Child Disability Payment decision making guide
When a payment can be made
CDP should be paid every four weeks, in arrears. Where Special Rules for Terminal Illness apply, CDP should be paid weekly, in advance (CDP regs, reg. 25 (a), CDP regs, reg. 25 (b))
The first payment should be backdated to the date of application if the individual satisfies the backwards test. Once they has provided part one of an application, they have six weeks to complete the full application.
Payments will be backdated to the date they registered the application if they:
- complete the application within 6 weeks
- are eligible for the CDP
If they complete the application after the 6 week period without a good reason, payment will start from the date that the completed application is received. If the individual can give a good reason then the start date of their award is the date that they registered the date of application (CDP regs, reg. 24 (5)). An explanation of what constitutes good reason can be found in the Applying for Child Disability Payment chapter.
A case manager should decide what constitutes a good reason (CDP regs, reg. 24 (6)). For example, it may be that an individual does not submit a full application within the 6 week period because of:
- an action by social security Scotland
- an individual’s disability prevented them from submitting an application.
For more information on what constitutes a good reason, please refer to the Applying for Child Disability Payment chapter.
The case manager can set the date of application as the date when the backwards test is satisfied if:
- the individual submits the application in full
- the individual does not yet meet the criteria for the backwards test of 13 weeks (CDP regs, reg. 24(2))
For more information on the backwards and forwards test and how do deal with applications that do not yet satisfy the backwards test, please refer to the Backwards and Forwards test and the Applying for CDP chapters.
There are circumstances in which CDP can be paid at a daily rate. This may be applicable to individuals living for a prolonged period in a care home or a residential educational establishment.
If the individual has a period of absence from the institution, they may be paid at a daily rate. The daily rate is one-seventh of the weekly rate.
The daily rate should be calculated from the day the individual goes on leave and ends the day after the individual returns to living in a care home (CDP regs, reg. 19(4)). For more detail on this please refer to the Effect of time spent in care homes and residential educational establishments chapter.
Please note the following rates are for illustrative purposes only and may not be accurate.
Eloise is aged 14 and is in receipt of the lowest-rate of the care component and the lower-rate of the mobility component of CDP. She is admitted to residential care on 1st August. From day 29 spent in residential care, Eloise’s award for the care component of CDP is calculated at £0. Her entitlement to payment of the mobility component of CDP remains the same. After six weeks in residential care, Eloise is able to spend five days at home to see extended family. Eloise leaves residential care on 11th September. On 16th September, Eloise returns to the care home. To cover this 5 day period, Eloise’s award is recalculated at five-sevenths of the weekly rate of the care component.
- The weekly lowest-rate of the care component is: £23.70
- The Daily rate is one-seventh of the weekly lowest-rate is £3.39
- The calculation of Eloise’s award is therefore five-sevenths of the weekly rate, equivalent to five times the daily rate which is £16.95
Please note the following rates are for illustrative purposes only and may not be accurate.
Sasha is aged 17 and entitled to the lowest rate of the care component and lower rate of the mobility component of CDP. Sasha has been transferred from legal detention to hospital which means she is still entitled to receive to receive payments of the care component from day 29 onward and will continue to be entitled to it throughout her stay in hospital.
An individual who is terminally ill becomes entitled from whichever of these dates is earliest (CDP regs, reg. 15(3)(4)):
- the date Social Security Scotland receives their application
- the date a Benefits Assistance under Special Rules in Scotland (BASRiS) form is signed (up to a maximum of 26 weeks prior to application being received).
This date can be no earlier than 26 July 2021.