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Disability Living Allowance (DLA) for children may help with the extra costs of looking after a child who:

• is under 16
• has difficulties walking or needs much more looking after than a child of the same age who does not have a disability

They will need to meet all the eligibility requirements.

The DLA rate is between 拢29.20 and 拢187.45 a week and depends on the level of help the child needs.

If your child lives in Scotland

You need to instead of DLA for children.

If your child is getting DLA for children but they have moved to Scotland, you鈥檒l need to report this change so they can get Child Disability Payment instead.

If your child moves from Scotland to England or Wales

If your child gets Child Disability Payment, you must:

• make a new claim for DLA for children

Disability Living Allowance (DLA) for children is a tax-free benefit made up of 2 components (parts). The child might qualify for one or both components.

Care component

Mobility component

How DLA for children is paid

DLA is usually paid every 4 weeks on a Tuesday.

If your payment date is on a bank holiday, you will usually be paid before the bank holiday. After that you鈥檒l continue to get paid as normal.

All benefits, pensions and allowances are paid into your bank or building society account.

Extra help

You might qualify for Carer鈥檚 Allowance if you spend at least 35 hours a week caring for a child who gets the middle or highest care rate of DLA.

You鈥檒l 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 dif铿乧ulties
• be living in England or Wales when you claim (unless you鈥檙e eligible to claim from abroad)

If your child is nearing the end of life (for example, due to a life-limiting illness) you might be able to get DLA for children more quickly and at a higher rate.

You can claim DLA for children if you鈥檙e 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鈥檚 daily living tasks
• your child is abroad receiving medical treatment
• your child lives with a parent working in the armed forces

If you鈥檝e 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聽
• 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 鈥榩ublic funds鈥�. This will depend on their .

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.

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

• your child is nearing the end of life (for example, due to a life-limiting illness)
• 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鈥檚 disability or health condition

The child鈥檚 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.

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鈥檙e on dialysis
• highest rate - help or supervision throughout both day and night, or they鈥檙e nearing the end of life (for example, because of a life-limiting illness)

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鈥檙e 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鈥檙e 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.

To claim DLA for a child you need to be their parent or look after them as if you鈥檙e 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

If your child moves from Scotland to England or Wales

Your Child Disability Payment will stop 13 weeks after your child moves.

Apply for DLA for children as soon as possible after moving or your payments could be affected.

When you鈥檒l be paid

DLA can be paid from the start of your claim. It cannot be backdated. Your claim will start on the date the form is received or the date you call the enquiry line (if you return the claim pack within 6 weeks).

After you鈥檝e applied, you鈥檒l get a letter within 3 weeks that explains how long it鈥檒l take to get a decision. Once the decision has been made, you鈥檒l get another letter that鈥檒l tell you when you鈥檒l get your first payment.

If you disagree with a decision

You can challenge a decision about your claim. This is called asking for mandatory reconsideration.

You must contact the Disability Living Allowance (DLA) helpline if:

• your child鈥檚 personal details change, for example their name, address or doctor
• the level of help they need or their condition changes
• a medical professional has said they鈥檙e nearing the end of life (for example, due to a life-limiting illness)
• they go into hospital or a care home
• they plan to go abroad for more than 4 weeks
• they鈥檙e imprisoned or held in detention
• their immigration status has changed, if they鈥檙e not a British citizen

A change can affect how much DLA your child gets. Their DLA will not usually be affected if they go:

• into a local authority care home for less than 28 days
• into a hospital
• abroad for less than 13 weeks
• abroad for less than 26 weeks to get medical treatment for a condition which began before they left

If your child moves to Scotland

If your child gets DLA and they move to Scotland, you must report this by calling the DLA helpline.

They鈥檒l arrange for your child to get instead. You do not need to make a new application for Child Disability Payment.

Your DLA will stop 13 weeks after your child moves 鈥� report their move as soon as possible or your payments could be affected.

Call the DLA helpline

If your child is nearing the end of life (for example, due to a life-limiting illness) you might be able to get Disability Living Allowance (DLA) for children more quickly and at a higher rate.

This is sometimes called 鈥榮pecial rules for end of life鈥�.

You may be able to get other benefits if your child is nearing the end of life.

Eligibility

Your child is usually eligible if:聽

• they鈥檙e under 16 - anyone over 16 must apply for Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
• your doctor or medical professional has said they might have 12 months or less to live

It can be difficult to predict how long someone might live for. If a medical professional has not talked to you about this, you can still ask them to support your claim under the special rules for end of life.

If you already get DLA for children

Contact the Disability Living Allowance helpline straight away if a medical professional has said your child might have 12 months or less to live.

What you鈥檒l get

Your child will get the highest care component of 拢108.55 per week.

They may also be eligible for the mobility component.

How to claim

Ask a medical professional for form SR1. They鈥檒l either fill it in and give the form to you or send it directly to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).

Contact the Disability Living Allowance helpline to start your claim.

Your child will need to apply for Personal Independence Payment (PIP) when they turn 16.

When they apply for PIP

Your child will get a letter inviting them to apply for PIP. The letter will be sent:

• shortly after their 16th birthday
• when they leave hospital, if they were in hospital on their 16th birthday
• about 20 weeks before their DLA award ends, if they were awarded DLA under special rules for people who might have 12 months or less to live

If they apply by the date given in the letter, they鈥檒l continue to receive DLA until their claim is assessed.