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Check if you can get DLA for your child
It’s very common for a parent to think they won’t be able to get Disability Living Allowance (DLA) for their child when they can.
DLA isn’t just for children who are physically disabled. It can be given for a wide range of medical conditions including behavioural and mental health conditions as well as learning disabilities and developmental delay. You might be able to claim even if you wouldn’t describe your child as ‘disabled’.
You can get DLA if at least one of the following applies to your child:
- they need a lot more care, attention or supervision than a child of the same age who isn’t disabled
- they have difficulty walking or getting around outdoors in unfamiliar places, compared to a child of the same age who isn’t disabled
Your child must have been disabled or had the condition for at least 3 months, and you must expect it to last for 6 more. You don’t need a formal diagnosis from a doctor to apply, but this can usually help.
If your child is terminally ill and not expected to live more than 12 months, you can apply right away regardless of how long your child has had difficulties for.
Read more about applying for a terminally ill child.
Your child needs to be under 16 for you to claim DLA – if they’re 16 or over you’ll have to claim Personal Independence Payment.
If your child’s under 3 years old
It can be difficult to get DLA for a baby or an infant because all children of that age need a lot of care. But, you should still apply if your child needs more care, attention or supervision than a child of the same age who isn’t disabled or doesn’t have a health condition.
For example, most babies would be expected to wake during the night. But if you have to get up to give them a treatment such as an inhaler 2 or 3 times a night, then this means your child needs more care and attention than a baby who doesn’t need an inhaler.
If your child is under 3, you won’t be eligible for the ‘mobility component’ of DLA – read more about components and how much DLA you can get.
Your earnings and other benefits
DLA isn’t means tested, so it doesn’t matter how much you earn or how much money you might have in savings.
Any other benefits you might be getting won’t be affected. In fact, getting DLA could mean that:
you can get other benefits, or
you can get a higher rate of the benefits that you currently get
Read more about extra help and support if you’re getting DLA.
How to claim DLA for your child
You can claim DLA to help with the extra costs you have because of your child’s health condition or disability.
You can apply through a fast-track process if your child has been diagnosed as terminally ill.
Check if your child is eligible
You can get DLA if your child:
- needs more care, attention or supervision than a child of the same age who doesn’t have a disability or health condition, or
- has difficulty walking or getting around outdoors in unfamiliar places
DLA isn’t means tested, so it doesn’t matter how much you earn or how much savings you have.
If you’re not sure if you’re eligible you can read more about eligibility for DLA for children.
Get an application form
You can either phone for an application form or download one.
It’s best to phone because your payments will be backdated to the date you phoned. If you download an application form, you’ll only be paid from the date that the DWP receives the form.
Disability Living Allowance (DLA) Helpline
Telephone: 0800 121 4600
Keep a diary
It’s a good idea to keep a diary of your child’s condition for a week before you fill in the form – particularly if your child has bad days and good days. Write down your child’s difficulties, the help or care you gave and how long it took.
Depending on your child’s condition, you might want to keep a diary for longer than a week – for example if you child’s condition usually affects them 1 week a month.
There’s a DLA diary that you can print out and use – it covers 7 days and gives you tips on what to write down.
The diary can really help you when you fill in the form. You can also send it with the form as evidence if you like.
When your child turns 16 - moving to Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
PIP is a disability benefit similar to DLA, but for people 16 and over.
You’ll get a letter from the DWP shortly before your child’s 16th birthday telling you about switching from DLA to PIP.
You’ll need to fill in a new form and your child will need to go for an assessment – even if they didn’t have an assessment for DLA.