Financial help if you look after a child with a disability

Read on to find out more:

Who is eligible?

Disability Living Allowance (DLA) is available if you provide care, attention or supervision for children under 16 years of age with a health condition or disability. They do not need to have an actual diagnosis from a doctor.

DLA has two parts: one part for care needs and the other for mobility needs. You can make a claim for either or both parts.

Care component

This is for children who need extra help with personal care and attention.

The amount of care component awarded depends on how much attention and/or supervision your child needs:

• Lower rate – extra care for some of the day (for at least an hour)
• Middle rate – care or supervision during the day or at night, or gets renal dialysis twice or more a week
• Higher rate – care or supervision frequently throughout both day and night, or has been diagnosed as terminally ill and is not expected to live more than 12 months

Mobility component

This is for children who are unable or virtually unable to walk and/or need substantially more guidance and supervision than a child of the same age without a disability or health condition.

There are two rates of the mobility component:

1. Lower rate – for children aged five and over who can walk but need someone with them to guide and/or supervise them on unfamiliar routes outdoors. The test is based on their ability to cope with unfamiliar routes (for example, they become very anxious and confused if walking in a strange place)
2. Higher rate – for children aged from three who are unable or virtually unable to walk or where the exertion required to walk would constitute a danger to their life or would or could lead to a serious deterioration in their health

Children can also qualify if they have a severe visual impairment, are both deaf and blind or are severely mentally impaired.

To qualify for DLA your child must normally have needed help for at least three months and be likely to need it for at least a further six months. For children suffering from a terminal illness, there are special rules which will enable them to receive benefit quickly.

How to claim Disability Living Allowance?

Apply online or call 0800 121 4600 to request a DLA self-assessment claim pack.

When making a claim you will be asked to describe your child’s difficulties. Remember that your child can qualify even if s/he does not get all the care s/he needs. Do not underestimate how much looking after your child needs, or how much difficulty your child has getting around. It is crucial that you put as much information as possible to give a full picture of your child’s difficulties and need for care and/or supervision.