Disability Living Allowance

Disability Living Allowance (DLA) is a social security benefit in the United Kingdom paid to eligible claimants who have personal care and/or mobility needs as a result of a mental or physical disability. It is tax-free, non-means-tested and non-contributory. The benefit was introduced in 1992, integrating the former benefits Mobility Allowance and Attendance Allowance and introducing two additional lower rates of benefit. Prior to 2013 it could be claimed by UK residents aged under sixty five years. However, the benefit was phased-out for the majority of claimants between 2013 and 2015 and replaced by a new Personal Independence Payment. DLA can still be claimed by children under sixteen and can still be received by existing claimants who were aged sixty five or over on 8 April 2013.[1]

Eligibility

DLA is restricted to people who fall into all of the following categories:

Usually, to qualify for Disability Living Allowance (DLA) for children the child must:

Children under the age of three.

Individuals can qualify for DLA whether or not they are working. Earnings do not affect the amount of DLA received. People who are terminally ill typically qualify for the highest rate of Care component of DLA under what is termed "special rules".

Care component

DLA care component is paid at one of three rates: lowest, middle and highest. From April 2015 the rates were:

Care component Weekly rate
Highest rate £82.30
Middle rate £55.10
Lowest rate £21.80

Lowest rate eligibility

Individuals are entitled to the lowest rate care component if they are so severely disabled that they:

Middle rate eligibility

Individuals are entitled to the middle rate care component if they are so severely disabled that they:

Highest rate eligibility

Individuals are entitled to the highest rate care component if they meet one of the day conditions and one of the night conditions for the middle rate care component.

Mobility component

DLA mobility component is paid at one of two rates: lower and higher. From April 2015 the rates were:

Mobility component Weekly rate
Higher rate £57.45
Lower rate £21.80

Lower rate eligibility

Individuals are entitled to the lower rate mobility component if they are so severely mentally or physically disabled that they cannot walk outdoors on an unfamiliar route without guidance or supervision from another person most of the time.

Higher rate eligibility

Individuals are entitled to the higher rate mobility component if they:-

Mobility allowances are structured to provide persons with disabilities with mechanical aids to their mobility, which may include wheelchairs, scooters, or automobiles.

See also

References

  1. "Appendix 6: introducing Personal Independence Payment". 2010 to 2015 government policy: welfare reform (policy paper) (Report). Department for Work and Pensions. 8 May 2015. Retrieved 15 January 2016.
  2. Those over sixty five with care needs should consider claiming Attendance Allowance instead.
  3. "Disability Living Allowance (DLA) for children - GOV.UK". Government of the United Kingdom. Retrieved 29 January 2016. This website is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

External links

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