by Shea Ferguson, UnHerd
The number of children receiving Disability Living Allowance (DLA) has more than tripled since 2010, according to a new report from the Policy Exchange think tank.
In 2026, 915,00 children were in receipt of DLA, an increase of 191% on the 314,000 children who received the benefits payment in 2010. DLA is the main benefit paid to children aged up to 16 to help with the additional costs associated with a child’s disability or development. It is not means-tested and is tax-free.
The surge in DLA recipients has been driven by an increase in claims for mental health-related conditions. The report details how 404,00 children who have been awarded DLA since the pandemic have received it for learning difficulties, behavioural disorders, and hyperkinetic syndrome (a more severe form of ADHD), equivalent to an increase of around “one additional child in every classroom in England and Wales” receiving the payment. Those mental conditions now make up more than 86% of claims for Child DLA, up from 58% in 2015.
This increase in Child DLA claims has far outstripped the number of children being diagnosed with related conditions. Between 2019 and 2025, the number of children under 17 diagnosed with learning difficulties increased by 35%, while Child DLA claims for the condition climbed 55%.
The cost of the child benefit has more than doubled since the pandemic, rising from £2.3 billion per year in 2019-20 to £5.3 billion in 2025-26, and is expected to climb further to more than £8 billion by 2030-31. The expected payment award for a child with a learning difficulty claiming DLA is now £6,475, up from £6,049 in 2019-20.