There’s a quicker application process for parents of children who have been diagnosed with a terminal illness and aren’t expected to live more than 12 months.
You can get between £108.55 and £184.30 a week, depending on the care your child needs.
You should apply straight away – it doesn’t matter how much you earn or how long your child has been sick for. Once you apply your application will be decided on within about 2 weeks.
Your child must be under 16 for you to get DLA. If they’re 16 or over you’ll need to apply for Personal Independence Payment (PIP) instead (PIP also has a fast-track application process).
There’s separate guidance for applying for a child under 16 who doesn’t have a terminal illness.
ImportantIf you or your child aren’t UK citizens, you should check the eligibility rules. Your immigration status could be affected if you apply for benefits when you’re not eligible.
How much you can get
You can get between £108.55 and £184.30 a week. DLA is made up of 2 different parts – the ‘care component’ and the ‘mobility component’. You’ll get the highest rate of the care component, which is £108.55 a week. You’ll either get £28.70 or £75.75 a week for the ‘mobility component’ – this will depend on your child’s ability to get around.Get an application form
You can either phone for an application form or download one. It’s best to phone because your payments will be backdated to the date you phoned. If you download an application form, you’ll only be paid from the date that the DWP receive the form.
Disability Living Allowance (DLA) Helpline
Telephone: 0800 121 4600
Textphone: 0800 121 4523
Relay UK – if you can’t hear or speak on the phone, you can type what you want to say: 18001 then 0800 121 4600
You can use Relay UK with an app or a textphone. There’s no extra charge to use it. Find out how to use Relay UK on the Relay UK website.
Video relay – if you use British Sign Language (BSL).
You can find out how to use video relay on YouTube.
Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm
Calls are free from mobiles and landlines.
You can download an application form from GOV.UK.
Ask your doctor for an ‘SR1 medical condition report’
Ask your doctor, specialist or consultant for an ‘SR1 medical condition report’. This is a form describing your child’s conditions and treatments – you’ll need it to send with your DLA application. You won’t have to pay for this.Fill in the application form
You won’t have to fill in the full application form if your child has a terminal illness. See question 23 on the form – it will tell you what you do and don’t have to fill in. If your child has difficulty walking or getting around outdoors in unfamiliar places, make sure you fill in the section on ‘mobility’ (questions 25-31). You can get a higher amount of DLA if this is the case, but your child needs to be at least 3.Send the application form and SR1
You should send the form back as soon as possible. If the 6-week time limit is approaching and you don’t have an SR1 report from your doctor, you should send the form anyway. Include a letter saying you’ll send the form at a later date – this way you’ll still get back paid from the date you phoned for the form. It’s a good idea to make a copy of the filled-in form and the SR1. You could take digital photos if you don’t have a copier or scanner. This could be useful in case you need to refer to it later or it gets lost. Send the form and the SR1 to: Disability Benefit Centre 4 Post Handling Site B Wolverhampton WV99 1BYWhat happens after you’ve applied
You’ll usually get a ‘decision letter’ within 2 weeks – this will tell you whether or not you’ll get DLA. Contact the helpline if you haven’t received a letter within 2 weeks.
Disability Living Allowance (DLA) Helpline
Telephone: 0800 121 4600
Textphone: 0800 121 4523
Relay UK – if you can’t hear or speak on the phone, you can type what you want to say: 18001 then 0800 121 4600
You can use Relay UK with an app or a textphone. There’s no extra charge to use it. Find out how to use Relay UK on the Relay UK website.
Video relay – if you use British Sign Language (BSL).
You can find out how to use video relay on YouTube.
Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm
Calls are free from mobiles and landlines.
If your claim is successful, the decision letter will tell you how much you’ll get and for how long. If you phoned for the claim form you’ll be back-paid from the date you called.
You can appeal the decision if you’re unhappy with it or you don’t think you’ve been given the correct rate (for example if you’ve been given a lower rate and you think you should get a higher rate).