Disability Living Allowance

Disability Living Allowance (DLA) is a tax-free benefit for disabled children and adults to help with extra costs they may have due to a mental or physical disability. It is not based on the disability but the needs arising from it. For example, if you need someone to help look after you.

Disability living allowance as two components:-

Care Component

Claimants must demonstrate they need:

• Frequent help with personal care throughout the day.
• Continual supervision during the day to avoid danger to themselves and/or others.
• Prolonged for repeated supervision at night to avoid danger to themselves and/or others.
• Help preparing or are unable to prepare mail meal. This is known as "The Cooking Test".

Mobility Component

Claimants must demonstrate:

• They are unable (or virtually unable) to walk.
• That walking puts their wellbeing as serious risk.
• They need supervision on unfamiliar routes.

Claimant can get one or both components.

• Care allowance is paid at 3 weekly rates: £20.55, £51.85 or £77.45.
• Mobility allowance is paid at 2 weekly rates: £54.05 or £20.55

Many people's circumstances change and they consider they are entitled to a higher rate. However specialist advice should be sort before challenging the level of payment as reassessment may place you in a lower band. Claimants must be able to satisfy condition for at least three months prior to start of payments and be likely to satisfy them for the next six.

Claimants who are terminally ill can qualify for the higher rate immediately. Terminally ill for these purposes is defined as having a progressive illness and expected to die within six months. Care allowance can be claimed for children at any age, but they must be at least three for the lower and five years old for the higher band to receive mobility allowance. The "cooking test" does not apply to children under 16 years.

A Disability Living Allowance award always makes the recipient better off. It is not counted as taxable income nor counted as income towards other means tested benefit entitlement considerations and tax credits. Those caring for a person getting disability living allowance may be entitled to Carer's Allowance (CA). This extra income into the household can have a negative effect on the cared for person's other means tested benefits. Therefore specialist advice and a "better off" calculation needs to be made.

Figures checked for correctness: May 2012.