Who should apply

Any adult with parental responsibilities and rights or a guardian can apply for Child Disability Payment on behalf of the child if the child:

• is under 16
• lives in Scotland

You cannot receive Disability Living Allowance for children and Child Disability Payment at the same time. 

If you are under 16 and applying for yourself

We would need to look at your application and your circumstances to understand whether you can manage your benefit yourself. We may need to ask you some more questions and might ask people who know you best what they think.

If the child does not live in Scotland

You can still apply if the child both:

• lives in the EEA, Switzerland or Gibraltar
• has a genuine and sufficient link to Scotland

A genuine and sufficient link is where you do not live in Scotland, but have a link to Scotland. For example, you or an immediate family member have spent a significant part of their life in Scotland.

Social Security Scotland will also need to make sure that the UK is the competent state to pay the child’s benefits.

Find out more about children currently living in an EEA country, Switzerland or Gibraltar.

If the child does not have a genuine and sufficient link to Scotland

If you live in the EEA or Switzerland you may be eligible for Disability Living Allowance (DLA) for children. You cannot receive both DLA and Child Disability Payment. Find out more about DLA. 

You may also be eligible for Northern Ireland’s DLA. Find out more about DLA in Northern Ireland. 

If you do not have parental responsibilities and rights for the child

You can still apply, if the child is not living with a parent or guardian. The parent or guardian must also not:

• want to manage Child Disability Payment for the child
• be able to do this

You must agree for Social Security Scotland to name you as the child’s appointee to manage their Child Disability Payment.

If the child already gets DLA for children

You do not need to apply for Child Disability Payment. You’ll continue to get your DLA for children payments from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).

From mid October 2021:

• cases will start to move to Child Disability Payment in stages
• you’ll get your payments from Social Security Scotland instead

You do not need to reapply.

Social Security Scotland will:

• contact you before it happens
• not reassess your award

There will be no gap in your payments. 

Until you're told that the transfer is complete, you should continue to follow instructions DWP gives you to maintain your DLA for children award.

Find out more about the transfer process.

If the child is terminally ill

Anyone can apply for the child as long as they:

• tell the person with parental rights and responsibilities, guardian, or appointee if there is one, that they’re applying for them
• get consent from the child’s parent, guardian or appointee to do so

Find out more about applying when a child is terminally ill.