Child DLA Rates 2026-27: How Much Is Each Component Worth?

2026-27 weekly rates at a glance

Child DLA rates rose by 3.8% in April 2026, following the September 2025 Consumer Price Index increase. The new rates took effect on 6 April 2026.

Care component:

Mobility component:

Payments are made four-weekly in arrears, so your bank statement will show roughly four times the weekly rate as a single payment.

How the tiers work

Care component has three levels. Lowest rate is for children who need help with bodily functions for a significant portion of the day. Middle rate covers children who need either frequent daytime attention, continuous daytime supervision to avoid substantial danger, or prolonged or repeated night-time attention. Highest rate requires qualifying for both a daytime and a night-time test.

Mobility component has two levels. Lower rate (from age 5) is for children who can walk but need guidance or supervision outdoors significantly more than their peers. Higher rate (from age 3) includes children who are unable or virtually unable to walk, or for whom the effort of walking would put their life at risk or be likely to lead to serious deterioration in health.

What a full award adds up to

A child receiving highest rate care plus higher rate mobility gets £114.60 + £80.00 = £194.60 per week, or roughly £10,119 per year. Even a middle rate care award of £76.70 per week comes to about £3,988 per year.

Benefits that stack on top

A child DLA award unlocks additional household support:

• Carer's Allowance: £86.45/week if the carer provides 35+ hours and the child gets middle or highest rate care (lowest rate care doesn't qualify), subject to the carer meeting the other criteria, including earnings of £204 or less a week after tax, National Insurance and expenses
• Universal Credit disabled child addition: £164.79/month for a child receiving any DLA rate except highest-rate care, or £514.71/month for a child receiving highest-rate care
• Benefit Cap exemption: any child DLA award exempts your entire household from the benefit cap
• Blue Badge: automatic for children aged 3+ with higher rate mobility; children without higher rate mobility may qualify through local authority assessment

Rates change every April

The 2026-27 rates apply from 6 April 2026 and run until March 2027. Future rates are set by statute based on the September CPI figure and confirmed by the DWP before the new tax year.

Make sure you're claiming the right tier

If your child's care needs have increased since your last award, you may be on a lower tier than you qualify for. The Child DLA Claim Guide explains exactly what each tier requires and how to evidence your child's needs against the statutory thresholds. Free advice is available from Contact (0808 808 3555) and Citizens Advice.

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