Payments when you move from Child Disability Payment to Adult Disability Payment

If you apply for Adult Disability Payment, you’ll keep getting Child Disability Payment while Social Security Scotland make a decision about your application. If you're eligible for Adult Disability Payment, this will ensure you do not have a break in payments. 

What happens next

If you're awarded Adult Disability Payment

If you're awarded Adult Disability Payment, your entitlement to it will start from the day after you receive your next regular Child Disability Payment. Your entitlement to Child Disability Payment will end the day before.

If you're not awarded Adult Disability Payment

If you're under 18 when Social Security Scotland makes the decision, you'll keep getting Child Disability Payment until your 18th birthday.

If you’re over 18 when Social Security Scotland makes the decision, your Child Disability Payment will end immediately. This is unless your benefit was moved from Disability Living Allowance for children to Child Disability Payment, and you turned 18 on or before 31 December 2023. If that’s the case, you’ll keep getting Child Disability Payment until your 19th birthday.

When you may get a one-off extra payment

If the amount of Adult Disability Payment you get is higher than your Child Disability Payment, you’ll get a one-off extra payment.

This is because people are usually paid Adult Disability Payment from the date they apply for it.

But if you’re on Child Disability Payment on that date, then you cannot be paid Child Disability Payment and Adult Disability Payment at the same time.

The one-off extra payment is to make up the amount you would have received if you were paid Adult Disability Payment from the date you applied.

If you’re eligible for a one-off extra payment, Social Security Scotland will write to you to tell you:

• how much your extra payment will be
• when you’ll get your extra payment