Disability Living Allowance

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DLA stays the same for children under 16 and for pensioners who were aged 65 before 8 April 2013.

Note: The Scottish Government has announced that teenagers on DLA can stay on until age 18. This is one of the benefit improvements they have made under their devolved powers. See here

Can my child get DLA?

Care needs

Your child has care needs if they need help with ‘bodily functions’, for example, eating, washing, getting dressed and going to the toilet. These care needs can also include help which allows your child to take part in social activities.

Your child has to need more care and attention than other children of the same age.

Mobility needs

Your child has mobility needs if they cannot walk outdoors or go on an unfamiliar route without guidance or supervision from someone else. For example, this might apply if your child is blind, is unable to walk or has a lot of difficulty walking.  Your child may also be treated as having mobility needs if they have severe learning difficulties or severe behavioural problems.

You cannot claim the mobility part of Disability Living Allowance before your child reaches the age of three (for the higher rate) or five (for the lower rate).

Children under 3

A child under 6 months must have lived in Great Britain for at least 13 weeks.

A child aged between 6 months and 3 years must have lived in Great Britain for at least 26 of the last 156 weeks.

(https://www.gov.uk/disability-living-allowance-children/eligibility)

The rules on residence do not normally apply if a child is terminally ill.

 

Info from https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/benefits/sick-or-disabled-people-and-carers/disability-living-allowance/before-you-claim-dla/check-if-you-can-get-dla/ :

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.

For more information on claiming DLA click here.


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