Child Disability Payment decision making guide

Practicably able to act on the child's behalf

As well as having the legal authority to act on behalf of the child, a person needs to be practicably able to act for the child.

If the answer to any of the following questions is no, then a person may not be practicably able to manage the child's entitlement to assistance:

  • are they capable of arranging for the assistance to be spent in the child's interests?
  • are they capable of appealing decisions if this is required?
  • if Social Security Scotland made an error when determining the child's entitlement to assistance, would the person notice?
  • if the child's circumstances changed, would they notice and tell Social Security Scotland?
  • are they willing to manage the child's entitlement to assistance?

It is not necessary for a parent to be living with a child in order for them to be practicably able to act on the child's behalf. Each case will depend on its own unique set of circumstances.

If a person with the legal authority to act on behalf of the child cannot practicably act on the child's behalf, then it may be more appropriate to:

  • identify someone who does have legal authority to act on behalf of the child and can practicably act, or
  • identify someone to appoint on the child's behalf

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