Disability Living Allowance Calculator

How DLA for children is worked out

Disability Living Allowance (DLA) for children helps with the extra costs of looking after a child under 16 who has difficulty walking or needs much more looking after than a child of the same age without a disability. It is tax-free and has two parts, a care component and a mobility component. A child can get one or both, and each is paid at a set weekly rate. Together they come to between £30.30 and £194.60 a week in 2026/27.

Care component

The rate depends on how much looking after the child needs. As a guide, the lowest rate is for help for some of the day, the middle rate is for frequent help or continual supervision during the day, supervision at night, or someone to help while they are on dialysis, and the highest rate is for help or supervision throughout both day and night. A child who is nearing the end of life, for example because of a life-limiting illness, gets the highest rate.

Mobility component

The lower rate is for a child who can walk but needs help or supervision when outdoors, and can only be paid from age 5. The higher rate is for a child who cannot walk, can only walk a short distance without severe discomfort, could become very ill if they try to walk, or is blind or severely sight impaired, and can be paid from age 3.

Who can claim DLA for a child

The child must be under 16, be living in England or Wales when you claim, and have had their difficulties for at least 3 months, expecting them to last at least 6 months more. The 3-month wait does not apply if the child is nearing the end of life. You can claim whether you are in or out of work. In Scotland you apply for Child Disability Payment instead, and Northern Ireland has its own DLA for children.

Other help a DLA award can lead to

• Carer's Allowance. If you spend at least 35 hours a week caring for a child on the middle or highest care rate, you might get Carer's Allowance of £86.45 a week in 2026/27, as long as you earn £204 a week or less after tax, National Insurance and expenses. See our Carer's Allowance calculator.
• Universal Credit disabled child addition. £164.79 a month, or £514.71 a month for a child on the highest care rate or who is blind or severely sight impaired. Our Universal Credit elements calculator builds a whole award.
• Universal Credit carer element. £209.34 a month if you care for at least 35 hours a week for a child on the middle or highest care rate.

Worked example. A 7-year-old needs supervision throughout the day and night and can walk but needs someone with them outdoors. That is the highest care rate, £114.60, plus the lower mobility rate, £30.30, so £144.90 a week, paid as £579.60 every 4 weeks, or £7,534.80 over 52 weeks. If the family gets Universal Credit, the higher disabled child addition of £514.71 a month is added as well.

How DLA is paid and what happens at 16

DLA is usually paid every 4 weeks on a Tuesday, and before the bank holiday if the payment date falls on one. When the child turns 16 they are invited to apply for Personal Independence Payment (PIP). If they apply by the date in the letter, DLA carries on until the PIP claim is assessed. Our PIP points calculator shows how PIP is scored.

To claim, use the DLA for children claim page on GOV.UK.