Families of children with disabilities in Dundee City, Perth and Kinross and the Western Isles, Scotland, will be able to apply for Child Disability Payment from summer 2021.
The Child Disability Payment is a new benefit from Social Security Scotland replacing Disability Allowance Child (DLA Child) in 2021.
This new support is there for families applying for disability assistance for the first time. Families currently getting Disability Living Allowance for Children from the Department for Work and Pensions will be transferred to the new Scottish system from 2021.
This is the second form of disability assistance to be delivered under the new Scottish social security system following the introduction of Child Winter Heating Assistance in November 2020.
Child Disability Payment is the first disability benefit to be introduced that will require people to apply. People will be able to apply for this payment by post, phone, online, and face to face. This is the first time in Scotland that people will be able to apply for a disability benefit online.
“Next year will be an important one for social security in Scotland as we start to deliver the more complex disability benefits, and we see the introduction of face-to-face services.” said Social Security Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville.
“We’ve worked with people who will use this service to make sure it will meet their needs. This has led to improvements like the introduction of an online application option and the availability of advice and support in local communities. This influence isn’t only evident in these big decisions, we’ve worked with people right down to details like how we word questions on our application forms.
“This initial pilot is a further chance to get people’s feedback and we look forward to hearing what our first disability benefits applicants have to say. We will continually invite input and adapt accordingly – this is key to making sure that we deliver the best possible service and that we have a system that treats everyone with dignity, fairness and respect.”
This new benefit will be available across Scotland from autumn 2021.
