Disability Living Allowance - claiming for disabled children

Disability Living Allowance – information if your child has disabilities

Applies: England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland

Who does it help?

Disability Living Allowance (DLA) is money for people who have care needs or mobility needs (difficulty getting around). If your child has disabilities, you may get DLA for them.

What are your child's care needs?

Your child has care needs if they need help with ‘bodily functions’, for example, eating, washing, getting dressed and going to the toilet. These care needs can also include help which allows your child to take part in social activities. Your child has to need more care and attention than other children of the same age. However, this extra condition only applies if your child is under 16 when their Disability Living Allowance starts. It no longer applies when the child reaches the age of 16.

What are your child's mobility needs?

Your child has mobility needs if they cannot walk outdoors or go on an unfamiliar route without guidance or supervision from someone else. For example, this might apply if your child is blind, is unable to walk or has a lot of difficulty walking. Your child may also be treated as having mobility needs if they have severe learning difficulties or severe behavioural problems.

You cannot claim the mobility part of DLA before your child reaches the age of three (for the higher rate) or five (for the lower rate).

What help does the benefit provide?

DLA is money that you can spend as you want for your child's needs. It is usually paid into your bank or building society account. You can be paid at a post office in some cases. It is paid as long as your child has mobility or care needs.

If your child gets DLA, you might qualify for Carer’s Allowance and for the Motability scheme – see below.

How much does it pay?

There are two parts of DLA. One is the care part if your child has care needs. The other is the mobility part if they have mobility problems. You can get either or both.

The care part is paid at one of three different rates, depending on how much care is needed. These rates are £71.40, £47.80 and £18.95 a week.

The mobility part is paid at one of two different rates, depending on how difficult it is for your child to get around. These rates are £49.85 and £18.95 a week.

How to claim

You can claim DLA by phoning the Benefits Enquiry Line on: 0800 882200 or 0800 220674 in Northern Ireland. They will help you fill in form DLA1(Child) over the phone.

Or you can get the form from your local Jobcentre Plus office or, in Northern Ireland, the Disability and Carers Service or a local Social Security or Jobs & Benefits office.

Or you can also get a claim pack sent to you by filling in leaflet DS704, which you can get from post offices and local benefit offices.

You can also get the DLA claim form (PDF file size 511kb) (link opens in a new window) from the Directgov website, or get the DLA claim form in Northern Ireland (link opens in a new window) from the Department for Social Development’s website.

You can also claim DLA online (link opens in a new window) in England, Scotland and Wales. Claim DLA online in Northern Ireland (link opens in a new window).

You cannot backdate your claim for DLA.

After your claim form is received, your child may have to have a medical examination although this is unusual.

Documents you need

You must give your national insurance number and evidence of who you are, for example, a driving licence or birth certificate.

Part of the form must be filled in by someone who knows about your child's disability. This could be a friend, relative or carer.

Further help

If you child is over three and getting the higher rate of the mobility part of DLA, there is a scheme which helps you to buy or lease a car to make it easier for you to travel with your child. The scheme is called the Motability scheme.

The Benefits Enquiry helpline can give you general information about DLA. Call them on: 0800 882 200.

Once you have made a claim, you can get advice about DLA from the Disability Living Allowance helpline who should have access to your records. Call them on: 08457 123 456.

There are many special organisations that can help you if you have a disabled child. For example, you could phone Contact a Family (link opens in a new window) which provides advice, information and support to the parents of all disabled children. Their helpline is: 0808 808 3555.

The Citizens Advice website (link opens in a new window) can give you more information about claiming DLA.

Directgov , the government website, (link opens in a new window) has more information about DLA

Frequently asked questions relating to disability

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