Disability Living Allowance 

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Disability Living Allowance 

Who can claim DLA for a child?

  • Parent of child under 16 living with them.
  • If you look after a child under 16 as if you were the parent
  • Only one person at a time can get DLA for a child.

 

Can a child get DLA?

Yes; if they need much more day-to-day help than other children of the same age who do not have a disability.

A Child may get DLA if their disability means that one or both of the following apply to them:

  • They need help with personal care or someone to supervise them for their own or someone else's safety.
  • They cannot walk, or find walking very hard, or need help to get around.

 

There are two elements to DLA

  1. Care
  2. Mobility

 

When can I claim DLA for a child?

  • The child must be under 16
  • No Lower age for Care Element
  • Minimum of 3 years old for Mobility Element higher rate
  • Minimum of 5 years old for Mobility Element lower Rate
  • Must have had the additional needs for 3 months and these are likely to continue for another 6 months.
  • Special Rules apply if the child is terminally ill.

Mobility Part

Mobility Part of the Allowance

There are two mobility rates.

Lower Rate

A child may get the lower mobility rate of DLA if they are 5 or over and they can walk, but most of the time they need a lot more guidance or supervision from another personto help them get around outdoors in places they don't know, than other children of the same age who do not have a disability.

This maybe because they:

  • have problems with the way they behave
  • are blind or deaf
  • have problems talking to others, or
  • need someone to keep an eye on them

The child may need extra supervision to avaoid danger to them or other people.

Higher Rate

A child may get the higher mobility rate of DLA if they are aged 3 or over and due to a physical disability, even when they use an aid (such as a stick or false leg), they:

  • cannot walk at all
  • can only walk a short way without severe discomfort
  • could become ill if they try to walk.

They may also be able to get higher rate if they:

  • have been assessed as 100% disabled because they are blind and at least 80% disabled because they are deaf, and they need someone with them when they go outdoors
  • have had both legs amputated at or above the ankle
  • were born without legs or feet, or
  • get highest care rate of DLA, are severely mentally impaired (that is, they have severe learning difficulties) and have severe behavioural problems.

If your child gets the higher mobility rate of DLA, you may get help to buy or rent a car, powered wheelchair or a scooter from the Mobility Scheme

 

Care Element

Explaination of Care part of the Allowance

There are three care rates.

Lowest Rate

A child may get the lowest rate of DLA if they need help with personal care for SOME of the day.

Middle Rate

A child may get the middle care rate of DLA if they need

  • help with personal care frequently throughout the day
  • help with personal care during the night
  • someone to supervise them continually throughout the day to avaid substantial danger
  • someone to watch over them at night to avoid substantial danger, or
  • someone with them when they are on dialysis

Highest Rate

A child may get the highest care rate of DLA if they need help with personal care or someone to supervise them throughout the day AND also help with personal care or someone to watch over them during the night.

How to Claim

How to claim

To claim DLA for a child you need to be their parent or look after them as if you’re their parent. This includes step-parents, guardians, grandparents, foster-parents or older brothers or sisters.

If your child currently lives in England or Wales you can apply by either:

  • printing off and filling in the DLA claim form
  • phoning the Disability Living Allowance helpline and asking for a printed form

Disability Living Allowance helpline
Telephone: 0800 121 4600
Textphone: 0800 121 4523
Relay UK (if you cannot hear or speak on the phone): 18001 then 0800 121 4600
British Sign Language (BSL) video relay service if you’re on a computer - find out how to use the service on mobile or tablet Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm
Find out about call charges

Special Circumstances

If your child may have 12 months or less to live

There are special rules if a medical professional has said the child might have 12 months or less to live, so they can get DLA more quickly.

Phone the Disability Living Allowance helpline to start your claim. Ask a medical professional for form SR1. They’ll either fill it in and give the form to you or send it directly to the Department for Work and Pensions.

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