To assess what rate of DLA should be paid, some of the words in the rules have a specific meaning:. Includes anything to do with how the body works, like breathing, eating, drinking, hearing, seeing, walking, sitting, dressing, undressing, washing, bathing, toileting and sleeping. If the help can be done in another room, away from the child, it is unlikely to count unless it is closely connected to something personal, for example changing bedding after a child has wet the bed.

There must be a realistic possibility that without supervision your child could seriously risk harming themselves or others. This situation may arise infrequently or be a one-off. Starts from when the whole household goes to bed and ends when everyone gets up. Normally it is assumed to start around 11pm and end around 7am.

This is because the form they send you will be date-stamped with the date you made your call and this will help ensure the benefit is paid from the earliest possible point. Call our helpline for more details. The earliest it can be paid is the date the form was requested or issued from the DLA Unit, after which you are given six weeks 90 days during the coronavirus pandemic to complete and return the form. If your child qualifies, DLA will be paid from the date it was stamped.

We recommend that you keep a diary for a week before tackling the form. If possible get specialist advice from a welfare benefits adviser or someone else who is familiar with completing the form. Our national freephone helpline can put you in touch with local help to complete the form. You can search for local benefits advisers by using the Turn2Us find an adviser tool. If more evidence is needed, they may write to your GP or hospital consultant. However, there is no guarantee they will do this so it can be a good idea to try and gather some supportive evidence yourself and send it to them.

You should normally get a decision within three months. If your child is refused DLA or awarded it at a lower rate than you expected, you may wish to challenge that decision. Firstly you can ask for a decision to be looked at again. You must normally ask for this within one month of the date of the decision you are challenging, although late requests will sometimes be accepted. If you are still not happy with the outcome of the mandatory reconsideration, you can request an appeal.

You must do this in writing using an appeal form a different form is used in Northern Ireland. You must normally do this within one month of the date on your mandatory reconsideration decision, although late appeals will sometimes be accepted. Find out more about mandatory reconsiderations and appeals.

Instead, getting DLA can lead to an increase in other benefits you receive or help you qualify for entitlements for the first time. Even if you get DLA for your child already, you may find that getting an increased rate will lead to something else. If your child gets the middle or the highest rate of the DLA care component, you might start to be treated as a carer under the benefits system.

Or, if you are getting Universal Credit , you can become exempt from having to take any steps to look for any work as condition of your claim. You should get extra tax credits payments backdated in line with the DLA award. For families still getting payments for their children in their Income Support, getting DLA will lead to extra money being added to your Income Support, known as a disabled child premium and an enhanced disability premium if your child is awarded the highest rate of the care component.

If your child gets Income Support in their own right, then an award of DLA can lead to an increase in their benefit. If you get Housing Benefit or support with council tax , then getting DLA for your child may lead to extra benefit if you are not already getting your rent and council tax met in full. If your disabled child cannot share a bedroom and because of this your Housing Benefit is reduced under the bedroom tax or local housing allowance rules, getting DLA care component at the middle or highest rate for them may help you get more Housing Benefit.

Call our freephone helpline for further advice. Both Housing Benefit and support with council tax are means-tested, and any award will depend on your income and circumstances. Help with road tax. If your child is awarded the highest rate of DLA mobility component, you may be exempt from paying Vehicle Excise Duty. Claimants are usually told about this when they are notified about the award of higher rate DLA mobility component. All local authorities operate schemes for disabled people of any age to apply for a bus pass or voucher for free bus travel.

In some areas, an essential, named carer accompanying the disabled person is also entitled to free travel. If you live in England and have a two-year-old who is awarded DLA, this should mean that they qualify for 15 hours a week free early years education and childcare. See www. If your child already gets Disability Living Allowance DLA but their circumstances have changed and they now need more help, it may be possible to get their award increased.

Any decision including a tribunal decision can be superseded by a decision maker. If you are not happy with the outcome of a supersession you have the right to ask for a reconsideration and an appeal against that new decision in the usual way.

If your child is aged 16 or above, reporting a change of circumstances that may affect their DLA award will lead to them coming off DLA and being assessed under the Personal Independence Payment rules instead.

It's a monthly, tax-free payment, but it's gradually being replaced by Personal Independence Payment. Disability Living Allowance has been discontinued by the government and is gradually being replaced by Personal Independence Payment. However, some people can continue to claim DLA if:. You may be eligible for the care component if you require help with everyday tasks such as cooking or dressing.

You may be eligible for the mobility component if you have severe difficulties walking without assistance. Not sure when you reach State Pension age? You can find out here.

How to claim Personal Independence Payment. How to claim Attendance Allowance. It will take only 2 minutes to fill in. Cookies on GOV. UK We use some essential cookies to make this website work. Accept additional cookies Reject additional cookies View cookies. Hide this message. Home Disabled people Benefits and financial help.

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