Benefits for children
Learn about the benefits you could claim if you are the parent or guardian of a blind or partially sighted child.
Disability Living Allowance (DLA)
If you are the parent or guardian of a blind or partially sighted child aged 15 or under then you could be entitled to claim Disability Living Allowance (DLA) on their behalf. DLA is a benefit aimed at helping you meet the extra costs of a disability.
Our factsheet has lots of useful tips about making a claim for DLA, as well as information on other financial support available for parents of a blind or partially sighted child:
Important changes for Scotland
Social Security Scotland is replacing some benefits administered by the department for Work and Pensions, with their own benefits. This means from 22 November 2021, anyone living in Scotland should now claim Child Disability Payment (administered by Social Security Scotland) instead of DLA (administered by the Department of Work and Pensions).
For anyone already in receipt of Disability Living Allowance for a child, the process of transferring cases to Child Disability Payment has now started. The process is being carried out in stages and those with more than one child in receipt of Disability Living Allowance will have their oldest child’s award transferred first.
Claimants do not need to do anything for the transfer process. Social Security Scotland will write to anyone affected to let them know the transfer has begun. They will not be re-assessed and will receive the same payment at the same rate on the same day.
However, in some circumstances, claimants may be eligible for a higher rate of Child Disability Payment than they received for Disability Living Allowance for children at the point of case transfer.
Further information can be found in our factsheets:
Universal Credit
The government is replacing a number of means-tested benefits with one new benefit called Universal Credit. Find out more about what the introduction of Universal Credit could mean for you.
