Looking for advice on PIP replacement
Q. I am in receipt of Personal Independence Payment because I have serious health conditions. I was watching the news and saw a clip regarding a benefit called Scottish Adult Disability payment which is replacing PIP in Scotland only. Will my PIP stop and do I have to apply for this new benefit?
A. Adult Disability Payment is a benefit for disabled working-age adults who live in Scotland. It’s to help with the extra costs of being disabled or having a long-term health condition. It’s paid by Social Security Scotland. Adult Disability Payment is replacing Personal Independence Payment (PIP) in Scotland.
For new applicants in Lanarkshire only you can start applying for the Scottish Adult Disability payment after June 20. Please note that this in for brand new applicants only not existing applicants who are already on Personal Independence Payment.
To get Adult Disability Payment, you must have a long-term physical or mental health condition or disability, or be terminally ill. In most cases, you must also: be between 16 years old and State Pension age, and live in Scotland. Have a long-term condition or disability that is one that: has lasted 13 weeks or more, and is expected to last a further 39 weeks or more.
You can also get Adult Disability Payment by moving over from PIP.
You cannot get Adult Disability Payment at the same time as: Armed Forces Independence Payment, Attendance Allowance, Child
Disability Payment, Disability Living Allowance (DLA) and PIP.
Adult Disability Payment is made up of two parts called components - a daily living component and a mobility component. Each component is paid at a different rate.
You can get one or both components, depending on your daily living and mobility needs. You only need to make one application.
You can apply: online; by completing an application form on mygov.scot, by phone by calling Social Security Scotland free on 0800 182 2222, Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm alternatively by post - you can phone to ask for a paper form with a pre-paid envelope or face to face - an adviser from Social Security Scotland’s local delivery service can help you apply.
Phone 0800 182 2222 to make an appointment.
If you are terminally ill you should apply for Adult Disability Payment straight away. It does not matter how long you’ve been ill for.
You can get the enhanced rate of both the daily living component and the mobility component.
To apply, you need to complete a short application form. Once you apply, your application will be fast-tracked and dealt with by specially trained staff.
Q. There is a large tree at the back of my garden overhang in my property which belongs to my neighbour.
The tree blocks sunlight into my garden for half the day and my boundary fence and decking have been damaged by tree roots and the catkins drop in my garden causing a mess as do the bird droppings. I have contacted the council who have told
A. You are entitled to trim the overhanging branches and hand them back to your neighbour. However, this should only be done if safe to do so.
Have you approached your neighbour regarding this? If your neighbour privately rents as you have specified you can check who owns the property on the mygov.scot website and also the landlord registration site for details of the landlord.
The best approach would be to contact the neighbour in an amicable manner and explain about the tree blocking sunlight and damage to the property and ask the neighbour to fell or lop the tree.
Unfortunately it is under common law and high hedge rules do not apply to a single tree.
Whoever owns the property would be liable for any damage the tree causes to your property but it can be costly to take legal action which may not remedy the problem. You can write to the landlord and address your points to them and ask them to trim the tree.
Q. I have found myself in a lot of debt and I would like to pay this back and work out payment plans with my creditors.
I am in a job where I could get into a lot of trouble if I entered into a trust deed or file for bankruptcy.
What should I do?
A. The first thing that you need to do is deal with any debt emergencies such as: eviction for rent or mortgage arrears, you are at risk of having your gas and electricity switched off, imprisonment, bankruptcy (sequestration) or sheriff officers are coming to take your goods.
Secondly, collect together all the information about your debts, such as contracts, bills and statements. Your debts might for example include: rent arrears, credit card debts, council tax arrears, including unpaid water and sewerage charges, energy bills and money you’ve borrowed from friends or family
Thirdly, make a list of your debts and write down the details of each debt. These details might include: who you owe the money to - this is your ‘creditor,’ when you first missed a payment, how much you owe - this might be in a recent statement, your account or reference number - this might be at the top of your statement and what the creditor has done to get the money back - for example, sending you letters or taking you to court
Try not to worry when you see all your debts written down - the important thing is that you are sorting them out.
It may be an idea to also get your credit report as this shows what money you’ve borrowed and paid back. It’s a good idea to get copies of your credit reports to check you’ve got the right details for all your debts.
Your creditors have a limited time to take you to court to repay a debt. For most debts, the time limit is five years although it may be 20 years for some types of debt (council tax debt).
If your debts are over the time limit for taking you to court do not contact them. If they are within the time limit then try and contact your creditors explain that you are trying to deal with your debts and would like to make a plan to pay the debt back. You can also ask the creditor to freeze any interest.