DLA Unit to review congenital heart disease decisions

2 mins read

Monday 16 June 2025

The DLA (Disability Living Allowance) Unit is carrying out a review of DLA decisions made between 1 February 2017 and 13 October 2020 on claims for children with congenital heart disease. 

They have said that no child will have their DLA award reduced as a result of this exercise. Some families may receive arrears of the benefit.

The DLA Unit is now in the process of writing to families who might have been affected to tell them that it is reviewing their child’s past entitlement. This includes families who were refused DLA during the period in question. 

Which cases is the DLA Unit reviewing?

The DLA Unit will only be reviewing cases where both:

  • A child had congenital heart disease listed as a condition.
  • It made the decision about the child’s DLA claim between 1/2/17 and 13/10/2020.

It will not be reviewing any decisions it made before February 2017 or after 13 October 2020. 

The DLA Unit has also made clear that it will not be reviewing cases where a child was on the maximum rate of DLA payable during this period. That means the high rate of both components (or highest rate care if aged under 3 years). It also won’t be reviewing any decisions that were made by an appeal tribunal. 

Why are the DLA Unit carrying out this review exercise? 

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) says that it introduced medical guidance in February 2017 to help DLA staff make decisions on cases where a child had congenital heart disease.

Following a review, new guidance replaced it in October 2020. The DLA unit will now review decisions it made between February 2017 and October 2020, applying the 2020 guidance rather than the 2017 guidance. 

The DWP plans to publish more information about this review exercise in the future.