Support for carers and disabled children

Help for carers often depends on the disabled person’s award. Help for a disabled child usually starts with a child disability payment, and then a set of extras that can follow from it.

Payments for unpaid carers

Carer’s Allowance is £86.45 a week from 6 April 2026 if you care for someone at least 35 hours a week, you earn £204 a week or less after allowed deductions, and they already get a qualifying benefit such as the daily living part of PIP or Adult Disability Payment, middle or highest rate care DLA or Child Disability Payment, Attendance Allowance or Pension Age Disability Payment. In Scotland you should claim Carer Support Payment instead. A twice-yearly Carer’s Allowance Supplement of £304.65 in 2026 to 2027 is paid in Scotland.

If you cannot get Carer’s Allowance, Carer’s Credit can still protect your National Insurance record if you care for at least 20 hours a week. Universal Credit can include a carer amount of £209.34 a month from 6 April 2026, but you cannot get both that amount and the LCWRA amount — you get the higher of the two. Scotland also has a Young Carer Grant, officially £405.10 in 2026 to 2027.

Disabled children

Claim Disability Living Allowance for a child under 16 in England, Wales or Northern Ireland, or Child Disability Payment in Scotland. Those awards can unlock Motability, a Blue Badge, a Disabled Persons Railcard and, on a Universal Credit claim, a disabled child addition of £164.79 or £514.71 a month in 2026 to 2027, depending on the rate that applies.

Family Fund can make grants to families on a low income raising a disabled or seriously ill child, but a DLA or Child Disability Payment award does not, by itself, decide eligibility. The child must need a high level of support in at least three of seven areas, and household income rules apply. In England, Family Fund has said that from 24 September 2026 until the end of March 2027 its SFDC programme is only open to first-time applicants. In Scotland, Child Winter Heating Payment is £265.50 in 2026 to 2027, and Scottish Child Payment is £28.20 a week for eligible children under 16.

Entitlements in this guide

Disability Living Allowance for children — A tax-free benefit for children under 16 who need extra care or have mobility needs.
Child Disability Payment — Scotland’s replacement for DLA for children, with care and mobility components.
Universal Credit disabled child addition — An extra Universal Credit amount if a child on your claim is disabled.
Universal Credit carer amount — An extra Universal Credit amount if you provide care for a severely disabled person.
Child Winter Heating Payment — A Scottish winter payment for families of a disabled child or young person who gets a qualifying award.
Carer's Allowance — A weekly payment if you care for someone at least 35 hours a week and they get a qualifying disability benefit.
Carer Support Payment — Scotland’s replacement for Carer’s Allowance, with additional Scottish carer payments in some cases.
Carer’s Allowance Supplement — A twice-yearly extra payment for carers in Scotland who get Carer’s Allowance or Carer Support Payment.
Carer's Credit — A National Insurance credit if you care for someone at least 20 hours a week, to protect your State Pension record.
Family Fund — Grants for families on a low income raising a disabled or seriously ill child or young person.
Young Carer Grant — An annual Scottish payment for young carers.
Scottish Child Payment — A weekly Scottish payment for each eligible child under 16, if you get a qualifying low-income benefit.
Disability Access Fund (early years, England) — An early years payment to a childcare provider in England if a funded child gets DLA.
Free school meals — Free school meals if you get a qualifying low-income benefit, with different rules in each UK nation.

Frequently asked questions

Can two people claim Carer’s Allowance for the same person?

No. Official GOV.UK guidance says only one of you can claim if you share the care. The same applies if someone already gets Carer Support Payment or the Universal Credit carer amount for that person.

I live in Scotland. Do I claim Carer’s Allowance?

You should apply for Carer Support Payment instead. If you move between Scotland and the rest of the UK, you need to tell the office that pays you and make a new claim, or payments can stop.

Does a child’s DLA automatically get us a Family Fund grant?

No. Family Fund says those awards do not determine eligibility. The child must need a high level of support in at least three of seven areas, and the household must be on a low income under Family Fund’s rules.

What is the Universal Credit disabled child addition in 2026 to 2027?

Official monthly rates from 6 April 2026 are £164.79 at the lower rate and £514.71 at the higher rate. Which rate applies depends on the child’s disability benefit award.

Is there a winter payment for disabled children in England?

Scotland has an official Child Winter Heating Payment, at £265.50 in 2026 to 2027. Do not assume the same payment exists on the same terms in England, Wales or Northern Ireland — check the official pages for where you live.

Can I study and get Carer’s Allowance?

Official GOV.UK eligibility says you must not be in full-time education or studying for 21 hours a week or more. If that rules you out, check Carer’s Credit and Universal Credit.

Sources

Last checked 10 November 2026. This is information, not an eligibility decision or legal advice.