What Happens To Your DLA Claim When Your Child Reaches 16 Years Of Age?
By
HuutiMoney
This blog post will answer the question of what happens to your DLA claim when your child turns 16 years of age. To answer this question, we will explore the eligibility criteria for DLA and how it changes when a child turns 16. We will also explain the process of how to transfer from DLA to another disability benefit when a child can no longer claim it. In the end, we will review the other welfare benefits that are available to a disabled child.
What Happens To Your DLA Claim When Your Child Reaches 16 Years Of Age?
Once your child turns 16, they are no longer eligible for DLA. However, they may be able to claim Personal Independence Payment (PIP), which is a similar benefit that is available to people aged 16 years and over.
Disability Living Allowance (DLA) is a welfare benefit in the United Kingdom that is paid to help with the extra costs of living with a disability. If you have a child who is under 16 years old and they meet the eligibility criteria, you may be able to claim DLA on their behalf.
Once your child turns 16 years of age, they will receive a letter from the DWP which mentions the details of this transfer of benefits from DLA to PIP. You should make sure that you or your child reply to that letter according to the date mentioned in it so that you (or they) continue to receive the benefit payments.
During this time, you will continue receiving your DLA payments as per the regular schedule.
Another change that can take place as a result of your child turning 16 years old is that they may no longer require a parent or guardian to remain as an appointee who receives their benefits payments.
Once a claimant turns 16, they can start receiving benefits payments directly. However, if a parent or guardian is to remain as an appointee who receives PIP payments on behalf of their child, they will have to apply as an appointee even if they were an approved appointee for DLA.
In cases where a DLA claimant is terminally ill, the DWP will not ask for them to be transferred to PIP and their benefits payments will continue the same even after they turn 16 years of age.
How Do You Move From DLA To PIP When Your Child Reaches 16 Of Age?
When you need to move from DLA to PIP, you should start by replying to the letter received from the DWP that mentions your child’s transfer from DLA to PIP as they turn 16. You will need to contact the PIP new claims department. You can do this by calling their helpline at 0800 917 2222 or writing to them at Personal Independence Payment New Claims, Post Handling Site B, Wolverhampton, WV99 1AH before the due date mentioned in the letter.
You will be sent a form that you need to fill out with the below-mentioned details:
- contact details
- date of birth
- National Insurance number
- bank or building society account number and sort code
- doctor or health worker’s name and contact details
- dates and addresses for any time spent by the claimant at a hospital
- dates for any time that the claimant spent abroad for more than 4 weeks at a time; as well as names of the countries they visited
You will have 28 days to complete and send the form back to the PIP’s new claims department.
Once your form is processed by the DWP, a health assessment will be conducted by them. The results of this assessment will determine whether or not the claimant can be transferred to Personal Independence Payment (PIP) or not.
What Other Disability Benefits Can Your 16-Year-Old Claim?
Your 16-year-old can claim Disabled Students Allowance if they are a student under any of the following programs:
- studying a full-time or part-time course that lasts for a minimum of 12 months
- an undergraduate or postgraduate student (this includes distance learning or Open University)
- eligible for student finance from Student Finance England
They can qualify for DSA if their disability falls under any of the following categories:
- learning difficulty; this includes dyslexia, dyspraxia, or ADHD
- mental health conditions including anxiety or depression
- physical disabilities such as partial sightedness or use of crutches
- prolonged health conditions, such as cancer, chronic heart disease, or HIV
In addition to this, they can also claim Universal Credit; either through an appointee or directly by themselves.
Conclusion:
The above discussion has explained how 16-year-olds will transfer from DLA to PIP when they become young adults. Since DLA only applies to children with a disability, once your child turns 16 years old, a parent or guardian will no longer be able to claim DLA on their behalf and will need them to transfer to PIP by getting in contact with DWP (if they haven’t contacted you already).
References:
Disability Living Allowance (DLA) for children: When your child turns 16 – GOV.UK