DLA, PIP, Carer's Allowance, Universal Credit, grants, and other financial support for families raising a disabled child in England. 26 articles found.
The DLA form is long and the criteria feel vague. This guide walks you through every step, from eligibility to evidence to what happens after you apply.
The four PIP weekly rates for 2026/27, how the 4-weekly payments land at 16 plus, and why an award is tax free, ignores savings and sits on top of Universal Credit.
If your child gets DLA middle or highest rate care, you could be entitled to Carer's Allowance. Most eligible parents don't claim it.
If your child gets DLA higher rate mobility or PIP enhanced mobility, you can lease a car with insurance, tax, and servicing included. Who qualifies, what's included, and the reassessment risk at 16.
DLA for children is paid at three care rates and two mobility rates. Here's the level of need each rate reflects, the age limits, and what an award can bring.
Dyspraxia, hypermobility, ARFID and Tourette's don't have a box on the DLA form. DLA is assessed on care and supervision needs, not the diagnosis label.
A diagnosis alone is not the DLA test. This guide shows how cerebral palsy and other physical needs map to the care and mobility components, and how to evidence them.
Reporting a change to your child's DLA is a legal duty. This guide covers changes, renewals, backdating, decision times, the qualifying period, and what DLA opens up.
860,000 children were receiving Disability Living Allowance in August 2025, and the number has roughly doubled in a decade. Here is what the official data shows about who gets it and what it pays.
A child with ADHD can qualify for DLA, and it turns on the supervision and prompting they need, not the diagnosis. How the care and mobility tests work, and how to describe ADHD on the form.
Autistic children can qualify for DLA, and it turns on the help they need, not the diagnosis. How the care and mobility tests work, and how to describe autistic needs on the form.
DLA, Carer's Allowance, and Universal Credit rates all changed on 6 April 2026. Here are the new figures that matter for SEND families.
DLA stops and PIP starts around age 16. The assessment is different, the criteria change, and many families lose money. What to do to protect the award.
Around 60% of DLA cases that reach tribunal are decided in the family's favour. Here's what to do next.
PIP is scored on points, not diagnosis. You need 8 points for the standard rate and 12 for the enhanced rate. A plain look at how the descriptors work.
PIP for autism or ADHD is possible at 16, but a diagnosis alone isn't the test. What the points measure, and what changes when your child turns 16.
More than 200,000 Carer's Allowance overpayment cases are being reviewed. The average debt is nearly £1,000. Here's what's changing and what to do if you're affected.
A disabled young person in education can claim Universal Credit in their own right under Regulation 14(b), but it can stop your Child Benefit and UC for them.
If your child gets DLA, your UC should include extra money. Many families miss this because they don't report the DLA award.
Hidden-disability Blue Badges have tripled since 2019. DfT figures show huge variation between councils, but nobody publishes refusal rates.
Tax-Free Childcare's yearly top-up doubles to £4,000 for a disabled child and runs to age 16. But you can't claim it alongside Universal Credit.
Access to Work funds job coaches, equipment and travel for apprentices and supported interns with SEND. What it covers, who qualifies, and how to apply.
A direct inheritance can wipe out your disabled child's means-tested benefits. A discretionary or disabled person's trust in your will protects them instead.
From September 2025, disabled young people studying fewer than 12 hours qualify. Missing the HMRC notification can cost up to £984/month.
Family Fund awarded 89,493 grants last year. DLA doesn't automatically qualify you. Here's what does, plus other grants you might be missing.
If your child gets DLA higher rate mobility, they're automatically entitled. But many children qualify through the discretionary route too.
