Helping Parents Apply for Disability Living Allowance
Applying for DLA for Children can feel confusing, emotional and time-consuming. Many parents know their child needs more support than other children of the same age but struggle to explain this clearly on the form. At School of Diversity, we help parents prepare strong, honest and detailed DLA applications that reflect their child’s real care, supervision and mobility needs.
Need help with your child’s DLA application? Contact School of Diversity today for practical parent-focused support.
Schedule a free consultation with our team and let's make things happen!
How We Can Help With Your Child’s DLA Application
- We help you understand the DLA form questions
- We identify your child’s care, supervision and mobility needs
- We help you gather relevant DLA evidence
- We support you to explain daily routines, risks and night-time needs
- We help you avoid vague or incomplete answers
- We can support parents of children with autism, ADHD, sensory needs, developmental delay, anxiety, SEMH needs and other SEND profiles
Who Our DLA Support Is For
- Parents applying for DLA for the first time
- Parents whose child has autism, ADHD or SEND needs
- Parents who are unsure what evidence to include
- Parents who feel overwhelmed by the form
- Parents who have been refused and want to understand what may have gone wrong
- Parents whose child has care, supervision, safety, sleep or mobility needs
What Is DLA for Children?
Disability Living Allowance for Children, often called DLA, is a benefit for children under 16 who need extra care, supervision or support because of a disability, health condition, developmental need or neurodivergence.
DLA is not based only on a diagnosis. It looks at how your child’s needs affect everyday life compared with a child of the same age. This can include help with personal care, staying safe, communication, emotional regulation, sleep, sensory needs, or getting around safely.
DLA has two parts:
- Care component — for children who need extra help, attention or supervision during the day or night.
- Mobility component — for children who need support getting around or staying safe outside the home.
For many parents, the challenge is not knowing whether their child has needs, but knowing how to explain those needs clearly on the form.
DLA Care and Mobility Components
DLA for Children is made up of two parts: the care component and the mobility component. Your child may qualify for one or both, depending on the level of support they need.
Care Component
The care component looks at the extra help, attention or supervision your child needs during the day or night. This may include support with washing, dressing, toileting, eating, communication, emotional regulation, medication, sensory needs or staying safe.
Some children also need significant support at night, such as help settling to sleep, reassurance when they wake, supervision due to distress, or support with medical, toileting or safety needs.
Mobility Component
The mobility component looks at your child’s ability to get around safely outside the home. This does not only apply to children who have physical walking difficulties. Some children may be able to walk but still need close supervision because they have no danger awareness, run off, become overwhelmed outdoors, struggle in unfamiliar places or cannot manage road safety.
Day, Night and Safety Needs
When applying for DLA, it is important to explain what support your child needs, how often they need it, and what could happen without adult help. This includes day-time care, night-time support, supervision at home, safety risks outdoors and any mobility difficulties that affect your child’s daily life.
Unsure what to write on the DLA form? We can help you explain your child’s needs clearly and confidently.
Schedule a free consultation with our team and let's make things happen!
DLA Evidence We Can Help You Prepare
- Parent statements
- Care diaries
- Sleep logs
- School evidence
- Diagnosis reports
- Therapy reports
- SENCO information
- Behaviour logs
- EHCP or SEN Support documents
- Professional letters
Why Parents Choose School of Diversity
School of Diversity understands SEND, neurodivergence and the challenges parents face when trying to explain their child’s needs to professionals and decision-makers. We help parents turn everyday struggles into clear, structured evidence so the DLA application reflects the real level of support their child needs.
Contact School of Diversity today to get support with your child’s DLA application.
Schedule a free consultation with our team and let's make things happen!
SEN Support and EHCP help for parents.
If your child also needs additional support in school, read our guide to SEN Support and EHCP help for parents.