Conservatives pledge to end child DLA cash payments for milder cases

The Conservatives have pledged to save £2.8bn a year by ending Disability Living Allowance (DLA) payments for families of children with milder cases of behavioural disorders, learning difficulties or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The plan, announced on 10 November 2026, forms part of a wider package of welfare measures that the party says will save £36bn from the welfare budget.

DLA is a benefit that helps parents with the extra costs of raising a disabled child. Parents can currently claim between £30.30 and £194.60 a week for a child.

Under the Conservative proposal, a child whose claim is based on a behavioural disorder, learning difficulty or ADHD would only remain eligible for cash payments if their need was the highest. The party said around 30% of cases with the most severe conditions would continue to receive DLA. The remaining 70% of affected cases would lose cash payments and instead receive support through mental health services and family hubs, which are local centres offering support to families.

The Conservatives said they would invest £1bn in mental health services and family hubs as part of the plan. The changes would apply to new claims and to reassessments. Children with physical disabilities would be exempt.

The party said child DLA cases had risen from 521,476 in 2020 to 914,000, citing government statistics. Helen Whately, the shadow work and pensions secretary, said the system risked putting children on a "conveyor belt" towards a "lifetime on benefits".

The Conservatives also said the UK spends £183 billion on working-age welfare.