Child Disability Payment (Scotland)

Child Disability Payment (CDP) is a benefit in Scotland for disabled children under 16 who have additional needs due to a disability or health condition. In England or Wales you may be able to claim Disability Living Allowance for your child instead.

If your child is aged 16 or 17 and is already getting Child Disability Payment they can stay on their existing benefit until they turn 18. If they are 16 or over and not already getting Child Disability Payment, they might be entitled to Adult Disability Payment instead.

Entitlement to Child Disability Payment depends on the help your child needs. They don’t need to have a confirmed diagnosis but the help they need must be due to their disability or health condition.

They must have a disability or health condition that has lasted at least 13 weeks and is expected to continue for at least another 26 weeks to qualify unless they are terminally ill.

Child Disability Payment is not a ‘means-tested’ benefit. This means that your income and savings are not taken into account when assessing your child’s entitlement. If your child gets Child Disability Payment it won’t reduce any other benefits you get and may help you qualify for additional benefits and support.

Child Disability Payment components

Child Disability Payment is made up of two parts – a care component and a mobility component. The care component has three rates, and the mobility component has two rates. Your child may be awarded only one component or both components depending on their needs. The rate paid depends on the help they need.

You can get the care component for a child from the age of 3 months (or from birth if they are terminally ill).

You can get the mobility component for a child from the age of 3 years.

The rates are:

Care component:

• Lowest rate £29.20 a week
• Middle rate £73.90 a week
• Highest rate £110.40 a week

Mobility component:

• Lower rate £29.20 a week
• Higher rate £77.05 a week

Qualifying conditions for each component

The care component

Your child may have care needs due to:

• Physical difficulties
• Emotional difficulties
• Behavioural difficulties
• Mental difficulties
• Developmental difficulties
• Learning difficulties

Your child may qualify for the lowest rate if:

• They need attention with their bodily functions for a significant portion of the day – this may be once or several times during the day, or
• They are 16 or over and are unable to make a cooked main meal for themselves due to a mental or physical disability

Your child may qualify for the middle rate if:

• They need frequent attention throughout the day, or prolonged or repeated attention at night, in connection with their bodily functions, or
• They need continual supervision during the day, or another person to be awake for a prolonged period or at frequent intervals at night, to avoid substantial danger to themselves or others, or
• They get renal dialysis treatment, during the day or at night, at least twice a week

Your child may qualify for the highest rate if:

• They need frequent attention during the day, and prolonged or repeated attention at night, in connection with their bodily functions, or
• They need continual supervision during the day, and another person to be awake for a prolonged period or at frequent intervals at night, to avoid substantial danger to themselves or others, or
• They get renal dialysis treatment, during the day and at night, at least twice a week, or
• They are terminally ill

If your child qualifies for the highest rate of the care component you’ll also qualify for Child Winter Heating Payment.

The mobility component

Your child may qualify for the lower rate if:

• They are 5 or over
• They can walk, but most of the time they need guidance or supervision to move around outdoors, due to the severity of their mental or physical disability

Your child may qualify for the higher rate if:

• They are 3 or over
• They are unable, or virtually unable, to walk outdoors
• They have a severe visual disability or are blind or deaf
• They have a severe mental health disability
• They have severe behavioural difficulties and qualify for the highest rate of the care component
• Walking would cause a serious deterioration in their heath
• They are terminally ill

If your child qualifies for the higher rate of the mobility component you can choose to use the money to lease a vehicle through the Accessible Vehicle and Equipment (AVE) scheme.

How to claim

You can claim Child Disability Payment:

• Online
• By phone by calling Social Security Scotland on 0800 182 2222 (8am to 5pm, Monday to Friday) – you’ll be sent a paper application to complete and return by post

There are two parts to the application – you usually need to complete both parts within 6 weeks.

Information about the questions you’ll be asked when applying is available on the Scottish government website.

There is a different application process if your child is terminally ill.

If you need help to apply, you can get support from Social Security Scotland.

It can be difficult to claim Child Disability Payment for your child as the claim form is long and complex. It can be easy to underestimate the amount of help your child needs, so it may help to get specialist support from a welfare benefits adviser.

Citizens Advice may be able to help you complete the claim form. You can search for the contact details of your local Citizens Advice on their website.

Contact may also be able to help you with your application. There is a helpful factsheet on claiming Child Disability Payment on their website.

You can also search for another local organisation who may be able to help on the Advice Local website.