage, and we are committed to making the right decisions first time, reducing the need for appeals.”

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