Introduction

Principles of choosing a review period

Awards of disability assistance do not have a fixed end date after which an individual has to re-apply. Many individuals receiving Scottish Adult DLA will receive an indefinite award.

Those awards that do have a set review period will be reviewed to ensure that the individual continues to receive the right amount of assistance. You should schedule the review for a time where it is most likely that the individual’s needs will have changed in a way that would impact their entitlement.

Individuals do not need a formal diagnosis of their condition or disability that causes their care needs, for those needs to be relevant. For example, one condition relevant for the Scottish Adult DLA cohort is frailty. Some individuals might not have a formal diagnosis of this condition, but their care needs caused by this condition would still be relevant.

You should consider the likelihood of whether an individual’s condition or level of need will change. Factors which may contribute to the likelihood of change are set out below.

You should factor in time for recovery and adjustment. For example, an individual might have surgery planned for the near future which is likely to impact their level of need in a way that it would change their entitlement. Here, a review at a point following the anticipated recovery period after surgery might be appropriate. Depending on the condition and treatment or surgery, the length of the recovery period will differ. For more information refer to the guidance on planned treatment or surgery. For more information, read the content under the heading Ongoing, current or planned treatment or surgery in the Relevant considerations for giving an indefinite award or setting a review period.

Some conditions or their impact on the individual are likely to change over time, so a review might be appropriate to see whether the individual is entitled to a different rate of Scottish Adult Disability Living Allowance in the future.

Small changes in the individual’s needs might have an impact on their level of entitlement to Scottish Adult DLA. This should not prevent a case manager from setting a longer review period, as the individual is still responsible for reporting changes in their circumstances which would trigger an unscheduled review ahead of any scheduled review date.

Some individuals may be less likely to report where a change has occurred, depending on their personal circumstances. For example, where an individual lives alone and has a mental health condition which may impact on their ability to reliably engage with support services. You should consider whether in such circumstances a shorter review period may be appropriate.

Generally, review periods range between 2 and 10 years. For conditions unlikely to see significant changes in overall impact, this might suggest a longer period between reviews (i.e. 5 to 10 years) may be appropriate. You should consider other factors that may impact on the individual’s level of need. For more information, read the Relevant considerations for giving an indefinite award or setting a review period chapter.

Indefinite awards are common in Scottish Adult Disability Living Allowance, due to the age and nature of needs of the people receiving it. Indefinite awards should be considered for individuals on any rate or component of Scottish Adult Disability Living Allowance, if the level of need related to their conditions or disability is highly unlikely to change.

Individuals who have a terminal illness will not have a scheduled review of their entitlement.

In all other instances, when making a determination of entitlement for Scottish Adult Disability Living Allowance, you must choose to do one of the following:

set a review date that is appropriate for the individual’s circumstances
not set a review date, as it is highly unlikely that the individual’s circumstances will change. Awards without a review date are called 'indefinite awards'.

The start date of any review period must always be the date of the determination, rather than the date the review form was received. For example, an individual returns their Scottish Adult Disability Living Allowance review form on 15 April 2024. You make a determination of entitlement on 20 October 2024 and set a review period of five years. The individual’s next review will be on 20 October 2029.

For more information, read:

You must justify your review period or indefinite award decision in the individual’s decision letter, including setting out to the individual any specific updates we are likely to need at their next scheduled review to make a determination.

Information

Part of Scottish Adult Disability Living Allowance decision making guide