Social Security Scotland is taking control of some benefits that used to be handled by the Department for Work and Pensions.
Clients who get Disability Living Allowance for children will be the first to have their award transferred. Their award will be replaced by Child Disability Payment. Clients will have their award transferred to the new payment in stages, with the oldest clients having their award transferred first.
Case transfer is the process of:
The transfer is a user-centred process to ensure minimum disruption to clients.
We move the client’s data, forms and evidence to Social Security Scotland and replace the client’s Disability Living Allowance for children award with a new Child Disability Payment award.
The transfer process is designed so that:
The first cases to be transferred are:
All other clients aged up to 15 years old will have their award transferred from Spring 2022.
All clients identified within Special Rules for Terminal Illness are prioritised during the transfer process, regardless of age.
If a client has an outstanding issue with the Department for Work and Pensions, like a review, they’ll transfer when that is complete.
We aim to have all Scottish Disability Living Allowance for children awards transferred by Spring 2023.
Clients do not need to do anything for the transfer process. Social Security Scotland will write to clients to let them know the transfer has begun.
Clients:
We’ll write to confirm that the transfer is complete when their Child Disability Payment award starts.
We may need to contact some clients during the transfer process. We’ll do this by phone and letter.
Clients can get more information by going to mygov.scot/benefit-transfer
In rare circumstances, clients may be eligible for a higher rate of Child Disability Payment than they received for Disability Living Allowance for children at the point of case transfer. This is due to differences in eligibility rules between the two benefits. We provide information about this to the client in the letter we send. If the client thinks they may be eligible, they’re encouraged to contact Social Security Scotland.
Where a client believes they meet one of the conditions, Social Security Scotland will assess if:
Once a client turns 16, they can apply for Personal Independence Payment. Children and young people in Scotland can continue to receive Child Disability Payment until they’re 18.
Clients should get independent advice before applying for Personal Independence Payment. If they move to Personal Independence Payment, their award could increase or decrease compared to their Disability Living Allowance for children award.
The Department for Work and Pensions:
They then send this information securely to Social Security Scotland systems.
Client records are identified using the residential address held by the Department for Work and Pensions. An individual’s case will be selected for transfer if they have a Scottish postcode.
When cases are selected for transfer, the Department for Work and Pensions award end date is recalculated to between 13 to 17 weeks from that selection date.
The date range is to:
This ensures that when Social Security Scotland receives a client’s award from the Department for Work and Pensions, there is time to create the new Child Disability Payment Award. This is called the ‘Transfer Period’.
During this time, the Department for Work and Pensions continues to:
The case transfer process is designed to be as automated as possible.
This means that the:
There may be instances when we might need to contact a client to confirm some of their details.
For example, if a client has applied for another Social Security Scotland benefit and already has a record with us. When we bring over the Department for Work and Pensions data, we will check to ensure the records match.
If there are any differences, we may need to contact the client to ask them for their most up to date information. This ensures that our records are accurate before we start the new award and make any payments.
The transfer is complete when a client’s Child Disability Payment entitlement begins and their Disability Living Allowance for children entitlement ends. This is called the ‘Point of Case Transfer’.
The first payment of Child Disability Payment will be made 4 weeks after entitlement begins. Child Disability Payment is paid every four weeks in arrears. Clients who qualify under the special rules for terminal illness are paid weekly in advance.
If the client has a change of circumstances during the transfer period, they must report these to the Department for Work and Pensions. Social Security Scotland manages any changes from the point of case transfer.
Clients will be selected for transfer every week over a number of months. The actual date that a specific client is transferred:
Once a case has been selected for transfer, it follows a standard timeline of between 13 and 17 weeks. The examples below show what happens when we receive the data, and are not confirmation of the transfer dates.
Cases selected for transfer in October 2021.
Social Security Scotland receives the data from the Department for Work and Pensions in October. The client is sent a letter telling them that the transfer has started.
The data is checked between October and December 2021.
The client will become eligible for Child Disability Payment in January 2022. Their eligibility for Disability Living Allowance for children ends the day before their eligibility for Child Disability Payment begins. The client is sent a letter confirming their award and providing additional information.
The first payment from Social Security Scotland will be made in February 2022.
Cases selected for transfer in November 2021:
Social Security Scotland receives the data from the Department for Work and Pensions in November. The client is sent a letter telling them that the transfer has started.
The data is checked between November and January 2022.
The client will become eligible for Child Disability Payment in February 2022. Their eligibility for Disability Living Allowance for children ends the day before their eligibility for Child Disability Payment begins.
The client is sent a letter confirming their award and providing additional information. The first payment from Social Security Scotland will be made in March 2022.
There are several checks as part of the case transfer process.
These checks:
These checks include:
If you’re the client’s appointee, Social Security Scotland needs to review your appointment. Scottish law about appointees is different to UK law. It aims to give greater protection to clients. In Scotland the process involves face-to-face visits wherever possible.
There will be no reviews as part of the transfer process. The Department for Work and Pensions sends the current end of award date for clients receiving Disability Living Allowance for children. Social Security Scotland enters this into the system as the recommended review date.
Reviews required by Social Security Scotland will be arranged and confirmed separately.
When Social Security Scotland schedule a review they’ll:
Once a review is completed, the Case Manager will set the next review period after considering all relevant information, decision guides and tools.
Unplanned reviews will be triggered by other activities, such as a change of circumstances. These may happen at any time after the award is made.
A minimal number of clients within the Department for Work and Pensions have a payment schedule not matched in Social Security Scotland. These clients have a special transfer process that ensures that the change does not impact them. The client does not have to do anything and will be contacted separately to explain the process.
Some clients meet the criteria for Special Rules for Terminal Illness awards within the Department for Work and Pensions.
Clients who currently:
These clients will be awarded the high rate of both components from the point of case transfer, including any appropriate backdating. This will be done automatically, and the client does not need to do anything.
Some clients have arranged accessible vehicles or equipment leases with Motability. During the transfer, Social Security Scotland will become responsible for paying Motability on the client’s behalf. Notifications to Motability will be managed as part of the data transfer. Clients do not have to do anything.
Some clients are eligible for other benefits because they receive Disability Living Allowance for children. Their eligibility for these other benefits will continue because they receive Child Disability Payment.
The client will need to advise the other benefits provider that they have moved to Child Disability Payment, e.g. local authorities.
The details for each possible linked benefit are below, and clients should contact the provider and tell them about the change.
Universal Credit
Go to www.gov.uk/sign-in-universal-credit or call 0800 328 5644.
Income Support
Go to www.gov.uk/income-support or call 0800 169 0310.
State Pension Credit
Go to www.gov.uk/pension-credit or call 0800 731 0469.
Vehicle Tax Exemption, driving licence at 16
Go to www.gov.uk/financial-help-disabled/vehicles-and-transport or call 0300 790 6802.
Housing Benefit, Blue Badge, Council Tax Reduction
Go to www.gov.uk/find-local-council or call your local council.
Clients do not need to contact Carer’s Allowance to let them know your benefit has transferred. This information is being automatically shared by the Department for Work and Pensions.
For more information about other related benefits. Learn more about the extra benefits clients can get while receiving Disability Living Allowance.
The Child Disability Payment determination made at the point of case transfer comes with rights to:
This means clients can appeal their Child Disability Payment with Social Security Scotland and the Scottish Courts and Tribunal Service.
If they want to challenge their Disability Living Allowance for children, they need to do this via the Department for Work and Pensions.
Some clients meet criteria that enable them to receive their benefits while living abroad. Where this is possible the benefit is called ‘exportable’. When a client’s benefit award is transferred to Social Security Scotland, this continues.
The client’s benefit will not transfer to Social Security Scotland if they move house during the transfer to:
If a client moves from Scotland to anywhere else in the UK after the transfer period, the client will remain with Social Security Scotland for 13 weeks.
The client will have to make a new application to:
If a client moves from anywhere else in the UK to Scotland before the final case is selected for transfer, their case will be added to those transferring to Social Security Scotland.