Families in West Lothian receive £54.6 million in vital financial support to help with extra costs

The most recently published statistics from Social Security Scotland show that at the end of June 2025, the families of 4,015 children and young people in West Lothian were receiving Child Disability Payment.

Families in West Lothian have received £54.6 million in vital financial support to help with the extra costs of caring for a disabled child or young person.

The most recently published statistics from Social Security Scotland show that at the end of June 2025, the families of 4,015 children and young people in West Lothian were receiving Child Disability Payment.

The benefit helps with the extra costs experienced by families with children or young people who are disabled, terminally ill or who have a long-term health condition.

It is available to parents and carers, even if they are working or have savings.

Figures show that since Child Disability Payment launched in 2021, over £1.2 billion has been paid to the families of almost 105,000 disabled children and young people across Scotland.

Social Security Scotland can help people apply over the phone and through webchat. People can also call Social Security Scotland to request an in-person appointment with one of our local advisers who are based in communities across Scotland.

Social Security Scotland can help parents or guardians gather information to support their application from professionals such as teachers and nurses, though people can also provide this information themselves if they have it.

Maggie, whose nine-year-old son gets Child Disability Payment says the money has made a big difference in their lives:

“My son has autism and he finds buses and trains overwhelming. He’d get so stressed out and try to run away.

“I have a vivid memory of him sitting in the bus stop with me and his younger sister and then out of the blue, shooting away towards the busy road.

“Child Disability Payment has made a difference to us in a lot of ways, but being able to pay for taxis and keep him safe has given me so much peace of mind.

“The application process was much more straightforward than I’d expected. I phoned Social Security Scotland and they set up an appointment with a lovely woman in my local library and she helped me with everything.”

For more information on Child Disability Payment and to apply, visit mygov.scot/child-disability-payment

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