Setting the record straight: Disability Living Allowance

5 mins read

Tuesday 20 October 2026

We are deeply concerned by ongoing media speculation that disabled children receive too much financial support.

This narrative is not only misleading. It also fails to reflect the daily realities disabled children and the families who care for them face. Behind every claim about benefits are families navigating significant challenges, meeting complex care needs, and often making considerable sacrifices to ensure their children have the support they need.

Most recently, Disability Living Allowance (DLA) has come under scrutiny. DLA is a vital benefit that helps families meet the additional costs of caring for a disabled child. We believe it’s important to challenge misconceptions and set the record straight about what DLA is, why it matters, and what it is not.

In this article

Myth: Diagnosis is an easy gateway to DLA

It has been highlighted that many children receiving DLA have ADHD, autism or learning disabilities. Alongside unevidenced claims that these conditions are overdiagnosed, the implication is a diagnosis is an easy gateway to DLA.

This is not true.

DLA eligibility is based on a child’s needs, not on the name of their condition. This means that children do not need a diagnosis to get DLA. However, they do need to show that they have a disability (which may not have been diagnosed yet). And they need to show that as a result of this, they require extra care, or have higher mobility needs, than other children of the same age.

To make a claim, parents must complete a long, complicated form explaining how their child’s needs affect their daily life. This form, alongside supplementary evidence, is assessed by an independent decision-maker who does not know the child personally.

We know from speaking to parent carers on our helpline that the difficulty of claiming DLA often puts families off trying.

Myth: DLA and other disability benefits prevent young people working

DLA – for children aged up to 16 – and Personal Independence Payment (PIP) – for disabled adults – are not income-replacement benefits. They are specifically paid to cover the extra costs disabled people face. Most non-disabled people don’t face these costs, whether they are in work or not.

On average, parents in 2024 were paying an extra £322 a month (£3,864 each year) due to their child’s condition. Costs have significantly increased since then. Overall, families with disabled children spend a third of their income on food. Half have children with a special diet such as ARFID (avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder) or blended.

• 35% pay for therapies essential to their child’s condition at an extra cost of £805 per year.
• 44% must buy continence products at a cost of £522 each year.
• Almost one in 10 (9%) have a child at home because they didn’t get a suitable school place this September. These parents must find an extra £27 a week to keep their child at home.

DLA is not means-tested. A household out of work does not receive more DLA than a household where both parents are employed.

Myth: Children get £10,000 a year from DLA

It is true that a child could receive up to £10,119 on DLA.

But focussing on the maximum amount without providing wider context risks giving a misleading impression of how much families typically receive. The Institute of Fiscal Studies (IFS) estimates that the average annual child DLA award is £5,700.

DLA is not awarded at a flat rate. The amount a child receives depends on the level of care, supervision and mobility support they need. This amount is there to help their family meet the additional costs arising from these particular needs.

Myth: Disabled people are “trapped” in a life on benefits

Disabled people deserve to have their needs met as long as they have them. The suggestion they are “trapped” in a life on benefits is also a sweeping generalisation. It ignores the different circumstances and challenges people face.

Our helpline hears from many families whose disabled young people receive the health element of Universal Credit. Many are taking part in education, life-skills programmes or supported work. Others have disabilities and care needs so significant that paid employment may never be realistic – as assessed by an independent decision-maker.

We have also seen claims that DLA opens up a menu of benefits for the wider family. The focus of these claims is purely on the cost this incurs to the “benefit bill”. And they assume this additional support isn’t needed in its own right.

Someone providing significant care for a child on DLA (or an adult on PIP) might be eligible for Carer’s Allowance and the carer’s element of Universal Credit. A family on Universal Credit with a child getting DLA qualifies for a  disabled child element. These payments are designed to recognise that a parent’s income is severely limited by caring for a disabled child. Our research found that 1 in 5 parent carers has been forced to leave work to care for their child. Disabled children are twice as likely to live in a household without a working parent.

We have written about the crisis facing unpaid carers. Carers need support and recognition for the contribution they make, not further stigma.

Myth: Conditions like autism and ADHD are over-diagnosed

The government’s recent report into the prevalence of mental health conditions, ADHD and autism found no evidence that overdiagnosis is currently occurring at scale.

Instead, it found that the system is overwhelmed, and this is impacting children and young people negatively. It calls for a different approach, with support available earlier rather than families having to wait for a formal diagnosis before getting help.

Need advice on DLA?

We have lots of information on our website to help families claim the support they need. See your advice on DLA below.

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