2026/27 DLA and CDP child rates published

The 2026/27 rates payable for the care and mobility components of Disability Living Allowance for children and Child Disability Payment have been published¹. Both benefits are made up of two components, care and mobility¹.

In 2026/27 the following rates are payable¹:

Disability Living Allowance is paid in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and Child Disability Payment in Scotland¹. The majority of entitlement conditions for CDP will remain the same as DLA, and rates will be the same as DLA¹. Disability Living Allowance is administered by the Department for Work and Pensions, and in Northern Ireland by the Disability and Carers Service¹. In Scotland, applications for Child Disability Payment are made via Social Security Scotland¹.

The care component is paid at the low rate where a child has personal care needs at certain parts of the day but not throughout the day, at the middle rate where a child needs frequent care or continual supervision during the day or some care or supervision by night, and at the high rate where care or supervision is needed during both the day and night¹. The low rate mobility component is paid where a child can walk but needs more guidance or supervision outdoors than a non-disabled child of the same age; the high rate is paid where a child has great difficulty walking, cannot walk at all, is deaf and blind (or sometimes just blind) or, in certain circumstances, has a severe mental impairment and exhibits behavioural problems out of doors¹.

To claim, it must be demonstrated that these needs are substantially more than those of healthy children of the same age¹. The benefit is not means-tested, so other income or savings do not matter¹. A child must be aged 3 months or over to claim the care component, unless they are paid under special rules, and at least 3 years old to claim the mobility component¹.

Why it matters for households

Because the benefit is not means-tested, entitlement does not depend on the household's other income or savings¹. Each claim is assessed individually to see whether the eligibility rules are met and which rate is payable¹.

Awards can also affect other benefits. Where a child is awarded Disability Living Allowance or Child Disability Payment, a household may be entitled to extra amounts in other benefits it already receives, or may become entitled to a new benefit for the first time¹. The rates for 2026/27 are the same for DLA and CDP¹.

What happens next

No further dates for 2026/27 have been reported. Claims for Disability Living Allowance in England, Wales and Northern Ireland are handled by the Department for Work and Pensions, and in Northern Ireland by the Disability and Carers Service; Child Disability Payment is applied for through Social Security Scotland¹. More on benefits for children is set out in the relevant guides.