SCOTTISH Labour has challenged SNP leadership hopefuls to end the “chaos” and “devastating” delays they say are now engulfing Scottish social security.

The Scottish government replaced the Department of Work and Pensions’ (DWP) personal independence payment (PIP) system with adult disability payments (ADP) in August last year, under powers devolved to it seven years ago.

The lengthy waits for payment, with Citizens Advice last year pointing to £300 million in delayed support payments in England and Wales, remain a central criticism of PIP, but new figures show that delays also dog its Scottish replacement.

Inclusion Scotland data shows that ADP delays are now even longer than those for PIP, with the average applicant waiting almost 16 weeks in Scotland, compared to 14 weeks for PIP.

In January, more than 77 per cent of decisions took longer than the target 10 weeks with a shocking 130 of those applications waiting more than half a year for this lifeline support.

Responding to the figures, Scottish Labour’s social security spokesperson Pamela Duncan-Glancy said: “At a time when bills are soaring and people are facing destitution, these delays are devastating.

“We were promised a change from the cruelty of the DWP — but disabled people are spending even longer in limbo.

“SNP leadership candidates are busy bickering over how many months it will take to build an independent Scotland, but social security is still in chaos seven years after we got these powers.

“The next first minister must end this betrayal and start delivering on the promise of a fairer, more humane social security system.”