Claiming DLA for children: Your eligibility
If your child is 16 and over, they might be eligible for Personal Independence Payment (PIP) instead. In order to qualify for DLA, the child must need care, attention or supervision or have walking difficulties, but they do not need to have an actual diagnosis from a doctor to make your claim. Also, you can claim DLA for children if you’re in or out of work. It is important that your child is in England or Wales when you claim, with certain exceptions such as family members of the armed forces.
Another condition of DLA is that the child must have lived in Great Britain for at least six of the last 12 months if over three years old. A child needs to be habitually resident in the UK, Ireland, Isle of Man or the Channel Islands to apply and not subject to immigration control. At Astraea Linskills we understand that there is a minefield of information to absorb but our friendly team of family lawyers can navigate you through the process and help you every step of the way. It’s worth noting that if your child lives in Scotland, you need to apply for Child Disability Payment instead.
Claiming DLA for Children: How do I qualify?
When approaching the subject of DLA you need to ask yourself whether the following two conditions apply;
• They need much more looking after than a child of the same age that does not have a disability
• They have difficulty getting about
When claiming DLA for children, our friendly team of experts at Astraea Linskills would advise you that your child must have had these difficulties for at least three months and expect them to last at least six months. If a medical professional has said they might have 12 months or less to live, they do not need to have had these difficulties for three months.
Claiming the care component
The amount of money you can claim for the child depends on the severity of his or her medical condition.
For example;
• The 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’re on dialysis
• Highest rate – help or supervision throughout both the day and night, or a medical professional has said they might have 12 months or less to live
Claiming the mobility component
On top of the care component, you might be able to claim the mobility component depending on the level of help your child needs on 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’re blind or severely sight impaired
There are also age limits to receive the mobility component
• Lowest rate – the child must be five years or over
• Highest rate – the child must be three years or over
When your child is under three
To claim for a child under six months they must have lived in Britain for at least 13 weeks. A child aged between six months and three years must have lived in Great Britain for at least 26 of the last 156 weeks. The rules on residence do not usually apply if a medical professional has said the child might have 12 months or less to live.
Contact our friendly team
If you have any questions regarding claiming DLA for children, please don’t hesitate to contact a member of our expert family law department at Astraea Linskills. We can signpost you towards organisations that can help you fill out your form. We can also clarify any questions you might have along the way.
Have a Question About Claiming DLA for Children?
