Child Disability Payment pilot launches on Monday

From 26 July Social Security Scotland will introduce its next new benefit – Child Disability Payment.

Child Disability Payment provides extra money to help with the costs of caring for a child with a disability or ill-health condition. Child Disability Payment will replace Disability Living Allowance for children in Scotland, which is currently delivered by the Department for Work and Pensions.

People can apply if they are a parent or main carer of a child who: 

• is aged between 3 months and 16 years old
• has lived with a disability or long term health condition for 3 months or more and it is expected to continue for at least 6 months
• does not already receive Disability Living Allowance for children from Department for Work and Pensions.

We are initially launching the new Child Disability Payment as a pilot in 3 local authority areas, ahead of national roll out in autumn 2021.

These areas are:

• Perth and Kinross
• Dundee City
• Western Isles.

The pilot will open for new applications only. Families in these areas who already get Disability Living Allowance for children don’t need to apply. We will contact them in advance of when it is time to transfer over to Child Disability Payment and let them know when Social Security Scotland will start to make their payments.

People in the 3 pilot areas can apply for Child Disability Payment through mygov.scot or by calling 0800 182 2222 from Monday 26 July.

The Child Disability Payment pilot will also see the start of the new guidance for applications under special rules for terminal illness. Further information and guidance from the Chief Medical Officer can be found online here.

We would also be grateful for your help to spread the message and to enable this we have created a number of resources. The new marketing materials for Child Disability Payment include social media images and leaflets that can be found here.

We are also keen to reassure people who already get Disability Living Allowance for children that they do not need to do anything. We will write to them ahead of transferring them to Child Disability Payment, which will be paid through Social Security Scotland. They will not need to re-apply – they will be transferred automatically. The amount they are paid, when they are paid and where they are paid to will all stay the same once they have transferred.

If you need any materials in alternative formats or have feedback on what would work well to tell people about this new payment, we would love to hear from you.

You can request print orders or provide feedback by emailing:

marketingmaterials@socialsecurity.gov.scot.