4. When should I claim Disability Living Allowance for my child?

This is one of the hardest questions to answer, because it depends on each individual child's situation. You should claim when you feel that your child's needs are a lot greater than those of most other children of the same age.

The earliest it is possible to claim is when your child is 3 months old and in some cases, a claim should be made then (for children with medical problems, such as a heart defect, or babies with feeding problems.) Probably most claims should be made somewhere between 6 and 12 months old. See Guidelines to claiming DLA for more detailed information on the DLA rules or contact the Benefits advisers at the DSA.