Child Disability Payment

In this article

What is Child Disability Payment?

Child Disability Payment is a new benefit that replaces claims for Disability Living Allowance (DLA) for children in Scotland. Social Security Scotland pays this benefit.

Since 22 November 2021, Child Disability Payment replaces new claims for DLA in Scotland. If you have a disabled child aged under 16 who is not already getting DLA, it is no longer possible to make a new claim for DLA for them, and you will need to claim Child Disability Payment instead.

Children in Scotland who are already on DLA will automatically transfer onto Child Disability Payment without the need to make a claim. This will happen gradually between Winter 2021 and Spring 2023.

How does Child Disability Payment differ from DLA?

For the most part, the qualifying rules for Child Disability Payment are identical to DLA.

The benefit has two components covering personal care and mobility, and these are at the same rates as DLA. There are differences in how claims by terminally ill children are treated; a different definition of when a child is treated as severely visually impaired; and some differences where someone has dialysis by both day and night. But for the most part, the rules are the same.

In a few cases, children might be eligible for a higher amount under Child Disability Payment than they got under DLA. For instance, this might apply if:

• A child has a severe visual disability but does not get the higher mobility component of DLA.

• A child is 16 or 17 and has problems preparing a cooked main meal for themselves, but only gets the mobility component and not the care component of DLA.

• A child is 16 or 17 and requires supervision, attention or guidance, but prior to turning 16 this support wasn’t seen as being substantially more than a non-disabled child of the same age required.

If one of the above applies to your child and they have moved onto Child Disability Payment at the same rates as they received under DLA, you may want to consider asking Social Security Scotland to re-assess your child’s needs. However, get advice before doing this as a re-assessment can lead to benefit going down as well as up.

Who can claim Child Disability Payment?

New claimants

Child Disability Payment is for children under 16 who, because of a disability or medical condition, either:

• Need more care or supervision than other children of the same age.
• Have difficulties in getting around outdoors.

You can’t claim Child Disability Payment if your child already gets DLA. Social Security Scotland is gradually moving children in Scotland who already get DLA onto Child Disability Payment between Winter 2021 and Spring 2023.

Normally, a parent or someone with parental responsibility – such as a grandparent or kinship carer – must make the claim for the child.

Your child’s condition or disability

You may be able to get Child Disability Payment if your child has a disability of any type.

You don’t need to wait for a formal diagnosis to make a claim. It is sufficient that they have some form of disability. However, you will need to show that your child needs substantially more care or supervision than other children of the same age who don’t have a disability or health condition. This test does not apply if your child is 16 or 17 or if they have a terminal illness.

Any decision to award Child Disability Payment will be based on how your child’s condition impacts on their day-to-day life. Normally, you need to show that your child’s needs have existed for at least 13 weeks and will continue to last for at least another 26 weeks. This does not apply if they are terminally ill.

Age

Normally, a child must be at least three months old to get Child Disability Payment. Terminally ill children can get it from birth.

Your child must also be under 16 to be able to claim the Child Disability Payment. Once a young person on Child Disability Payment turns 16, Social Security Scotland will write to tell them that they can claim Adult Disability Payment instead if they’d like to. Alternatively, they can stay on Child Disability Payment until they are 18 and delay making a claim for Adult Disability Payment.

Income, working & immigration status

It is not means-tested. This means it does not matter what income or savings you have or whether you are working.

Your child will also have to meet certain rules linked to their immigration status and the length of time they have lived in the UK. If your child is three years or above and hasn’t been in the UK for at least 26 weeks out of the last year, call our free helpline for more advice.

Existing child DLA claimants in Scotland

Social Security Scotland have started the process of transferring children in Scotland who are already on DLA over onto the new benefit.

Families who currently get DLA for a child and who move onto Child Disability Payment will have their awards moved over automatically to the new Scottish benefit. There will be no change in the amount they get or their payment dates. They won’t have to make a claim for Child Disability Payment, and they won’t need to go through a re-assessment.

What is the transfer timeline?

The first transfers from DLA to Child Disability Payment are expected to happen in winter 2021. Initially transfers will start with children who are terminally ill and older children. We expect 17 year olds to move across first, then 16 year olds, and then children who are within six months of their 16th birthday. The process of transferring all other younger children on DLA isn’t expected to start until Spring 2022. All Scottish DLA child claims should be transferred by Spring 2023.

Once Social Security Scotland selects a child on DLA for transfer to Child Disability Payment, they will write to you confirming their intention to transfer their award. They will have a transition period of up to 13 weeks within which to complete the transfer process. During this “transition period”, you’ll receive DLA as normal. Usually, you own’t have to do anything and your child’s award will transfer automatically. In a small number of cases, Social Security Scotland may need to contact you to confirm that personal details are correct.

Once a child transfers onto Child Disability Payment, Social Security Scotland will write to you confirming this. The letter will also explain when they expect to review your child’s award. Reviews can take place at any time between 2 and 10 years. For children whose condition is unlikely to change, it will be 5-10 years.

What about children in Scotland whose current DLA award is coming to an end?

If your child is already getting DLA but their award is coming to an end soon, you should have received a DLA renewal pack to complete. You should fill this in as normal to ensure that your child continues to get DLA for the time being.

The Scottish government say that where someone has received a DLA renewal claim pack, they won’t transfer them onto Child Disability Payment until after they have renewed their DLA.

How much Child Disability Payment will I get?

Depending on their circumstances, your child may qualify for one or for both components of Child Disability Payment.

You can get the care component of Child Disability Payment for your child from age three months (or from birth if terminally ill). You can get the mobility component from the age of three years.

Care component

If your child needs a lot of extra watching over or help with personal care, they should qualify for the care component of Child Disability Payment. This is paid at one of three different rates depending on how much extra care your child needs.

The currently weekly rates (from April 2023) are:

• Lowest rate care – £26.90.
• Middle rate care – £68.10.
• Highest rate care – £101.75.

Whether you get the care component and the rate you get will depend on the amount of extra care or supervision that your child needs and whether this happens during the day or at night.

Mobility component

The mobility component is for children who need help in getting around. It is paid at one of two rates, depending on the nature of the mobility problems.

Eligible children can get the lower mobility component from the age of five. This is for those who need extra guidance or supervision out of doors. The higher rate of the mobility component can start from the age of three. This is for those with severe walking difficulties or those who are deaf blind or severely visually impaired.

Specific rules allow some children with severe learning difficulties or autistic spectrum disorders to qualify for the higher rate of the mobility component if they have disruptive behaviour requiring regular restraint and constant supervision.

The mobility component weekly rates from April 2023 are:

• Lower rate mobility – £26.90.
• Higher rate mobility – £71.

Terminally ill children

Children who qualify under the special rules for the terminally ill automatically get the highest rate of the care component. So long as they are three or above, they will also get the higher rate mobility component.

There is a quicker way of applying for Child Disability Payment if your child is terminally ill. As part of this process, you complete a shorter application form. You also need to get your doctor or nurse to complete a ‘Benefits Assessment under the Special Rules in Scotland (BASRiS)’ Form. This form describes your child’s condition and treatments, and you don’t need to pay for it.

Unlike DLA or PIP, there is no need to show that you expect your child to pass away within six months. You can make a claim under the special rules so long as your child’s nurse or GP believes your child has a progressive disease that one can reasonably expect to cause their death. Guidance suggests that Social Security Scotland take the following factors into account:

• Whether the condition is advance and progressive or with risk of sudden death.
• Whether it is amenable to curative treatment.
• Whether the condition is leading to an increased need for additional care and support.

How do I claim Child Disability Payment?

If your child lives in Scotland, is under 16 and does not already get DLA, you can make a claim for Child Disability Payment. You can do this online at mygov.scot or by telephone on 0800 182 2222.

You can also use this number to ask for a paper form or to book an appointment for face-to-face help from Social Security Scotland staff to complete the form.

There are two parts to the Child Disability Payment application form. You start the application by completing part one; this registers the date of your claim. You then have 42 days (six weeks) to complete part two, which contains the detailed information about your child’s care and mobility needs.

 If you’re going to have difficulty completing part two within the six-week deadline, you should tell Social Security Scotland. If you have a good reason for not meeting the deadline, you might be able to get more time.

A Child Disability Payment award cannot usually be backdated. You’ll receive it from the date you completed and registered part one of the form. The only exception to this is where a child is claiming under the special rules for the terminally ill. In those circumstances, it is possible for an award to be backdated. This will be to either the date doctors diagnosed their terminal illness or for six months, whichever is the more recent.

Getting a Child Disability Payment decision

Once you’ve applied for Child Disability Payment, you’ll receive updates from Social Security Scotland on the progress of your claim. A decision will be sent to you by post. This is called a determination.  If your child is terminally ill, you should receive a determination within a few days. Otherwise, you should normally receive a determination within six weeks.

The determination letter will also tell you when Social Security Scotland will review your award of Child Disability Payment.

What if I’m not happy with a Child Disability Payment decision?

If Social Security Scotland refuses you Child Disability Payment or awards it at a lower rate than you expected, you may wish to ask them to have another look at your claim. This is known as asking for a “re-determination”.

You can ask for this to happen in writing or by phone. You normally have 42 days to ask for a re-determination, although they will sometimes accept late requests. If you’re not happy with the outcome of the re-determination, you can appeal to an independent Tribunal. You should appeal within 31days of receiving the re-determination and can do this by completing a paper appeal form or by calling Social Security Scotland.   

Child Disability Payment and stays away from home

Stays in residential accommodation affect payment of the care component of Child Disability Payment. Payments usually stop once your child has spent 28 “linked” days in residential care home, residential school or residential college and public funds are meeting the costs of this accommodation. The mobility component continues as usual.

If your child is in hospital, they can continue to receive both components of Child Disability Payment in full, so long as they were aged under 18 on the date that their stay as an in-patient began.

Moving between Scotland and other parts of the UK

Moving from Scotland

If your child gets Child Disability Payment and moves from Scotland to elsewhere in the UK, you will need to let Social Security Scotland know. Child Disability Payment will continue for the first 13 weeks after they leave before stopping.

You will need to make a claim for DLA, or for PIP if they are 16 or above.

Moving to Scotland

If your child moves to Scotland from elsewhere in the UK and gets DLA, you should let Social Security Scotland know. They will arrange for your child to transfer from DLA to Child Disability Payment. This will happen without the need for a claim or any reassessment.

Child Disability Payment and other benefits and financial help

Child Disability Payment is not taxable and doesn’t count as income for other benefits.

Instead, getting Child Disability Payment can lead to an increase in other benefits you receive or help you qualify for entitlements for the first time. Make sure you tell any office paying you other benefits or tax credits that your child receives Child Disability Payment.

Welfare benefits in Scotland

Child Disability Payment

Adult Disability Payment & disability benefits at 16

Best Start Grant

Best Start Foods

Carer’s Allowance Supplement

Young Carer Grant

Funeral Support Payment

Child Winter Heating Assistance

Scottish Child Payment

Challenging decisions

Share

• Copy URL
  Copied!
• Share via Email
• Share via Facebook
• Share via Twitter
• Share via WhatsApp
• Share via LinkedIn