What is the Child Disability Payment (CDP) in Scotland?
Child Disability Payment (CDP) replaced Disability Living Allowance for children in November 2021 for all new claimants. You do not need to apply for CDP if you already get Disability Living Allowance (DLA) for children from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). Social Security Scotland will move your benefit to Child Disability Payment without you having to do anything to start the process. CDP provides support for the extra costs that a disabled child might have. It is not means tested so it does not matter how much income or savings you have.
You can claim and be awarded CDP if:
- You are ordinarily resident in Scotland, habitually resident in the common travel area, not subject to immigration control, are present in the common travel area and have been present for not less than 26 weeks in the previous 52 weeks (limited exemptions apply); and
- you do not already have a claim for Disability Living Allowance (DLA) for the child in question (see note below); and
- you are the parent or guardian of a child under 16 with a long-term health condition or disability, such as sight loss; and
- your child has had these problems for at least 13 weeks; and
- your child is expected to have these problems for at least 26 weeks; and
- your child’s needs satisfy the criteria.
What comes after Child Disability Payment?
Social Security Scotland will pay CDP until the young person is 18, when they will be required to claim ADP instead. They can sometimes continue making payments after the child is 18. This can happen when the young person is terminally ill or is waiting for a decision on their ADP application, for example.
Further information on benefits for children in Scotland can be found on RNIB's Benefits for children webpage.
