Child leading life as normally as possible and needs easily met by family | None | Child’s needs do not significantly impact on siblings’ opportunities | Child’s needs do not significantly impact on parents personal or social lives | None |
| Child’s level of needs limit their participation in community activities and their development would benefit from additional social and leisure activities | Child’s needs are restricting siblings opportunities | Child’s needs are impacting on parents personal or social lives | None |
Child receives additional support in learning or education. | Child’s level of needs result in them being unable to participate in community activities which increases impairment | Child’s needs significantly restrict siblings personal or social lives | Parents need to provide significant care to other dependants who would otherwise be at risk, or child’s needs are significantly impacting on parents personal or social lives | Lower DLA |
Child very vulnerable to risk of significant impairment of health or development, or need for long term accommodation | Child’s level of need results in lifelong impact with likely lifetime support from statutory social care services | Child’s needs are impacting on outcomes for siblings | Child’s needs met but at significant cost to their own physical or mental health, or serious risk of family breakdown | Higher DLA |
To prevent the need for long term accommodation, child receives significant additional support in learning or education | Child’s essential care or medical needs or need for emotional development and stimulation cannot be met | Siblings’ essential needs cannot be met because of disabled child’s needs. | Neither child’s nor parents’ essential needs are being met. | Higher DLA |