You can no longer apply for DLA. Check what other benefits you could apply for.
DLA is made up of 2 components (parts), the ‘care component’ and the ‘mobility component’. To get DLA you must be eligible for at least one of the components.
How much DLA you get depends on how your disability or health condition affects you.
If you need help looking after yourself
You might get the care component of DLA if you:
- need help with things like washing, dressing, eating, using the toilet or communicating your needs
- need supervision to avoid putting yourself or others in danger
- need someone with you when you’re on dialysis
- cannot prepare a cooked main meal
You can get this part if no one is actually giving you the care you need, or you live alone.
| Care component | Weekly rate | Level of help you need |
| Lowest | £28.70 | Help for some of the day or with preparing cooked meals |
| Middle | £72.65 | Frequent help or constant supervision during the day, supervision at night or someone to help you while on dialysis |
| Highest | £108.55 | Help or supervision throughout both day and night, or a medical professional has said you might have 12 months or less to live |
If you get DLA and Constant Attendance Allowance, the care component of your DLA will be reduced by the amount of Constant Attendance Allowance you get.
If you have walking difficulties
You might get the mobility component of DLA if, when using your normal aid, you:
- cannot walk
- can only walk a short distance without severe discomfort
- could become very ill if you try to walk
You might also get it if you:
- have no feet or legs
- are assessed as 100% blind and at least 80% deaf and you need someone with you when outdoors
- are severely mentally impaired with severe behavioural problems and get the highest rate of care for DLA
- need supervision most of the time when walking outdoors
- are certified as severely sight impaired and you were aged between 3 and 64 on 11 April 2011
| Mobility component | Weekly rate | Level of help you need |
| Lower | £28.70 | Guidance or supervision outdoors |
| Higher | £75.75 | You have any other, more severe, walking difficulty |
You must contact the Disability Service Centre if your circ*mstances change, for example your condition improves or you need more help.
Assessments
You might get a letter saying you need to attend an assessment to check the level of help you need. The letter explains why, and where you must go. Your benefit may be stopped if you do not go.
At the assessment, you’ll be asked for identification. You can use a passport or any 3 of the following:
- birth certificate
- a full driving licence
- life assurance policy
- bank statements
How you’re paid
DLA is usually paid every 4 weeks on a Wednesday.
If your payment date is on a bank holiday, you will usually be paid before the bank holiday. After that you’ll continue to get paid as normal.
All benefits, pensions and allowances are paid into your bank or building society account.
Extra help
You could get extra benefits if you get Disability Living Allowance - check with the Disability Service Centre or the office dealing with your benefit.
If your disability or health condition stops you from working and you’re eligible for Universal Credit, you could get an extra amount on top of your Universal Credit standard allowance.
If you get DLA and you work, you might also be able to get the disability element of Working Tax Credit (up to £3,935 a year, or up to £5,640 if your disability is severe). Contact HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) to find out.
FAQs
Disability Living Allowance (DLA) is money for people who have extra care needs or mobility needs (difficulty getting around) as a result of a disability. There are two parts called components: the care component and the mobility component. You may qualify for one or both of these.
How much is DLA for an adult? ›
If you need help looking after yourself
| Care component | Weekly rate |
|---|
| Lowest | £28.70 |
| Middle | £72.65 |
| Highest | £108.55 |
To get DLA, your child must:
- be under 16;
- pass the care component disability test and/or the mobility component disability test;
- meet the qualifying periods condition;
- pass the residence and presence tests; and.
- not be subject to immigration control.
To get Adult Disability Payment, you must have a long-term physical or mental health condition or disability, or be terminally ill.
What is the highest amount of disability allowance? ›
The maximum monthly benefits for SSI, SSDI, and retirement in 2024:
- Supplemental Security Income (SSI) – The maximum payment is $943 monthly for individuals and $1,415 monthly for couples.
- Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) – The maximum payment is $3,822 a month (up from $3,627 in 2023).
SSDI benefits are modest. The average disabled-worker benefit is about $1,538 a month, and about 80 percent of beneficiaries get less than $2,000 a month. Most beneficiaries — especially unmarried ones — rely on SSDI for most of their income.
How to claim DLA for adults? ›
You can no longer make a new claim for DLA if you are 16 or over. You may be able to claim Personal Independence Payment (PIP), Adult Disability Payment, or Attendance Allowance instead. If you have a child with an illness, injury or disability, see our Disability Living Allowance - children guide.
What does DLA pay for? ›
Disability Living Allowance (DLA) is a tax-free benefit for people with disabilities who need help with mobility or care costs. Personal Independence Payment (PIP) has replaced DLA for people between 16 and State Pension age.
What free things can you get with DLA? ›
DLA and other financial help
- Carer's Allowance. ...
- Extra tax credits or Universal Credit payments. ...
- Income Support. ...
- Help with rent and council tax. ...
- Exemption from the 'benefit cap' ...
- Help with transport and getting around. ...
- Free early education for two-year-olds in England.
Include supporting evidence with the form if you have it. This can be medical reports, speech and language assessments, psychological reports, and a statement of special educational needs – anything that supports what you've said in the form.
What Is the Most Approved Disability? Arthritis and other musculoskeletal system disabilities make up the most commonly approved conditions for social security disability benefits.
Who qualifies for higher rate disability living allowance? ›
The higher rate is for those with severe walking difficulties or who are deaf blind or severely visually impaired. As we'll explain on this page, some children with severe behaviour problems can also claim it. A child can get it from the age of three.
What conditions are not considered a disability? ›
Similarly, traits such as irritability, chronic lateness, and poor judgment are not, in themselves, mental impairments, although they may be linked to mental impairments. Broken limbs, sprains, concussions, appendicitis, common colds, or influenza generally would not be disabilities.
How much is the disability living allowance? ›
You can get between £28.70 and £184.30 a week in Disability Living Allowance (DLA) to help look after a child who has a disability or health condition. DLA isn't means tested, so how much you earn doesn't impact how much you can get. The money can be spent on anything.
What are 3 ways a person may become ineligible for disability benefits? ›
Common Reasons for Denial
- Insufficient Medical Evidence. ...
- Multiple Applications and Failure to Pursue the Appeal Process. ...
- You Earn Too Much. ...
- Your Condition Is Not a Qualifying Medical Condition. ...
- Your Employment History Is Not Long or Recent Enough to Qualify for SSDI.
The 100 percent disability rating is often awarded to veterans with two or more limbs that have been amputated or paralyzed or for veterans with active service-related diseases such as cancer, severe cardiac conditions, or psychiatric conditions such as PTSD, bipolar, depression, or schizophrenia.
How much is full federal disability? ›
Average monthly disability pay by state
| State | Average monthly benefit |
|---|
| California | $1,524.99 |
| Colorado | $1,497.71 |
| Connecticut | $1,549.41 |
| Delaware | $1,599.97 |
47 more rowsDec 19, 2023
The benefit addresses more permanent or long-term incapacities. Conversely, Disability Allowance is a means-tested payment for people with disabilities that may still permit limited employment. This means DA covers a broader spectrum of medical conditions.
Who qualifies for the Severe Disability Premium? ›
Severe disability premium
You must get the disability premium or income-related ESA, and one of the following qualifying benefits: standard or enhanced daily living part of PIP. middle or higher rate care part of DLA. Armed Forces Independence Payment.
