How much DLA you can get for your child

You can get between £24.45 and £156.90 a week in Disability Living Allowance (DLA) to help look after a child who has a disability or health condition. 

DLA isn't means tested, so how much you earn doesn't impact how much you can get. 

The money can be spent on anything. 

How much you'll get

The amount of DLA you get is made up of 2 parts called ‘components’ - the ‘care component’ and the ‘mobility component’. Each component is paid at different rates.

You might get one or both components, depending on the type of care your child needs. You’ll only have to do one application.

The care component

The care component is based on how much care and supervision your child needs because of their condition.

You’ll get the higher rate of £92.40 if your child either:

• needs care or supervision frequently throughout both the day and night, or
• has been diagnosed as terminally ill and is not expected to live more than 6 months

If your child is terminally ill but their doctor expects them to live more than 6 months, you should talk to an adviser.

You’ll get the middle rate of £61.85 if your child either:

• needs care or supervision throughout either the day or the night, or
• gets renal dialysis twice or more a week

You’ll get the lower rate of £24.45 if your child needs extra care throughout some of the day (for at least an hour) but not at night.

The mobility component

The mobility component is based on your child’s ability to walk and how hard they find it to get around places that they don’t know well.

The higher rate is usually given to children with severe physical difficulties, or conditions that mean it’s dangerous for them to get around alone. You’ll get the higher rate of £64.50 if your child is 3 or over and one of the following describes them:

• they can’t walk
• they have severe discomfort when they walk outside, for example they can’t walk to school because it would hurt them too much to walk outside that far
• walking would put them in danger or would mean their health would get worse
• they have no legs or feet
• they’re blind or severely sight impaired 
• they’re both deaf and blind

You’ll also get the higher rate of £64.50 if your child is 3 or over and all the following describe them:

• they have a severe learning disability or other mental impairment that affects their intelligence and how they act with other people
• the impairment results in disruptive and dangerous behaviour, for example someone has to watch over them to stop them hurting themselves or others
• they’re entitled to the highest rate care component

The lower rate is usually given to children who can walk but have difficulty getting around places that they don’t know very well. You’ll get the lower rate of £24.45 if your child is 5 or over and both the following apply:

• they need someone with them to guide or supervise them on unfamiliar routes (for example, getting somewhere they’ve never been before would be an unfamiliar route, but walking to school the same way every day would be a familiar route)
• they need more help getting around than a child of the same age who isn't disabled or doesn’t have a health condition 

If your child is given the middle rate care component because they need supervision to avoid danger, they can also get the lower rate mobility component for the same reason.