Do all deaf children qualify for DLA?

Not automatically, but many do. Eligibility depends on how much extra care or supervision your child needs compared to a hearing child of the same age, not on the degree of hearing loss alone. A child with moderate hearing loss who needs significant communication support and additional supervision for safety may qualify, while a child with a similar audiogram but fewer daily care needs may not. The key is describing the extra help your child actually needs.

Will claiming DLA affect other benefits we receive?

DLA is not means-tested and does not count as income for tax purposes. Receiving DLA will not reduce your other benefits. In fact, being awarded DLA can increase your entitlement to other support, including the disability element of Child Tax Credit or Universal Credit, and the Carer's Allowance if you provide 35 or more hours of care per week.

DLA for Deaf Children: Eligibility and How to Apply

Disability Living Allowance is a tax-free, non-means-tested benefit that helps with the extra costs of raising a child with a disability. Many families of deaf children are entitled to it but do not claim, often because they are unsure whether their child qualifies or because the application form feels overwhelming.

If your child is deaf and needs more care or supervision than a hearing child of the same age, there is a strong chance they qualify for DLA. The benefit is not about the diagnosis itself but about the practical impact deafness has on your child's daily life and the extra support you provide as a result.

What Is DLA?

Disability Living Allowance for children is a benefit paid by the Department for Work and Pensions. It is designed to help with the additional costs associated with caring for a child with a disability or long-term health condition. It has two components:

Care Component

This is paid at three rates (lower, middle, or higher) depending on how much extra care or supervision your child needs. For deaf children, the care component is the most relevant. It covers the additional time and effort you spend on communication, safety supervision, managing hearing technology, and supporting your child's development compared to what you would need to do for a hearing child.

Mobility Component

This is available from age five and is paid at two rates (lower or higher). It is less commonly awarded for deafness alone, but may be relevant if your child also has balance issues (which can accompany some types of hearing loss) or if they need supervision when walking outdoors due to safety risks related to not hearing traffic or other environmental sounds.

How Deafness Affects Daily Care Needs

The DLA form asks about your child's care needs throughout the day and night. For deaf children, the extra care often includes:

Communication support: Repeating, rephrasing, using visual cues, signing, facing your child when speaking, getting their attention before communicating. Every conversation takes longer and requires more deliberate effort.
Hearing technology management: Checking hearing aids or implants daily, cleaning and maintaining equipment, changing batteries, troubleshooting faults, ensuring your child wears their devices consistently.
Safety supervision: Your child may not hear approaching traffic, doorbells, smoke alarms, or someone calling a warning. This requires additional vigilance, especially outdoors and in unfamiliar environments.
Night-time needs: Deaf children who remove their hearing aids at bedtime cannot hear if they wake up distressed, or hear a parent's voice to be reassured. Some parents use vibrating monitors or check on their child more frequently than they would for a hearing child.
Emotional and social support: Extra time explaining social situations, helping with friendships, managing frustration that arises from communication difficulties.
Appointments and administration: Regular audiology appointments, Teacher of the Deaf visits, speech therapy sessions, school meetings, all of which go beyond what parents of hearing children typically manage.

How to Apply

Applications are made using the DLA1 child claim form, which you can request by calling the DLA helpline (0800 121 4600) or downloading from gov.uk. The form is long, typically around 40 pages, and asks detailed questions about your child's care needs.

Tips for Completing the Form

Describe your worst days, not your best. Parents often understate their child's needs because they have normalised the extra care they provide. Think about what you do differently because your child is deaf, not what you take for granted.
Be specific and practical. Rather than writing "she has difficulty communicating", describe exactly what happens: "I have to tap her shoulder to get her attention, face her directly, speak slowly and clearly, and repeat myself an average of three times per exchange. Every instruction takes two to three times longer than it would with a hearing child."
Cover the whole day. Walk through your child's typical day from waking up to going to bed. Describe every point where deafness creates an additional care need.
Include night-time needs. If you use a vibrating alarm, check on your child during the night, or your child wakes distressed because they cannot hear, describe this.
Attach supporting evidence. Include copies of your child's audiogram, reports from the Teacher of the Deaf, speech therapy reports, and any letters from professionals that describe your child's needs. Ask professionals to write a short letter specifically supporting your DLA claim if they are willing.

Common Mistakes

The most common reason for DLA claims being refused or awarded at a lower rate than expected is that the form does not adequately describe the child's needs. Specific pitfalls:

Comparing your child to other deaf children rather than to a hearing child of the same age
Focusing on the medical diagnosis rather than the daily practical impact
Not mentioning safety supervision needs
Leaving sections blank rather than writing "not applicable" with an explanation
Forgetting to describe the emotional and social support you provide

The NDCS benefits guide includes a detailed walkthrough of how to complete the DLA form for a deaf child, with example answers. It is well worth reading before you start filling in the form.

Rates and Amounts (2025/26)

DLA rates are reviewed annually. The care component rates for 2025/26 are approximately:

Lower rate: around 28 pounds per week
Middle rate: around 72 pounds per week
Higher rate: around 108 pounds per week

Most deaf children are awarded the middle rate care component, though children with more complex needs (additional disabilities, very young children requiring intensive supervision) may receive the higher rate. The award is typically made for a fixed period, after which you will need to renew.

Renewal and Transition to PIP

DLA awards are usually made for a set period (one to five years), after which you submit a renewal form. Keep a note of your award end date and submit the renewal before it expires to avoid a gap in payments.

At age 16, your child will be invited to claim Personal Independence Payment (PIP), which replaces DLA for adults. The PIP assessment process is different from DLA and involves a face-to-face or telephone assessment. Start preparing for this transition around your child's fifteenth birthday.

Getting Help with Your Application

If the form feels overwhelming, you are not alone. Several organisations offer free help:

Your local Citizens Advice Bureau can help you complete the form
The NDCS has a freephone helpline with trained advisors
Your child's Teacher of the Deaf may be able to help or point you to local support

For broader information on financial support available to families of deaf children, see our financial assistance page. If you are newly navigating the system, our newly diagnosed guide provides an overview of all the support available, including benefits. And for information on the technology that DLA can help fund, see our hearing aids guide.