Building Evidence for a DLA Claim.
- Lucy
- Sep 30
- 2 min read
What is DLA for children?
DLA helps with the extra costs of looking after a child with care and/or mobility needs. Eligibility depends on how much extra care or supervision your child needs, and for how long. The government’s DLA pages explain who can claim and the eligibility rules. GOV.UK+1
Why evidence matters
Claims succeed when they clearly show day-to-day needs — not general statements. DLA assessors want detailed, dated examples of care and supervision your child needs compared to a typical child of the same age.
What to record for a DLA application
Daily tasks & assistance levels — dressing, washing, feeding (note whether independent, prompts only, some help or full assistance).
Time taken — use time buckets (<5 min, 5–15, 15–30, >30). DLA expects evidence of how long care takes.
Night-time care — number of wakings or special care at night.
Mobility and supervision — how often close supervision is needed to keep your child safe.
Seizure logs and health events — note dates, durations and medication given.
How to present evidence clearly
Use exported reports that group entries by date and activity (e.g., “Dressing: required full assistance 5 days this week, average 12 minutes per dressing event”).
Add short narrative notes for context: “Child requires full assistance due to muscle weakness; cannot stand to dress.”
Attach supporting documents (clinic letters, physiotherapy notes) where possible. DLA guidance lists types of evidence that help. GOV.UK
How My Penelope supports DLA claims
Daily Activity tracker captures tasks, assistance and timed buckets — perfect for DLA evidence.
PDF exports lay out data in a clear, dated format so assessors can see patterns, not anecdotes.
Bottom line
DLA decisions are built on specific, dated evidence. Track daily care consistently, and export reports that show time spent and level of help — this gives your claim the best chance. GOV.UK
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