Disability Assistance (Miscellaneous Amendment) (Scotland) Regulations 2023: child rights and wellbeing impact assessment

Data

46. The Scottish Health Survey 2021 provides an accurate estimate of the number of disabled children and young people in Scotland. Within the 0-15 age group, 21% of children have a longstanding illness^[11]. For young people aged 16-24, 26% of young people have a longstanding illness.

47. In 2021, there were just over 900,000 children aged 15 and below in Scotland and about 225,000 young people aged between 16 and 19^[12]. In November 2021, prior to the wholesale start of case transfer from Disability Living Allowance for children to Child Disability Payment, there were just under 44,000 children entitled to Disability Living Allowance in Scotland. Of these, there were around 3,900 were aged between 0-5, just over 19,000 were aged between 5-10, and almost 21,000 individuals were between the ages of 11-15^[13].

48. As of 31 December 2022, it is estimated that 54,375 children and young people were in receipt of Child Disability Payment. Of this total, 13,005 were new applicants and 41,370 were people who had their award transferred to Child Disability Payment^[14]. This data is important as these amendments will have a primary impact on the young people in the Child Disability Payment caseload as they relate to the journey for people moving between Child Disability Payment and Adult Disability Payment.

49. It is important to note that the case transfer process from Disability Living Allowance for Children to Child Disability Payment is not complete and is still ongoing. Therefore, the above data in relation to children and young people in receipt of Child Disability Payment will not be a wholly accurate picture of those receiving disability assistance in Scotland or under Social Security Scotland.

50. Data and views were sourced from:

• Scottish Health Survey 2021;
• Census 2011;
• DWP Stat Xplore;
• National Records of Scotland Population Statistics;
• Consultation on social security in Scotland 2016 and
• Consultation on Disability Assistance in Scotland 2019
• Social Security Scotland High Level Statistics 2022/2023