What DLA could your child actually get?

DLA for children is made up of two parts. The care component is £30.30 a week (lowest rate), £76.70 (middle rate) or £114.60 (highest rate). The mobility component is £30.30 a week (lower rate) or £80.00 (higher rate). A child can get one or both components, so the maximum is £194.60 a week. Rates apply from April 2026 and DLA is not means-tested or taxable.

DLA is usually paid every 4 weeks. The lowest care rate is £121.20 every 4 weeks, the middle rate £306.80, and the highest rate £458.40. The lower mobility rate is £121.20 every 4 weeks and the higher rate £320. If your child gets both components, add them together: for example middle rate care plus lower rate mobility is £428 every 4 weeks. (The middle rate is sometimes called the medium rate, and the highest rate the high rate: same thing, same money.)

The DLA form for children is called the DLA1A. The quickest route is phoning the DLA helpline number, 0800 121 4600, and asking for the form to be posted: your claim then starts from the date of the call as long as you return it within 6 weeks. You can also download the disability living allowance form from GOV.UK, but a downloaded form only starts from the date the DWP receives it, so phoning usually pays for itself.

There is no fixed rate for any condition: the DWP looks at how much extra help and supervision your child needs compared with other children the same age, not the name of the diagnosis. Many autistic children and children with ADHD qualify through the supervision route (no sense of danger, running off, needing an adult close by) and through extra help with daily routines, sleep and communication. You do not need a diagnosis to claim.

No. DLA is based on your child's needs, not on having a diagnosis. You can claim while you are on an assessment waiting list. Evidence like a school or SENCO letter, referral letters and a diary of the help you give carries real weight even without a diagnosis.

You claim using the DLA1A claim form: call the DLA helpline on 0800 121 4600 to have a form posted (your claim is then backdated to the date of the call if you return it within 6 weeks) or download it from GOV.UK. Your child must be under 16 and normally must have needed the extra help for 3 months and be expected to need it for at least 6 more.

Successful DLA claims for autistic children share a pattern: they describe a typical day hour by hour rather than listing a diagnosis. For example: needing an adult within arm's reach near roads because the child has no sense of danger, a 90-minute bedtime routine repeated after every night waking, hand-over-hand help with washing and dressing, constant supervision at the park because the child runs, and daily talking-down from meltdowns triggered by noise. Claims like these often win the middle care rate through the supervision route, and the lower mobility rate from age 5 where the child needs guidance outdoors. The common thread is comparing everything with what a typical child the same age needs.

The strongest claims describe a typical day and night in detail: what help you give, how long it takes, how often, and how that compares with other children the same age. A one-week diary, examples of near-misses or incidents, and copies of school reports, SENCO emails, EHCP or SEN support plans, and referral or appointment letters all help. Successful claims for autistic children often centre on supervision and safety rather than physical care.

DLA is paid on top of other benefits and is not means-tested. An award can actually increase other support: it can add the disabled child element to Universal Credit, may entitle the parent to Carer's Allowance (£86.45 a week in 2026/27 if you care 35+ hours a week and earn £204 a week or less after deductions), and the higher mobility rate opens the Motability scheme. Middle or highest rate care also protects the carer's National Insurance record.

DLA for children ends at 16. Shortly before their 16th birthday the DWP writes to invite them to claim Personal Independence Payment (PIP) instead. DLA continues while the PIP claim is decided, but the PIP assessment works differently, so it is worth preparing for it rather than assuming the award carries over.

DLA cannot be backdated before the date of claim, but if you phone the DLA helpline for a claim form, your claim is treated as starting on the date of the call, as long as you return the form within 6 weeks. That can be worth several weeks of payments, so phoning for the form is usually better than printing one.

You can ask for a mandatory reconsideration within one month of the decision letter, and appeal to a tribunal if the reconsideration does not change it. A majority of DLA appeals that reach a hearing succeed, often because parents add the day-to-day detail the form missed. Our specialists can help you put that picture together before you challenge a decision.