Last updated:
03/07/2025

Child Disability Payment

Child Disability Payment replaced Disability Living Allowance for children in November 2021. The benefit is being delivered by Social Security Scotland through the Scottish Government, with existing cases having been transferred over from the Department for Work and Pensions.

This guide will discuss everything you need to know about the new benefit, including qualifying criteria, the amount of Child Disability Payment you will receive, and what you can do if you disagree with the decision made on your application.

What is Child Disability Payment?

Child Disability Payment provides financial support for the extra care and supervision that may occur for a disabled child under the age of 16.

Child Disability Payment is tax-free and is not means-tested, so it is not affected by earnings or savings. A child’s disability can be either physical or mental, and Child Disability Payment can be claimed even if the child does not have an official diagnosis.

What are the criteria for getting Child Disability Payment?

The criteria for meeting Child Disability Payments are the same as those for Disability Living Allowance. Adults or guardians with parental rights can claim on behalf of a child who is under 16 years old.

The general criteria are as follows:

Must live in Scotland
Satisfy the rules on age
Must meet the disability test

However, if a child has sufficient links to Scotland, such as having lived there for a prolonged period or having a close relative who has lived in Scotland, they may be entitled to Child Disability Payment.

If a child is terminally ill and is under 16 years old, then Child Disability Payment can provide financial support to children and their families during a terminal illness. Read the supportive guide produced by Social Security Scotland: Disability assistance for terminally ill children.

While you can claim Child Disability Payment even if your child does not have a diagnosis, Social Security Scotland may ask for extra information on the symptoms the child has and how they are affected by their disability.

How much is Child Disability Payment?

The amount of Child Disability Payment that you receive will depend on the specific component and payment scale that your child qualifies for.

There are three different payment rates: lowest, middle, and highest. The rate of payment you will receive will depend on the severity of your child’s disability and the type of disability it is, for example, whether your child requires the care or mobility component of the payment.

The Components

There are two components of Child Disability Payment. The type of component your child will receive will depend on their specific disability. Both components are paid at a weekly rate.

It is possible that your child is entitled to both components if they meet the criteria. If this is the case, you do not need to make two separate applications.

The Care Component

The care component is offered at three different rates:

lowest
middle
Highest

To check the rates for each, please visit mygov.scot webpage here.

The lowest rate of the care component is for children who require attention and close personal care, such as:

Requiring help with their bodily functions either once or several times throughout the day
Are aged 16 or over and require assistance with cooking a main meal as their disability prevents them from carrying this out

The middle payment rate for the care component is for children who meet one of the following conditions:

They need frequent attention from someone during the day, or prolonged or repeated attention at night, in connection with their bodily functions due to a physical or mental disability
They are receiving renal dialysis treatment, at least twice a week, during either the day or at night
Need continual supervision either during the day or night to prevent the child from inflicting substantial danger on themselves or others.

The highest payment rate offered within the care component is for children who require the highest level of care, such as:

Requiring attention throughout either the day or night, or both, in connection with their bodily fluids due to either a physical or mental condition
Needing continual supervision during the day and a person to be awake during the night or for prolonged periods of time to avoid substantial danger to themselves or others
Receiving renal dialysis treatment at least twice a week during the day and at night
Children who are terminally ill

The Mobility Component

The mobility component of Child Disability Payment has two payment rates: one lower and one higher. To find the amount of payments, please visit the mygov.scot webpage here.

The lower payment is paid weekly if the child meets the following criteria:

5 years old or older
Requires guidance and supervision from another person to move around outside

The higher payment is also paid weekly. To qualify for the higher mobility payment children, must be:

3 years old or older
Either cannot walk or walk with great difficulty
Severely mentally disabled
Severely visually impaired
Severely mentally impaired leading to extreme behavioural difficulties
Their health would deteriorate from the effort of walking

How does the application process work?

Social Security Scotland has tried to tailor the application process for each of their benefits to be relatively straightforward to minimise stress and anxiety. If a child is already claiming Disability Living Allowance for Children, then there is no need to make a new application. Their application will transfer over from the Department for Work and Pensions to Social Security Scotland.

The application for Child Disability Benefit is split into two different parts, and it is advised that each part be completed within six weeks. Once the first part of the application is completed, this will officially register the date of your claim.

The second part of the application requires you to provide detailed information about both you and the child for whom you are claiming. The information that you provide will help to assess the specific needs of your child’s care and mobility requirements.

How can I apply for Child Disability Payment?

You can apply for Child Disability Payment over the phone, online, and via post. If you decide to apply online, you can complete the application through MyAccount, which allows you to start and save your application as you go.

If you are keen to apply by phone, you can contact Social Security Scotland on 0800 182 2222, Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. A member of Social Security Scotland will request a few details about both you and your child to start the application process.

There is also the option to request a paper copy of the application.

When will I receive a decision about my application?

Social Security Scotland endeavours to communicate a decision on Child Disability Payment applications within 6 to 8 weeks of receiving applications.

However, if a child has a terminal illness, the decision will be communicated within 7 working days.

A decision letter known as a notice of determination will be sent to either the parent/guardian or the child if they’re over the age of 16 and managing their own payments.

When can I expect the first payment of Child Disability Payment?

If you have been successful in your application and awarded Child Disability Payment, this will be backdated to the date that you submitted the first part of the application.

Going forward, Child Disability Payment is paid every four weeks in arrears and will be paid into the bank account supplied in your application.

Can I ask for a re-determination?

In some circumstances, you may not agree with the outcome that Social Security Scotland has reached on your application. In this instance, you may be able to ask Social Security Scotland to reassess your claim.

There are a few different ways that you can ask Social Security Scotland to review its decision on your new application.

You can complete a paper re-determination form which includes a series of tick boxes and information sections that require to be filled in with information on both you, the parent, guardian or appointee, and the child that you are claiming on behalf of.

If you ask for a redetermination to be processed six weeks after you have received the initial decision from Social Security Scotland, you will have to provide the reason why your request was late.

It is important to give an in-depth account of why your request for a re-determination was late, as each case and the reasons provided are looked at on an individual basis.

For further information on the Child Disability Payment, you can visit the mygov.scot website.