Disability Living Allowance (DLA) for children

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Eligibility

You’ll usually be able to get Disability Living Allowance (DLA) for children if all of the following apply. The child must:

  • be under 16 - anyone over 16 must apply for Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
  • need extra looking after or have walking difficulties
  • be living in England or Wales when you claim (unless you’re eligible to claim from abroad)

If your child lives in Scotland, apply for Child Disability Payment instead. If your child lives in Northern Ireland, apply for Disability Living Allowance for children in Northern Ireland.

You can claim DLA for children if you’re in or out of work.

When you can claim from abroad

You might still be able to get DLA for children if:

  • your child lives in the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein - you can only get help with your child’s daily living tasks
  • your child is abroad receiving medical treatment
  • your child lives with a parent working in the armed forces

If you’ve recently moved to the UK from abroad

To be eligible your child must both:

  • have lived in England, Scotland or Wales for a minimum period of time 
  • be living in either England or Wales when you apply

If your child is not a British citizen they must also have the right to claim ‘public funds’. This will depend on their immigration status.

Your child might be able to get DLA for children without meeting these requirements if they have refugee or humanitarian protection status, or they’re the dependant of someone who does.

Check how long your child must have lived in England, Scotland or Wales

How long your child must usually have lived in England, Scotland or Wales depends on how old they are.

Child’s age Minimum time spent living in England, Scotland or Wales
Under 6 months old at least 13 weeks
Between 6 months and 3 years old at least 26 of the last 156 weeks
Over 3 years old at least 6 of the last 12 months

Your child might be able to get DLA for children sooner if:

  • a medical professional has said your child might have 12 months or less to live
  • your child lives with a parent working in the armed forces
  • your child is returning from living in the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and they are covered by the withdrawal agreement

The child’s disability or health condition

The child’s disability or health condition must mean at least one of the following apply:

  • they need much more looking after than a child of the same age who does not have a disability
  • they have difficulty getting about

They must have had these difficulties for at least 3 months and expect them to last for at least 6 months.

If a medical professional has said they might have 12 months or less to live, they do not need to have had these difficulties for 3 months.

Care component

The rate the child gets depends on the level of looking after they need, for example:

  • lowest rate - help for some of the day
  • middle rate - frequent help or constant supervision during the day, supervision at night or someone to help while they’re on dialysis
  • highest rate - help or supervision throughout both day and night, or a medical professional has said they might have 12 months or less to live

Mobility component

The rate the child gets depends on the level of help they need getting about, for example:

  • lowest rate - they can walk but need help and or supervision when outdoors
  • highest rate - they cannot walk, can only walk a short distance without severe discomfort, could become very ill if they try to walk or they’re blind or severely sight impaired

There are also age limits to receiving the mobility component:

  • lowest rate - the child must be 5 years or over
  • highest rate - the child must be 3 years or over

If your child is under these ages and you claim DLA for them, you should be sent a claim pack 6 months before they turn 3 and 6 months before they turn 5. You can then apply for the mobility component if you think they’re eligible for it.

If you have not received any claim packs and you think your child may be entitled to the mobility component, contact the Disability Service Centre.

View a printable version of the whole guide

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