DLA for a child: keep a care diary before you apply
Updated: 2026-10-21
Before you fill in the DLA form for your child, keep a care diary for 1 to 2 weeks. Write down every time you help, supervise or get up at night, and how many minutes it takes. The diary makes the DLA1 form easier to fill in and more accurate.
What is DLA for children and who can get it?
Disability Living Allowance (DLA) for children helps with the extra costs of caring for a child under 16. It is not means tested. It is for England and Wales. Scotland and Northern Ireland are covered below.
Your child may qualify if they need much more care, attention or supervision than a child of the same age without a disability, or if they have walking difficulties. They must have had these difficulties for at least 3 months, and they must be expected to last at least 6 more months. A child who is not expected to live more than 12 months can get help faster under special rules.
| Part of DLA | Rate | Weekly amount 2026/27 |
|---|---|---|
| Care component | Lowest | £30.30 |
| Care component | Middle | £76.70 |
| Care component | Highest | £114.60 |
| Mobility component | Lower (from age 5) | £30.30 |
| Mobility component | Higher (from age 3) | £80.00 |
DWP rates for 2026/27. A child can get one or both parts.
Why does a diary help?
Advice charities such as Contact and Cerebra warn parents not to play down their child's needs. It is easy to do. When you help your child every day, it stops feeling like "extra" help. You forget the 10 minutes here and the 20 minutes there.
The form asks how often your child needs help and how long it takes each time. DWP's own notes say a daily record can help you answer. A diary gives you real numbers instead of guesses.
How do I keep the diary?
Keep it for at least one week. Contact suggests a week or longer if your child's needs change a lot. Use our Free printable care diary or a notebook. For each time you help, write:
- The time of day.
- The activity (getting dressed, eating, toilet, school run, bath, bedtime).
- How many minutes it took.
- What you did (helped, prompted, watched, calmed, carried).
- What would happen without you (fall, choke, run into the road, not eat).
- Nights: every time you get up, why, and for how long. Contact says to count staying up late because your child will not settle.
Example of one diary day
An invented example, only to show the format. Write what really happens for your child.
| Time | Activity | Minutes | What I did | Without me |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7:00 | Getting dressed | 25 | Laid out clothes, prompted each item, did buttons | Would stay in pyjamas or put clothes on wrong |
| 7:40 | Breakfast | 20 | Cut food, reminded to chew slowly | Has choked twice this year |
| 8:20 | Walk to school | 15 | Held hand all the way, stopped at roads | Runs into the road |
| 15:30 | After school | 30 | Calmed a meltdown | Hits head on the wall |
| 18:30 | Bath | 20 | Checked water, washed hair, stayed in room | Could slip or scald |
| 20:00 | Bedtime | 45 | Routine, stayed until asleep | Will not settle |
| 2:10 | Night | 20 | Woke screaming, changed wet sheets | Stays wet and distressed |
How do I use the diary on the DLA1 form?
- Phone 0800 121 4600 to get the form (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm). If you return it within 6 weeks, the claim starts from the day you phoned.
- Start the diary straight away. You can fill in the form over a few sessions.
- Describe bad days as well as better days, and how many of each you have in a typical week.
- Compare your child with a child of the same age, for example an older brother or sister at that age.
- Say how often your child needs help, not only how often they get it.
- Fill in the night section if you get up to help. Contact says even 20 minutes can matter.
- Attach a copy of the diary, labelled with your child's name. Keep a copy of everything.
What evidence can I send?
DWP's notes list useful evidence. Send copies, not originals:
- Letters or reports from the GP, consultant or nurse.
- Reports from therapists (speech and language, occupational, physio).
- A school report. Cerebra suggests asking whoever knows your child best, for example the SENCo.
- An EHC plan (Education, Health and Care plan) or SEN support plan.
- Hospital letters and a repeat prescription list.
- Your diary, or a diary or statement from another carer.
Do not wait for reports if the 6 weeks are nearly up. Send the form and say what will follow.
How much time do I have?
| What | Counted from | Time | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Return the form you phoned for | Day you phoned | 6 weeks (claim starts on the call date) | GOV.UK, Citizens Advice |
| Downloaded form | Day DWP receives it | Claim starts then; no backdating | Citizens Advice |
| Needs must have lasted | Start of needs | 3 months, and expected to last 6 more | GOV.UK |
| Decision | DWP gets the form | Normally within 3 months | Citizens Advice |
| Mandatory reconsideration | Date on decision letter | 1 month | Contact |
| Child turns 16 | Date in DWP letter | Claim PIP by that date | GOV.UK |
If DLA is refused or the rate looks too low, see our mandatory reconsideration guide. At 16, see PIP: how to claim.
Be honest. Write what really happens. The form is a legal declaration. The DLA1 form says wrong or incomplete information can lead to prosecution, a penalty, or DLA being reduced or stopped, and you may have to repay money. Leaving things out is a common problem too: Contact says "Don't play down your child's condition."
Is it the same in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland?
- Wales: the same as England. Welsh notes: 0800 328 1744.
- Scotland: apply for Child Disability Payment from Social Security Scotland instead: 0800 182 2222 or online. Weekly rates are the same. You complete part 2 within 6 weeks of part 1.
- Northern Ireland: DLA is run by the Disability and Carers Service: 0800 587 0912. Return the form within 6 weeks of asking for it.
Where can I get free help from a person?
- Contact, the charity for families with disabled children: freephone 0808 808 3555 (Monday to Friday 9:30am to 5pm, Tuesday from 10:15am).
- Your local Citizens Advice.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to send the diary with the DLA form?
No. DWP's notes say the diary is to help you fill in the form. Its evidence list also includes diaries, so you can send a copy. Keep the original.
How long should I keep the diary?
At least one week. Contact suggests a week or longer if your child's needs change a lot from day to day.
How much is DLA for a child in 2026/27?
Care component £30.30, £76.70 or £114.60 a week. Mobility component £30.30 or £80.00 a week. Your child can get one or both.
How long do I have to return the form?
If you phone 0800 121 4600 for the form, you normally have 6 weeks. Then the claim starts from the day you phoned. A downloaded form only counts from the day DWP gets it.
What if DLA is refused?
Ask for a mandatory reconsideration within 1 month of the date on the decision letter. Then you can appeal to a tribunal.
Where can I get free help?
Contact, the charity for families with disabled children, on freephone 0808 808 3555, or your local Citizens Advice.
Sources
- GOV.UK: DLA for children
- DWP: Benefit and pension rates 2026/2027
- DWP: Notes on the DLA claim form for children
- DWP: DLA claim form for children (DLA1 Child)
- Citizens Advice: How to claim DLA for your child
- Citizens Advice: Help with filling in the DLA form
- Contact: Tips on completing the DLA form
- Contact: DLA guide (August 2026)
- Contact: Helpline
- Cerebra: DLA guide
- mygov.scot: Child Disability Payment
- nidirect: DLA for children
Checked on: 2026-10-21
This is general information, not legal advice. Rules can change. For your own case, check the sources above or ask a free adviser, for example Citizens Advice.