Free tool · 2026/27 rates
DLA rate checker for a child
Answer a few plain questions about your child's day, night and getting about, and see which Disability Living Allowance (DLA) rates may fit, with the weekly amounts for 2026/27.
An honest guide, not a decision. DLA is not scored in points. This checker matches your answers to the rules for each rate, and when they do not point clearly one way it says "Depends on your details". The DWP decides every claim.
Your answers stay on this page. Nothing is sent to us unless you ask for your result by email.
From 16, young people claim Personal Independence Payment (PIP) instead of DLA. GOV.UK says anyone over 16 must apply for PIP, so this checker is for children under 16.
If your child already gets DLA, they should be sent a letter inviting them to apply for PIP, usually shortly after their 16th birthday. Their DLA stops unless they apply by the date in that letter. In Scotland it is Adult Disability Payment instead of PIP.
See GOV.UK: Personal Independence Payment and our guide DLA at 16: moving to PIP.
In Scotland, new claims for children are Child Disability Payment, not DLA. It is paid by Social Security Scotland, and the weekly rates are the same as DLA. You can apply online or by phone on freephone 0800 182 2222.
See mygov.scot: Child Disability Payment and our guide DLA or Child Disability Payment?
In Northern Ireland, DLA for children is run by the Department for Communities. The rates are the same, and the rules for each rate follow the same pattern. See nidirect: DLA for children.
Your result
The DLA rates that may fit
Care component
Mobility component
Likely weekly total
This is a guide from your answers, not a decision. The DWP decides every claim, on the claim form and the evidence. DLA is not scored in points: for a child under 16, the help they need must be substantially more than other children the same age need.
Outside the special rules, your child must normally have needed the help for at least 3 months and be expected to need it for at least 6 more.
Northern Ireland: claims go to the Department for Communities, and the weekly rates are the same.
If your child gets the middle or highest care rate, you might qualify for Carer's Allowance if you spend at least 35 hours a week caring for them. See GOV.UK: Carer's Allowance.
Email me my result
We email this result to you, with your answers and the 2026/27 rates, so you have it when you fill in the form.
No spam: we may send an occasional email about DLA for children. You can unsubscribe at any time.
See one area of your child's form written free
Tell us about your child and we write one area of the DLA claim form for them, the way the form asks, compared with children the same age. No card needed.
How DLA for a child is worked out
DLA has two parts, and a child can get one or both. It is paid for the extra help your child needs because of a condition or disability, not for the diagnosis.
- The care component has three rates. The lowest is for extra help for some of the day, which can be for as little as an hour. The middle rate is for frequent help or continual supervision through the day, or help at night. The highest is for help or supervision both day and night. Care can be claimed from birth.
- The mobility component has two rates. The higher rate can start from age 3, for a child who, because of a physical disability, cannot walk, can only walk a short distance without severe discomfort or meets one of the other conditions. The lower rate can start from age 5, for a child who can walk but needs guidance or supervision outdoors in places they do not know well.
For a child under 16, "extra" means much more than a child of the same age without a disability needs. That comparison is the heart of every answer on the claim form. Our guides on night-time care and the mobility component explain it in more detail.
DLA rates for 2026/27
DLA for a child is between £30.30 and £194.60 a week, depending on the help the child needs. It is usually paid every 4 weeks.
| Care component | Weekly rate |
|---|---|
| Lowest: help for some of the day | £30.30 |
| Middle: frequent help or continual supervision during the day, supervision at night or help while on dialysis | £76.70 |
| Highest: help or supervision throughout both day and night, or nearing the end of life | £114.60 |
| Mobility component | Weekly rate |
| Lower (from age 5): can walk but needs help or supervision outdoors | £30.30 |
| Higher (from age 3): 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 | £80.00 |
Source: GOV.UK, DLA for children: rates, checked 6 October 2026. Our guide to DLA rates for 2026/27 has more on each rate.
Questions parents ask
Is DLA for children scored in points like PIP?
No. DLA for children is decided on whether your child needs much more looking after, or much more help getting about, than a child of the same age without a disability. This checker gives an honest guide from your answers, or says Depends on your details. The DWP decides every claim.
How much is DLA for a child in 2026/27?
Between £30.30 and £194.60 a week. The care component is £30.30 (lowest), £76.70 (middle) or £114.60 (highest) a week. The mobility component is £30.30 (lower) or £80.00 (higher) a week. A child can get one part or both.
What counts as night on the DLA form?
The form says night is when everyone in the house is in bed, and daytime is any time before the parents or carer go to bed. So if your child goes to bed at 8pm and you go to bed at 11pm, help before 11pm counts as daytime help.
Can a child under 3 get the mobility component?
No. The higher rate can start from age 3 and the lower rate from age 5. If you already claim DLA for your child, you should be sent a claim pack 6 months before they turn 3 and again 6 months before they turn 5.
Does my child need a diagnosis to get DLA?
No. DLA is paid for the impact a condition or disability has on your child, not for the condition itself. The claim form says that if there is no diagnosis you should still describe the difficulties.
We live in Scotland. Can we claim DLA?
New claims for children in Scotland are Child Disability Payment from Social Security Scotland, not DLA. The weekly rates are the same. You can apply online or by phone, and mygov.scot has the details.
Sources (checked 6 October 2026)
- GOV.UK: Disability Living Allowance for children (rates, eligibility and end of life)
- GOV.UK: DLA for children claim form and notes (DLA1 Child, 10/25)
- Social Security Contributions and Benefits Act 1992, sections 72 and 73
- mygov.scot: Child Disability Payment and nidirect: DLA for children