New Benefit Supporting Over 54,000
More than £130 million has been distributed to thousands of families with disabled children since the launch of a Scottish Government benefit.
The latest official figures show the families of over 54,000 children and young people were receiving Child Disability Payment in December last year.
Just over 13,000 of these are from new applications. More than 41,000 children and young people have had their award transferred from the UK Government’s Disability Living Allowance (DLA) for Children, managed by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), to Scotland’s new devolved payment.
Social Security Scotland are on course to have transferred the awards of almost everyone still receiving DLA for Children in Scotland by spring.
Child Disability Payment helps cover the extra costs of caring for a disabled or terminally ill child or young person.
– Graeme
The transfer of DLA for Children payments to Child Disability Payments is a key part in the ongoing process of building a better social security system for Scotland.
I am pleased that so many thousands of children and young people and now being supported by the devolved benefit.
We have heard the feedback – the switch from dealing with the DWP to Social Security Scotland is making a considerable difference in the lives of those helped by devolved benefit payments.
I would encourage families in Angus to check whether they are eligible, and apply for this important support if so.
– Minister for Social Security, Ben Macpherson
Child Disability Payment helps parents to support their children and assists young people to live their lives to the fullest. Therefore, it is welcome news that so far more than £130 million in Child Disability Payments has been distributed to thousands of families with disabled children, to help cover extra costs.
New applications are increasing, and Social Security Scotland is working to process these as quickly as they can, while seeking to ensure that right decisions are made first time. We are only being asked to look again at decisions in a very small proportion of cases.
The process of transferring people’s awards from the DWP’s DLA for children to our Child Disability Payment is also continuing at pace, and on course to be almost entirely complete in the Spring.
The Scottish social security system has been designed in partnership with those who have experience of applying for benefits previously. This has helped us to build a system that is easier to access, and where people are treated with dignity, fairness and respect.
I urge anyone who thinks they, their child or someone they know may be eligible for Scottish Government benefits to check and apply.
