The Scottish Government has paid £132.5million to tens of thousands of families with disabled children or young people since a new devolved disability benefit launched in November 2021. The latest official figures from Social Security Scotland show that families of 54,735 children and young people were receiving Child Disability Payment (CDP) by the end of December 2022.
The benefit replaced Disability Living Allowance for Children, which is delivered by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), and helps cover the extra costs of caring for a child with a disability, long-term health condition or is terminally ill, up to the age of 18. However, many parents or guardians may not be aware that the move from claiming Child Disability Payment to Adult Disability Payment (ADP) is not done automatically.
Children on CDP can make a claim for ADP when they reach the age of 16, or continue receiving CDP until they turn 18, but it’s important to be aware that CDP will stop on the claimant’s 18th birthday if no claim for ADP has been made. Making a claim for ADP before the child turns 18 is the only way to ensure there is no break in payments, assuming that the child is eligible for ADP.
