Frequently asked questions about benefits
DLA - What is it?
DLA is a tax free, social security benefit for people with an illness or disability. It can be payable to children, as well as adults. To get DLA, your child must need significantly more help or looking after than another child of the same age who hasn't any special needs. There is a different claim pack to fill in if your child is under 16. If your child is 16 at their next birthday, you will probably be sent an adult claim pack
My child doesn't have a diagnosis. Does this mean I can't claim DLA?
No. Many children getting DLA have no diagnosis. There's no doubt, having a 'label' makes it easier to explain why your child struggles to manage their feelings or acquire new skills. But what's important is that other people agree your child has additional or different needs. Professional advices, assessments
Will getting DLA for my child impact on other benefits I claim?
Yes, but its good news! Getting DLA for your child is a passport to other sorts of financial help for your household: there are disability premiums and credits attached to benefits like income support and the tax credit system. But if you claim other social security benefits, as your child's DLA is their benefit, it cannot be counted as part of your income. It always pays to say your child is getting DLA!
Carers Allowance is taxed and counted as income. But if you are getting Income Support for yourself, and claiming Carers Allowance you'll get Carers Premium added to your Income Support.
Is it true you can't get DLA for babies?
No. All babies rely on the grown ups around them for food, comfort and stimulation but some babies have very specialist needs. So, a strong argument for DLA can be made for babies with complex medical problems, who need constant monitoring, or require assistance to breathe, specialized feeding, very careful handling, or have profound sensory loss. If you have to be constantly vigilant, or your baby has additional or different needs, claim from 3 months.
My child has Downs Syndrome. Should I apply straight away?
Not necessarily: claim too early and you'll be disappointed! A baby with developmental delay should be at least 6 months adrift of everyday milestones. Mary Sheridan's 'From Birth to Five Years' is a useful guide if you aren't sure whether or how far your little one has fallen behind their peers.
My child needs lots of extra help but I couldn't say he's disabled. Can he get DLA?
Many parents claiming DLA for their child for the first time would not describe their child as 'disabled' and the words Disability Living Allowance can be enough to make us think twice about claiming. What matters is that your child reasonably requires significantly more help or watching over than other children the same age with some of these things: keeping safe and well, managing strong feelings and behaviour, communicating, friendships, playing, eating, drinking, washing, toileting, dressing, getting out and about, taking medication, medical interventions or therapies, or using equipment. To claim, there needs to be an ongoing health, emotional or developmental issue giving rise to these extra needs.
My son lives half the week at his dad's. Can I claim DLA?
Yes as long as his dad isn't! Only one person in a 'parenting capacity' can claim at any one time. So if your child stays part of the week with another person, you will need to agree between yourselves who claims. As a rule the parent with the residency order and the parent claiming child benefit would ordinarily be the parent with responsibility for claiming DLA on behalf of a child. Remember the household getting the DLA is likely to be the one that's able to claim any other 'passported' benefits
What are Direct Payments?
Direct Payments were introduced to give disabled children and their families more choice and control over the services they use. If it has been agreed through the needs assessment process that you should get a service such as short breaks, you can ask for direct payments instead. This means you are given the money that the service would have cost the Children's and Young People's Trust and you use this to arrange the support yourself. You will have to keep records and accounts, and will be responsible for recruiting your own support workers and paying them.
