Help with rent and council tax
If you still get Housing Benefit or support with council tax, then getting DLA for your child may lead to extra benefit if you are not already getting your rent and council tax met in full.
Universal Credit
Universal Credit is replacing tax credits and other means-tested benefits for people of working age. If you receive Universal Credit and a child who is included in your Universal Credit claim gets DLA, you will qualify for extra Universal Credit payments. You may also get extra universal credit for being that child’s carer, even if your earnings are too high to qualify for carers allowance.
If the amount of help you get with rent through housing benefit or universal credit is restricted because you have been told that you have a spare bedroom, you may be able to show that a child getting DLA needs a room of their own rather than sharing with a sibling.
When you claim universal credit, you still need to claim council tax support from the Council separately.
Exemption from ‘benefit cap’
If you have a dependent child who gets DLA, you will be exempt from the ‘benefit cap’ which restricts the total amount of benefit payments that an out of work family can receive.
Carer‘s Allowance (CA)
If your child gets the middle or highest rate of the DLA care component, you may be able to get Carer’s Allowance (CA). To get CA, you must be caring for your child for at least 35 hours per week, you must not be a full-time student and not earning more than £151 per week, after certain deductions. Read more about benefits for carers.
Child Tax Credit (CTC)
Child Tax Credit is assessed more generously when a child gets DLA. Families will qualify for an extra disability element (and a severe disability element if your child is on the highest rate DLA care component). However, very few new claims for child tax credit are now possible. Working-age claimants would be expected to claim universal credit, and those of pension age and above would claim pension credit.
Help with parking
If your child is awarded the highest rate of the DLA mobility component, then you should qualify for a Blue Badge for help with parking. You might also qualify if your child is aged 2 and over and is either registered blind, or has severe walking problems. In England, Wales, and Scotland, you may also qualify if your child is aged under 3 (under two in Northern Ireland), and needs to be accompanied by bulky medical equipment, or kept near a vehicle for medical reasons.
Help with road tax
If your child is awarded the highest rate of DLA mobility component, you may be exempt from paying Vehicle Excise Duty. Claimants are usually told about this when they are notified about the award of high rate DLA mobility component.
Help with getting a car
If you’re interested in getting a car and your child is awarded the highest rate of the DLA mobility component, then you can lease a car through the Motability Scheme. To access this scheme your child’s award of the high rate mobility component must have at least 12 months left to run. If you can't drive and need help with paying for lessons, or need help getting a deposit for a car through the scheme then you may qualify for a grant.
Help with bus travel
All local authorities operate schemes for disabled people of any age to apply for a bus pass or voucher for free bus travel. In some areas, an essential, named carer accompanying the disabled person is also entitled to free travel. The scheme operates differently from one local authority to another, so get in touch with your local council to check out what’s available in your area.