Current status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 31 March 2025
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of concerns raised by Young Lives vs Cancer that, currently, there is an average six-month waiting time between a child or young person's cancer diagnosis and their receiving their first disability benefit payment, what action it can take to reduce this.
We fully recognise that this is a challenging time for families. Importantly, no-one needs a formal diagnosis to apply for Child or Adult Disability Payment; decisions about eligibility are based on the individual’s level of needs, rather than a diagnosis.
Once a decision is made the award will commence from the date of application where the conditions of entitlement were met at this point.
We urge anyone applying on behalf of a terminally ill child to use our fast-tracked route so that they and their family can access the maximum level of financial support they are entitled to – quickly and with dignity.