DLA rates for a child with autism (2026/27)

Current Disability Living Allowance rates for children in 2026/27, how eligibility is assessed, and how to claim.

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Disability Living Allowance for a child is worth between £30.30 and £194.60 a week in the 2026/27 tax year. It is not means-tested, your income and savings make no difference, and your child does not need a diagnosis before you claim.

The 2026/27 weekly rates

DLA has two parts, called components. A child can get one or both.

Care component, for children who need more looking after than a child of the same age:

Mobility component, for children who have difficulty getting about:

The most a child can receive is £194.60 a week, the highest care rate plus the higher mobility rate. These are the 2026/27 rates; they change every April.

How DLA rates are decided for an autistic child

There is no fixed rate for autism. The decision is about what your child needs compared with another child of the same age who does not have a disability, not about the diagnosis itself.

For the care component, think about the things other families do not have to think about: supervision to keep your child safe, help with washing, dressing and eating, communication, managing meltdowns, and broken nights. Describe any help or supervision your child needs at night as well as during the day. The care-rate criteria distinguish between day-time and night-time needs; check the full eligibility criteria on GOV.UK.

Full eligibility criteria on GOV.UK

For the mobility component, age matters. The higher rate cannot start before a child's third birthday and the lower rate before their fifth. You can apply earlier and the award starts on the birthday. The lower rate is for children who can walk but need help or supervision when they are outdoors; the higher rate is for children who cannot walk, can only walk a short distance without severe discomfort, or are blind or severely sight impaired.

These are summaries. Check the full eligibility criteria on GOV.UK.

To qualify at all, your child must have needed this extra help for at least 3 months and be expected to need it for at least 6 more.

How to claim in England and Wales

Print the claim form from GOV.UK, or phone the DLA helpline on 0800 121 4600 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm) and ask for a printed pack.

Phoning is usually worth it. DLA cannot be backdated, so the start date of your claim matters. If you phone, your claim is dated from the day you called, as long as the completed pack is back with DWP within 6 weeks. If you print the form yourself, the claim starts the day DWP receives it.

You should get a letter confirming they have your claim within 3 weeks.

When you fill the form in, describe the difficult days as well as the average ones, say how long things take, and base every answer on the help your child actually needs rather than how they manage on their best day.

What DLA opens up

A DLA award is the gateway to most other support:

Our guide to benefits for an autistic child goes through each of these in turn.

Scotland and Northern Ireland

In Scotland, DLA for children is closed to new claims. Claim Child Disability Payment from Social Security Scotland instead. The rates are identical to DLA.

In Northern Ireland, DLA for children is administered by the Disability and Carers Service, not DWP. The rates match the rest of the UK. The helpline is 0800 587 0912.

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