Scots face 'shocking' waits for Adult Disability Payment as SNP told 'get a grip of this mess'

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Disabled Scots are facing “devastating” waits for a lifeline benefit from the Scottish Government’s social security agency.Some claimants have waited over 100 days for a decision on receiving Adult Disability Payment (ADP) during the cost of living crisis.Labour MSP Pam Duncan-Glancy said: “The SNP must get a grip of the mess they have made here and start getting people the money they need, when they need it.”ADP, which replaced the Personal Independence Payment, gives extra money to people with a disability or a long-term health condition.People who qualify for the “daily living” part of the benefit receive £61.85 a week for a standard award, or £92.40 if it is enhanced.But new figures covering March to October reveal the agonising waits experienced by vulnerable citizens.According to Social Security Scotland, it took the agency over 51 days to process 47 per cent of 3,130 applications.In one hundred and thirty five cases, a decision was reached after 101 days.At the other end of the spectrum, only 10 per cent of cases were processed in 21-30 days, with 4 per cent completed within one to ten days.Scots can qualify for ADP if they need help preparing food, washing and bathing, managing their toilet needs, dressing or communicating verbally.The “median” waiting time has also increased, from 42.5 days in August to 55 days in October.A Government website stated in May that Social Security Scotland aimed to make ADP decisions within 8-10 weeks, but this no longer appears online.ADP is one of the benefits under the control of Holyrood after extra powers were devolved.Duncan-Glancy said: “These waits are shocking, and will leave people stranded without lifeline support for weeks on end.“This is unacceptable at any time, but