Disability living allowance:
Disability Living Allowance (DLA) is paid to the parents or carers of under-16s who require additional care or face extra costs because of their health.
Payments range from £29.20 – £187.45 a week; it depends on the level of help an individual needs.
Eligibility
To get DLA you (the care recipient) must be under 16 – anyone over 16 must apply for Personal Independence Payment.
You must also:
- Need extra looking after or have walking difficulties. These must have been for at least the last 3 months, and be expected to continue for at least 6 months. (This does not apply to terminal illnesses.)
- Be in England or Wales; Scotland and Northern Ireland have separate benefits. There are some exceptions, e.g. if you’re overseas because parents are in the armed forces, read more on eligibility here.
- Be habitually resident in the UK, Ireland, Isle of Man or the Channel Islands & not be subject to immigration control. You usually need to have lived in Great Britain for at least six of the last 12 months.
The rules on residence do not normally apply with terminal illnesses.
How to claim
Your parent or guardian (the person looks after you – perhaps a step-parent, grandparent, foster-parent or older sibling) must claim DLA on your behalf; you cannot claim it yourself.
To apply you can either print off and fill in the DLA claim form or phone the DLA helpline and ask for a printed form (they can also send you a form in an alternative format e.g. Braille, large print, audio CD.
Disability Living Allowance helpline
Telephone: 0800 121 4600
Textphone: 0800 121 4523
Relay UK (if you cannot hear or speak on the phone): 18001 then 0800 121 4600
Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm
Getting paid
DLA can be paid from the start of your claim; it cannot be backdated (paid retrospectively for past months when you were ill before you claimed). Your claim starts on the date the form is received or the date you call the enquiry line (if you return the claim pack within 6 weeks).
You’ll usually get a decision letter about 8 weeks after your form is received, telling you when you’ll get your first payment.
Anyone terminally ill can get DLA more quickly; ring the DLA helpline and ask a doctor or other healthcare professional for a form SR1.
If you disagree with a decision
You can challenge a decision about your claim. This is called asking for mandatory reconsideration.
About Us
The general aim and objective of Head Up! is to promote the interests of young people with disabilities, physical and/or mental health conditions, specific learning difficulties and neurodivergence; offering them practical advice and support concerning their education and welfare.