Disability Living Allowance

On this page you will find information about:

Receiving Disability Living Allowance.
Eligibility criteria for Disability Living Allowance in the UK and overseas.
Information and advice on other benefits.

Disability Living Allowance is available in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales and some overseas territories. However. The eligibility criteria and what you could receive vary by nation.

England and Wales

In England and Wales Disability Living Allowance (DLA) is a benefit for children under 16 years old who are living with physical and/or mental disabilities. The payment can help with the extra costs of living with a disability.

New claims for DLA can only be made on behalf of children under 16.

Adults were previously able to make a claim for DLA but the eligibility criteria have now changed. If you already receive DLA, your claim might end. If it does you will get a letter from the government telling you when this will happen and how you can apply for PIP or Adult Disability Payment.

Read about Disability Living Allowance on GOV.UK.

If you were born on or before 8th April, 1948, you’ll continue to get DLA as long as you’re eligible for it.

If you were born after 8th April, 1948, your DLA will end. You’ll get a letter telling you when that will happen. You’ll continue to get DLA until that date.

Making a new claim

New claims can only be made on behalf of children under 16 years old. You can make a claim as a parent, step-parent, guardian, grandparent, foster parent or older sibling.

Find out more about Disability Living Allowance in Welsh on GOV.UK.

Northern Ireland

In Northern Ireland you can make a claim for DLA for a child under 16 years old who has difficulty walking or needs more looking after than a child of the same age who doesn’t have a disability.

Personal Independence Payment replaced DLA for those be-tween 16 and state pension age in Northern Ireland. If you are an adult who already gets DLA you will continue to receive your payment until the Department for Communities (DfC) writes to tell you when your DLA will end and invites you to apply for PIP.

Learn more about DLA for:

Read about Personal Independence Payment here on the RBL website.

Making a new claim

New claims can only be made on behalf of children under 16 years old. You can make a claim as a parent, step-parent, guardian, grandparent, foster-parent or older sibling.

Scotland

From Spring 2025, those who are already receiving DLA in Scotland will be moved to a new benefit called Scottish Adult DLA.

To be eligible for Scottish Adult DLA you must be:

over 18
already get DLA from DWP, and
living in Scotland.

If your child, or the child you are caring for, lives in Scotland and is under 18, you can make a claim for Child Disability Payment.

Learn more about Child Disability Payment on mygov.scot.

Read about moving to Scottish Adult Disability Allowance on mygov.scot.

Disability Living Allowance and Child Disability Payment if you are overseas

If you are living overseas you may still be able to claim Disability Living Allowance if you meet the eligibility criteria.

Disability Living Allowance for Children from GOV.UK

If you are overseas you may qualify for DLA for children if the child meets the following eligibility criteria:

Be under 16 - anyone over 16 must apply for Personal Independence Payment (PIP).
Need extra looking after or have walking difficulties.
Be in England, Wales, a European Economic Area (EEA) country or Switzerland when you claim - there are some exceptions, such as family members of the Armed Forces.
Have lived in Great Britain for at least 6 of the last 12 months, if over 3 years old.
Be habitually resident in the UK, Ireland, Isle of Man or the Channel Islands.
Not be subject to immigration control.

There are some exceptions to these conditions if the child is living in or coming from an EEA country or Switzerland.

Find out more about the eligibility criteria on GOV.UK.

Child Disability Payment for Children from mygov.scot

If you are overseas you may qualify for DLA for children if the child meets both of the following eligibility criteria:

lives in the EEA, Switzerland or Gibraltar
has a genuine and sufficient link to Scotland

A genuine and sufficient link is where you do not live in Scotland, but have a link to Scotland. For example, you or an immediate family member have spent a significant part of their life in Scotland.

Social Security Scotland will also need to make sure that the UK is the competent state to pay the child’s benefits.

Learn more about eligibility criteria for Child Disability Payment on mygov.scot.

Information and Advice on other Benefits

There are other benefits and services that you or the child that you take care of may be eligible for.

As a member of HM Armed Forces, or a family member of, you will be entitled to some in-service benefits. You can find out more about what you are eligible for on the Discover My Benefits website.

Find out more about the benefits of working in HM Armed Forces on the Discover My Benefits website.