Trial benefit for disabled children pays out £140k in four months

A newly-devolved benefit for disabled children has paid out more than £140,000 over four months in its trial areas.

The child disability payment replaces the disability living allowance for children and was introduced in three Scottish council areas on a trial basis in late July last year.

Up until late November, a total of £141,680 was paid out, statistics from the Scottish Government show.

Some 550 applications were made for the benefit, with 84% being made online.

A total of 355 of these completed the second part of the application form during the four-month period, of which 72% were processed and 165 were authorised.

While initially trialled in Dundee City, Perth & Kinross and the Western Isles the child disability payment has now opened to applications across Scotland.

It is designed to help families with the extra costs that a disabled child may have.

The benefit consists of two components, one for care and one for mobility, each of which have three different levels of payment.

Announcing the rollout in November, Social Security Minister, Ben Macpherson, said: “In the months and years ahead, thousands of families will benefit from our simplified and much less stressful system, which will treat everyone with dignity, fairness and respect.

“Social security is a shared investment in building a fairer Scotland and we encourage those who are eligible for support to apply.”