Deaf Awareness Week: Supporting the deaf community in Scotland

This week is Deaf Awareness Week, an annual event which promotes understanding and raises awareness about the challenges faced by people who are deaf or hard-of-hearing.

In Scotland, deafness is recognised as a disability and part of Deaf Awareness Week is to promote accessibility and remove barriers facing people with hearing loss.

Social Security Scotland is committed to delivering a social security system which is inclusive and treats people with dignity, fairness and respect. People who are deaf or hard-of-hearing may be entitled to benefits and support services we provide.

There are two main disability benefits that we provide in Scotland.

• Adult Disability Payment helps people with the extra costs that often come from being disabled, having a long-term health condition or a terminal illness. It replaces Personal Independence Payment for people in Scotland, which is delivered by the Department for Work and Pensions.
• Child Disability Payment provides money to help with the extra costs of caring for a disabled or terminally ill child or young person. It replaces Disability Living Allowance for children in Scotland that is delivered by the Department for Work and Pensions.

Pension Age Disability Payment is for people of pension age who have a disability or long-term health condition that means they need help looking after themselves or supervision to stay safe. It is the replacement for Attendance Allowance. From 21 October, it will be piloted in Argyll & Bute, Highland, Aberdeen City, Orkney and Shetland. The benefit will become available in 13 more local authority areas next March, before becoming available across Scotland from April.

There is additional support available to those applying for our benefits who are deaf or hard of hearing.

We proactively translate factsheets on all our benefits into British Sign Language, which can be viewed on YouTube.

An independent advocacy service is available to our disabled clients who may need extra support. Advocacy is available throughout the whole of the process for seeking support; from the point of application, through to any request for redetermination and appeals.

The service enables disabled people to be more involved in the processes and decisions which affect them and advocates will provide the most appropriate form of support to each individual based on their circumstances.

You can find out more about Deaf Awareness Week at the National Deaf Children’s Society website.