Child Disability Payment decision making guide

Checking the application form

When an applicant applies for CDP they’ll be asked to state whether or not they have parental rights and responsibilities. In order to assist applicants with answering this question, the applicants will be asked to select the category that applies to them.

The case manager will check that the applicant has parental rights and responsibilities for the child.

If the applicant has either:

  • answered that they do not have parental rights and responsibilities
  • left the question unanswered

the case manager will need to make further enquires with the applicant. Before doing this, the case manager will check that the applicant’s address matches the child’s and check for other recorded relationships (see next section of this guidance). The purpose of this check is to assist the case manager with making further enquiries with the applicant.

Check the applicant’s address matches the child’s and for other recorded relationships

The case manager will check that the applicant’s address matches the child’s.

The case manager will also check to see if Social Security Scotland or the Department for Work and Pensions have a record of any other person being responsible for the child. The operational guidance explains more but what to look for when completing this part of the check.

The child responsibility check is complete if both:

  • the address matches and there are no other recorded relationships
  • the applicant has stated on the application form that they have parental rights and responsibilities.

The case manager must also make further enquiries if either:

  • the address of the child and the applicant do not match
  • there is a record of another person being responsible for the child (see next section of this guidance).

If there is no record of anyone, including the applicant, being responsible for the child, this is not a reason to make further enquiries with the applicant.

Sign up to our newsletter

If you are an organisation or individual who works with people who may need information or support on any of our benefits, sign up to our stakeholder newsletter.

We'll never send you content you haven’t asked for and you can opt out at any time.

Please enter a valid email address

Read our privacy policy