Information » Money » Benefits » Disability Living Allowance
- Disability Living Allowance is a benefit for people who have personal care needs or problems with mobility
- It has two components: care and mobility
- The care component is paid at three rates depending on how often and how much you need care
- You must have had care needs for three months before you can claim. You don't have to be having care in order to claim
- You have care needs if you need help with 'bodily functions', like eating, washing, getting dressed and going to the toilet. These care needs can also include help which allows you to take part in social activities. You may have care needs because you need someone to supervise you to stop you being a danger to yourself and others
- There are different rates in the care component and how much you get will depend on the level of care you need. You get the lower rate if you need help with cooking a main meal or care for a significant part of the day. You get the middle rate if you need frequent care throughout the day or night or continual supervision throughout the day or night. You get the higher rate if you need frequent care or supervision throughout the day and night or if you are terminally ill
- The mobility component is paid at two rates, depending on how much difficulty you have with walking
- You have mobility needs if you cannot walk outdoors or go on an unfamiliar route without supervision. This might be the case if you are blind, in a wheelchair or have severe learning difficulties or behavioural problems
- To claim, you must have had mobility needs for at least three months that are likely to last for the next six months
- If you are terminally ill, it does not matter how long you have mobility needs
- You don't need to be receiving help with your mobility needs to claim, but you must be able to prove you need it
- The mobility component of Disability Living Allowance is paid at two different rates. You get the lower rate if you cannot walk outdoors without guidance or supervision from another person for most of the time. This could be because of a physical or mental disability. You get the higher rate if your mobility problems are worse than this, so that you are unable to walk or virtually unable to because of pain, the effect on your health or the limitations on your walking. You can only get the higher rate of mobility component if your difficulties with walking are caused by a physical disability
- Depending on your needs, you may get one component of Disability Living
- Allowance or both together
- Disability Living Allowance can be paid to young people under 16, but you cannot claim it yourself. Someone else like your parents or guardian will need to make the claim for you, once they are authorised by the Department for Work and Pensions. This person will be called your appointee
- The conditions for claiming are different for under 16s and over 16s, so check with the Citizens Advice Bureau, the Department for Work and Pensions or the Benefits Enquiry Line for eligibility
- For the current rates of Disability Living Allowance go to the benefits A - Z section of the Department for Work and Pensions website at www.dwp.gov.uk
- You can claim Disability Living Allowance by phoning the Benefits Enquiry Line. This service will help you complete a form over the phone. You can also get a claim pack sent to you by completing leaflet DS704, which you can get from post offices and local benefit offices. You can also get a copy of the form from the website www.dwp.gov.uk
