Disability Support Project
Financial Support | Benefits Advice | Disability Awareness | Mental Wellbeing
Disability Support & Awareness, Advice and Guidance for Benefits, Tribunals, Applications, Form Filling, Financial Planning and Mental Wellbeing.
Not For Profit charity Ref: 1177602
Disability Living Allowance for Children
(C.D.L.A)
CDLA or Child Disability Living Allowance is a form of financial support for children under the age of 16 who struggle to walk, have mental health issues, have Autism/Asperger's, or require a greater degree of supervision and care than is typically expected for a child of that age.
As with all benefits, there are specific eligibility requirements that a member of our team can talk you through. There are two components to the CDLA: Care Component and Mobility Component.
The CDLA payment helps the carer towards the cost of mobility aids if the Mobility Component is met, travelling to appointments, special aids the NHS can't supply, sensory toys, etc. The parent or carer needs to spend more time with the child and less time at work.
Extra help: You might qualify for Carer’s Allowance if you spend at least 35 hours a week caring for a child who gets the middle or highest care rate of DLA.
If you or the person you care for are older than 16, you can also look at Universal Credit or a Personal Independence Payment. You can also contact us for more information about these benefits. We can complete the forms with you, appeal on your behalf if the application is unsuccessful and represent you at the tribunal if the appeal is turned down.
Practical Help For CDLA Applications
Learning to support a child with a disability can be a challenge on its own, so understanding the forms and processes that you need to complete in order to get CDLA can be mind-blowing. With this in mind, DSP offers more than just a simple signposting service by holding your hand through the application, appeal and even tribunal should that be necessary.
We aim to help your children get the support they need from you by ensuring that you have the finances to achieve it through a successful CDLA application. You can get in touch at any point of the application process for:
How much you will receive from a CDLA payment will depend on the severity of your child's disability. This is decided by several key considerations:
CDLA - Childs Health & Condition
For CDLA eligibility, the child’s disability or health condition must comply with the following requirements:
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Your child needs much more looking after than a child of the same age who does not have a disability.
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Your Child has a greater degree of difficulty in mobility than a child of a similar age who does not have a disability.
They must have had these difficulties for at least three months and expect them to last for a minimum of six months. If they are terminally ill (that is, not expected to live more than six months), they do not need to have had these difficulties for three months.
CDLA - Care Component
The care rate the child will receive depends on how much your child needs to be looked after; as an example:
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Lowest rate - help for some of the day.
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Middle rate - frequent help or constant supervision during the day, supervision at night or someone to help while on dialysis.
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Highest rate - help or supervision throughout both the day and night or they’re terminally ill.
CDLA - Mobility Component
The mobility rate your child will receive depends on the level of help they need moving or travelling around; as an example:
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Lowest rate - they can walk but need help and or supervision outdoors.
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Highest rate - they cannot walk, can only walk a short distance without severe discomfort, could become very ill if they try to walk, or are blind or severely sight impaired.
There are also age limits to receiving the mobility component:
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Lowest rate - the child must be five years or over.
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Highest rate - the child must be three years or over.
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If your child is under these ages and you claim DLA for them, you should be sent a claim pack six months before they turn 3 and 6 months before they turn 5. You can then apply for the mobility component if you think they’re eligible.
Need help with your application? - see our Suggested Donations List for this service.