Child DLA Renewal: How to Renew Before Your Award Runs Out

Renewals aren't automatic

Fixed-term child DLA awards don't roll over. If your child's award runs for two or three years (or until a milestone age like 5, 8, or 12), it stops at the end date unless you renew. The DWP sends a renewal pack before the award expires, and you need to complete and return it to maintain payments.

Don't assume your child's existing award will continue just because their needs haven't changed. The DWP treats every renewal as a fresh look at your child's current care and mobility requirements.

When the renewal pack arrives

The DWP typically dispatches the renewal form around 20 weeks before your child's award is due to expire. If you haven't received it and your award end date is within four months, call the DLA helpline on 0800 121 4600 to check.

Complete and return the form within the stated deadline. If you submit on time and the DWP hasn't made a decision before your current award expires, your payments should continue until the new decision is reached.

Treat it like a new claim

The renewal form covers the same ground as the original — your child's conditions, daily care needs, mobility, and night-time supervision. Don't copy and paste your original answers. Your child is older now, and the comparison has shifted:

• New needs may have emerged. A child who didn't qualify for the mobility component at age 4 might now qualify at 5 (lower rate) or demonstrate more clearly that walking causes severe discomfort.
• Existing needs may have intensified. Adolescence often brings increased emotional and behavioural support needs, even as physical independence grows.
• The comparison peer group has changed. A 5-year-old needing help with dressing is further from the norm than a 3-year-old needing the same help.

Update everything: the conditions list, medication and therapies, school support, care routines, and night-time needs.

Gather fresh evidence

Don't rely on the evidence you submitted two or three years ago. Gather current documents:

• A recent consultant, therapy, or CAMHS letter
• The latest EHCP or SEN support plan (which may have changed since the original claim)
• A new care diary — even if your routines feel the same, the detail matters for a fresh assessment
• Any new diagnoses or referrals since the last award

If your child's needs have increased, consider whether to apply for a higher rate at renewal rather than just maintaining the existing one.

What if the renewal reduces your award?

If the DWP awards a lower rate on renewal or refuses entirely, you have the right to request a Mandatory Reconsideration within one month of the decision letter. New evidence — especially a care diary and updated professional letters — can be submitted at this stage.

If the reconsideration doesn't change the outcome, you can appeal to the First-tier Tribunal.

Keep records between renewals

The easiest way to prepare for a renewal is to keep a running file throughout the award period: copies of new medical letters, updated school plans, changes in medication, and periodic care diary entries. When the renewal form arrives, you'll have current evidence ready instead of scrambling.

Prepare for the next renewal now

The Child DLA Claim Guide includes a renewal audit sheet that helps you compare your original claim details against current needs, so you can spot gaps and strengthen your evidence before returning the form. Free renewal advice is available from Contact (0808 808 3555) and Citizens Advice.

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