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.

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