Update on ADP Review

The Independent Review of Adult Disability Payment (ADP), published yesterday by the Scottish Government, has recommended scrapping the 20-metre rule and the 50% rule, two policies that often fail to reflect the lived experience of people with MS and other fluctuating conditions.

At Revive, we often sees firsthand how these rules can unfairly deny support to many of our service users.

What is the 20-Metre Rule?

Under the current ADP system, to qualify for the enhanced rate, a person must be assessed as unable to walk more than 20 metres. If they can walk just slightly further, even just slightly, they may only receive the standard rate, or not qualify at all.

Why This Rule Fails People with MS

For people living with Multiple Sclerosis (MS), mobility can vary significantly from day to day or even hour to hour. Someone might manage 25 metres on a good day but be unable to walk at all the next. The 20-metre rule doesn’t account for:

• Fluctuating symptoms like fatigue, pain or muscle weakness
• The after-effects of walking, such as exhaustion or needing to rest for hours
• The unpredictability of MS, which makes consistent performance unrealistic

This rule can unfairly penalise people who are trying to stay active or remain independent. It often fails to capture the true impact of MS on everyday life.

What is the 50% Rule?

This guideline states that someone must meet a specific level of difficulty on more than 50% of days for it to count toward ADP eligibility.

For people with MS, this is simply not realistic. Someone might experience severe symptoms a few days a week such as fatigue, brain fog, pain, but still fall below the 50% threshold.

The Independent Review of ADP also recommends replacing the 50% rule with a more flexible, person-centred approach that better reflects how people manage on their worst days and the knock-on effects on other days.

What’s Changing?

The Independent Review has now recommended:

• Removing the 20-metre threshold in favour of a more flexible, person-centred approach.
• Replacing the 50% rule with criteria that better reflect the real impact of fluctuating conditions like MS.

We welcome these recommendations and remain hopeful that they will lead to positive change in the way people with MS are supported.

If you’re struggling with a benefits application or would like advice, our Welfare and Benefits service is here for you. Find out more about our Welfare and Benefits support here >>>