Disability Living Allowance (DLA)
Disability Living Allowance (DLA) is paid to people who are so severely disabled physically or mentally that they have either personal care needs or mobility needs or both.
Your entitlement is based on how much help with personal care and/or mobility you need because of your disability. This is used as a broad indicator of the extra costs arising from your disability.
DLA comprises two components:
the care component – payable at one of 3 rates – for people who need help with personal care
and the mobility component – payable at one of 2 rates – for people who have severe difficulty walking or who need help getting around out of doors.
DLA helps with some of the additional costs arising from disability. It is tax free and does not depend on National Insurance contributions. It is not normally affected by income (including other social security benefits) or by savings [Legislation (20)]. See ‘Exceptions’.
To get the care component, children under 16 must have substantially greater care needs than other children of the same age who are not disabled. To get the lower rate of the mobility component they must need substantially more guidance or supervision outdoors.
DLA is normally paid to disabled people themselves. But for adults who are unable to manage their own affairs, and all children under age 16, payment is made to a person appointed to act on their behalf [Legislation (21)].