Disability Living Allowance for children: who can claim and what it pays in 2026/27
Published · 5 min read · Figures checked . UK rules and rates change, so check the official sources below before you act.
Disability Living Allowance (DLA) for children helps with the extra costs of bringing up a disabled child under 16 in England and Wales. This guide explains the two components, the 2026/27 weekly rates, who qualifies, how a claim starts and what changes at 16.
What DLA for children is and how it works
Disability Living Allowance for children is a benefit for children under 16 who need much more looking after than a child of the same age without a disability, or who have difficulty getting around. It is paid towards the extra costs of caring for a child with a disability. GOV.UK sets out the rules for England and Wales; Northern Ireland and Scotland run their own versions, covered further down.
The benefit has two parts, called components. The care component is for a child who needs extra looking after, and it is paid at one of three rates: lowest, middle or highest, depending on the level of help needed. The mobility component is for a child who has difficulty getting about, and it is paid at a lower or higher rate. A child can be awarded one component or both, and the rates for each are decided separately, so two children with the same diagnosis can receive different awards.
Who can claim and the key tests
The person claiming must be the child's parent or look after them as if they were a parent, which GOV.UK says can include step-parents, guardians, grandparents, foster parents and older siblings. The child must be under 16, must live in England or Wales when the claim is made (unless eligible to claim from abroad), and must have had the care or mobility difficulties for at least 3 months, with the difficulties expected to last at least a further 6 months. These are called the 3 month and 6 month tests.
There are age limits on the mobility component. According to GOV.UK, the higher rate needs the child to be 3 or over, and the lower rate needs the child to be 5 or over. GOV.UK also says that if you claim for a younger child you should be sent a claim pack 6 months before they turn 3 and 5. Where a child is nearing the end of life, the 3 month test does not apply and the highest care rate is available. Children who have recently arrived from abroad must also meet residence rules, which GOV.UK sets out in detail on its eligibility page.
The figures and a worked example
GOV.UK describes the overall range as between £30.30 and £194.60 a week. The top figure is simply the highest care rate plus the higher mobility rate: £114.60 plus £80.00 equals £194.60. The bottom figure, £30.30, is a single lowest-rate component on its own. Because the two components are awarded independently, the weekly total is the sum of whichever rates a child is given.
Here is an illustrative example, with made-up circumstances. Suppose a child is awarded the middle rate of the care component and the lower rate of the mobility component. The weekly total is £76.70 plus £30.30, which is £107.00. Over a full year of 52 weeks that would come to £107.00 multiplied by 52, or £5,564.00. Any real award depends on the decision made on the claim, so this only shows the arithmetic.
How a claim starts, and what happens next
In England and Wales, GOV.UK says you can download the claim form or call the helpline on 0800 121 4600 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm) to ask for a printed form. Payment can start from the date the claim begins, but it cannot be backdated. If you ask for the claim pack by phone, GOV.UK says your claim starts on the date of the call provided you return the form within 6 weeks. A confirmation letter should arrive within 3 weeks, and a later letter tells you the decision and when the first payment is due.
If you disagree with a decision, GOV.UK says you can ask for a mandatory reconsideration, which is a request for the Department for Work and Pensions to look at its decision again. This is normally the step before any appeal, so it can be worth checking the time limit stated in your decision letter. It is also worth knowing that a DLA award can affect other support, such as Carer's Allowance, a separate benefit with its own conditions (set at £86.45 a week for 2026/27, with an earnings limit of £204.00 a week).
Scotland, Northern Ireland and turning 16
Children living in Scotland apply for Child Disability Payment, run by Social Security Scotland, instead of DLA. Its published structure is similar, with care and mobility components, but its rates are set separately, so the Scottish government pages are the place to check the current figures. If a child moves between Scotland and England or Wales, GOV.UK says you should report it and make a new claim as soon as possible, because payments could otherwise be affected. In Northern Ireland, claims for DLA for children go through nidirect.
When a child in England or Wales turns 16, DLA for children ends and they need to apply for Personal Independence Payment (PIP). GOV.UK says a letter is sent shortly after the 16th birthday, and that DLA payments will stop unless an application is made by the date in that letter. If the application is made in time, DLA continues until the PIP claim has been assessed.
Common mistakes and where to get free help
Common difficulties include assuming that a diagnosis alone decides the award, when the claim is about the help the child needs compared with other children of the same age, and waiting to claim, since payment cannot be backdated. Free, independent help is available from Citizens Advice, and the Disability Service Centre helpline can answer questions about an existing claim. This guide is general information, not personal advice.
Check before you act
Rates, rules and contact details change, and a decision on any claim rests with the Department for Work and Pensions. Please confirm the current position on the official pages linked below before relying on any figure in this guide.
Sources
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