What is Short-term Assistance?
Short-term Assistance (STA) is a temporary payment that you can apply for that provides financial support when challenging a Social Security Scotland decision that reduces or ends your recurrent disability benefit award, via a re-determination or appeal.
Who can get STA?
To be eligible for STA you must already receive Adult Disability Payment or Child Disability Payment and:
- your payment was stopped or reduced by Social Security Scotland and
- you have asked for a re-determination or an appeal against the decision to stop or reduce your payment
What will I receive if I apply for STA?
The value of your STA payment is the difference between your longstanding award and the new award Social Security Scotland has decided upon.
STA will top up the new award to the level of your longstanding award.
When will my STA payments begin?
If you apply for STA, payments begin when you request a re-determination or an appeal and end when a decision is made about your disability payment re-determination or appeal.
You will not need to repay any STA that you were entitled to, regardless of the outcome of your re-determination or appeal.
How do I apply for STA?
You can apply for STA by ticking a box on your Child Disability Payment or Adult Disability Payment re-determination or appeal form.
You can ask for additional information or further support by calling Social Security Scotland free on 0800 182 2222.
You can also find further information on Short-term Assistance here: https://www.mygov.scot/short-term-assistance