Carers and children guide

DLA for children: how to claim, and how to describe your child’s needs

Disability Living Allowance for children pays between £30.30 and £194.60 a week in 2026 to 2027, and it unlocks a lot of other help. It cannot be backdated, so the most useful thing you can do today is fix your claim date. Here is how the claim works and how to fill in the form well.

By the Disability Expert team. Last checked 11 November 2026.

Who can get it

GOV.UK says a child will usually qualify if they are under 16 and their disability or health condition means they need much more looking after than a child of the same age without a disability, or they have difficulty getting about. They must have had these difficulties for at least 3 months and be expected to have them for at least 6 more months. Those time rules do not apply if a child is nearing the end of life, and there is a faster route to claim in that case.

The child must be living in England or Wales when you claim (or Northern Ireland, where you claim through nidirect). There are rules about how long they must have lived in Great Britain, which depend on their age, and exceptions for some children, including those with refugee status.

To claim, you need to be the child’s parent or look after them as if you were. GOV.UK says that includes step-parents, guardians, grandparents, foster parents and older brothers or sisters.

The rates and what they mean

DLA has two parts, and a child can get one or both. GOV.UK describes the care rates like this:

• Lowest care, £30.30 a week: help for some of the day.
• Middle care, £76.70 a week: frequent help or continual supervision during the day, supervision at night, or help while on dialysis.
• Highest care, £114.60 a week: help or supervision throughout both day and night, or nearing the end of life.
• Lower mobility, £30.30 a week: can walk but needs help or supervision outdoors. The child must be 5 or over.
• Higher mobility, £80.00 a week: cannot walk, can only walk a short distance without severe discomfort, could become very ill if they try to walk, or is blind or severely sight impaired. The child must be 3 or over.

If your child is under those ages when you claim, GOV.UK says you should be sent a claim pack 6 months before they turn 3 and again 6 months before they turn 5, so you can ask for the mobility part. If it does not arrive, contact the Disability Service Centre. DLA is usually paid every 4 weeks on a Tuesday.

Fix your claim date first

DLA can be paid from the start of your claim, but it cannot be backdated. GOV.UK says the claim starts on the date your form is received, or the date you phoned the helpline for a form, as long as you send it back within 6 weeks.

So if you are thinking about claiming, phone the DLA helpline on 0800 121 4600 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm) and ask for a claim pack today, even if you are not ready to fill it in. Or print the form from GOV.UK. In Northern Ireland, nidirect says you can email or phone the Disability and Carers Service for a claim pack, and the date of your request counts as long as you return the form within 6 weeks.

Filling in the form

The form asks how your child’s needs compare with a child of the same age without a disability. That comparison is the heart of the claim. A few things help:

• Describe a typical week, not a good day. If things vary, say how often the bad days happen and what they look like.
• Be specific about time and frequency. ‘Needs help to get dressed’ is weaker than ‘needs me to dress them every morning, which takes 30 minutes because of their muscle stiffness’.
• Include the night. Help and supervision at night are part of how the care rates are decided, so describe what happens after bedtime.
• Include supervision. If your child cannot be left alone because they might hurt themselves or others, wander off or not understand danger, explain what happens and how often.
• For mobility, describe what happens outdoors: running off, refusing to walk, needing to be held, falls, pain or exhaustion.
• Send evidence you already have, such as reports from a consultant, therapist, school or nursery, or an education, health and care plan.
• Keep a copy of everything you send.

GOV.UK says you will get a letter within 3 weeks confirming your application. In Northern Ireland, nidirect says a child’s DLA claim normally takes 30 working days from when the form is received.

After the decision

If you think the decision is wrong, ask for a mandatory reconsideration. That is the first step before you can appeal. It is worth getting advice from an organisation like Contact or Citizens Advice before you do.

Once you have an award, tell the DLA helpline about changes, including if your child’s needs change, they go into hospital, a care home or residential school, they go abroad for more than 4 weeks, or they move to Scotland. If they move to Scotland, DLA continues for up to 13 weeks while you claim Child Disability Payment.

Then use the award letter to claim the extras it unlocks: Carer’s Allowance at the middle or highest care rate, a Blue Badge, the Universal Credit disabled child addition, a Disabled Persons Railcard, Motability at the higher mobility rate, and leisure concessions such as the CEA Card.

When your child turns 16

Your child will need to claim Personal Independence Payment. They will get a letter inviting them to apply shortly after their 16th birthday. DLA stops unless they apply by the date in the letter. If they apply in time, DLA continues until the PIP claim is decided.

Related entitlement pages

• Disability Living Allowance for children — A tax-free benefit for children under 16 who need extra care or have mobility needs.
• Child Disability Payment — Scotland’s replacement for DLA for children, with care and mobility components.
• Carer's Allowance — A weekly payment if you care for someone at least 35 hours a week and they get a qualifying disability benefit.
• Universal Credit disabled child addition — An extra Universal Credit amount if a child on your claim is disabled.
• Blue Badge — A parking badge that lets you park closer to where you need to go, as a driver or passenger.
• Motability Scheme — Lease a car, powered wheelchair or scooter using a qualifying higher-rate mobility payment.
• Family Fund — Grants for families on a low income raising a disabled or seriously ill child or young person.

Organisations that can help

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Frequently asked questions

Sources we checked

• https://www.gov.uk/disability-living-allowance-children
• https://www.gov.uk/disability-living-allowance-children/rates
• https://www.gov.uk/disability-living-allowance-children/eligibility
• https://www.gov.uk/disability-living-allowance-children/how-to-claim
• https://www.gov.uk/disability-living-allowance-children/changes-you-need-to-report
• https://www.gov.uk/disability-living-allowance-children/when-your-child-turns-16
• https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/disability-living-allowance-children
• https://www.mygov.scot/child-disability-payment

Last checked 11 November 2026. This is information, not an eligibility decision or legal advice. Always confirm the current rules on the official source before you apply.