Disability Living Allowance (DLA) is an aid given by the state to children with disabled parents in Great Britain. Financially, the aim of DLA is to ease the extra costs they face as a result of their need for care and movement. The DLA does not link to the parents’ financial circumstances, unlike many other benefits.
Eligibility for DLA
DLA is open to children under the age of 16 who have relatively severe physical or mental impairments that significantly impact their daily life. In this regard, the child needs more care, attention, or supervision compared to other children of their own age. Also, these care needs must have existed for at least three months and can reasonably be expected to carry on for a further six months, unless in the case of a terminal illness where the claim shall be processed more expediently.
Formal treatment from a doctor is not required, but an application must demonstrate how the disability presents the context in which the child is disabled; this shall involve providing documents regarding the child’s ability to perform basic functions.
Rates of DLA for 2025
DLA is divided accordingly: one is the Care Component, intended for children who need extra assistance and care with daily living situations, while the Mobility Component aims to back children with mobility problems. The sums that these children will receive shall be determined primarily by how severe their impairment is.
The Care Component benefits are split across three different rates: the lower level of £28.70 per week is intended for the child requiring intermittent care, the middle rate of £72.65 is reserved for those requiring frequent care during day or night, whereas the highest rate of £108.55 per week goes to children requiring continuous care between days and nights.
The Mobility Component supports very mobile children spread across two rates: the lower rate of £28.70 per week to child beneficiaries who need another person to guide them or keep them under supervision outdoors, whereas the higher rate of £75.75 per week will be paid to children who have severe walking issues or are simply confronted with a complete inability to walk.
From the above, it is possible for children to receive one or both components depending on the circumstances of the disability.
How to Apply
Learn from an online user guide or apply by filling out a claim form onlined, or alternatively through the claim form obtained from the Disability Benefit Centre. Attention will be paid to the children’s condition and disability, how their condition affects their daily lives, and evidence to support these claims through medical reports accompanying the application form from their healthcare professionals.
After submission, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) will review it, taking up to 12 weeks from the application period. Payments will be backdated to the application date if the claimant is eligible. However, should the claim be disallowed, the appeal procedure then comes up.
Conclusion
DLA has been the most significant assistance for enabling families with disabled children to withstand the costs of expensive care and mobility services expounded by the government. Parents are therefore encouraged to give favorable, accurate information with regards to the degree of actual disability.