Published 18 July 2026 · Last updated 28 August 2026
Last updated: July 2026. Compiled from official UK government and charity sources.
Childhood disability in the UK has risen sharply in a decade, and the equipment and funding system that supports disabled children looks very different from the adult one. This page collects the key figures.
Key figures
- 1.8 million children up to age 19 in the UK are disabled
- 12% of UK children are disabled, up from 7% in 2014/15, an almost doubled rate in a decade (Family Resources Survey 2024/25)
- The most common impairment types among disabled children are social or behavioural (61%), learning (32%) and mental health (26%)
- Mobility impairment is less common in disabled children than in adults, where it is the most reported impairment among disabled pensioners at 68%
- The Disabled Facilities Grant, up to £30,000 in England, is not means tested for children under 19
- Whizz Kidz supports young wheelchair users up to age 25; Newlife, Variety and Caudwell Children fund equipment for under-18s
Prevalence has almost doubled in a decade
The DWP’s Family Resources Survey for 2024/25 classifies 12% of children as disabled, up from 7% in 2014/15. The rise is driven mainly by social, behavioural and mental health impairments rather than physical ones: 61% of disabled children report a social or behavioural impairment, 32% a learning impairment and 26% a mental health impairment.
That profile is the reverse of the adult picture. Among disabled pensioners, mobility is the most common impairment at 68%. Among children it sits behind several other categories, which is one reason children’s mobility equipment provision receives less attention than adult provision despite the numbers involved.
Equipment and funding
NHS wheelchair services assess and provide wheelchairs for children, with referral-to-delivery times published quarterly in NHS England’s National Wheelchair Data Collection. In England, Personal Wheelchair Budgets let families put the NHS contribution towards a chair of their choice.
For home adaptations, the Disabled Facilities Grant is not means tested where the application is for a child under 19 in England, and covers up to £30,000. Charity funding fills the remaining gap: see our guide to mobility equipment grants for disabled children for who funds what.
Frequently asked questions
Where do these figures come from?
Published official and charity sources, each attributed and dated on the page. Where a figure is an estimate from a survey rather than a count, that is stated, because the two support different claims.
Why do estimates of the number of disabled children vary?
Because definitions vary. Counts based on the Equality Act definition, on receipt of Disability Living Allowance, and on special educational needs provision all measure different populations, and all three are legitimate for different purposes.
Are these figures UK wide?
Not always. Education and social care are devolved, so England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland publish separately and on different timetables. Each figure on the page says what it covers.
How current are they?
Official statistics here are typically published well after the period they describe, so the newest available figure is rarely the present situation. Each figure carries its reference period for that reason.
Can I cite this page?
Yes, and please cite both this page and the original source named against each figure, with the date. Figures in this area are revised, and an undated statistic is difficult for a later reader to check.
What do the numbers not capture?
Children whose needs are unmet or unrecorded, families who have not applied for support, and the difference between a diagnosis and a day to day need. Statistics here describe systems as much as they describe children.
Sources
- Family Resources Survey 2024/25, DWP
- UK disability statistics, House of Commons Library
- Contact, research on families with disabled children
- Whizz Kidz equipment applications
- WellChild grants for families
- Contact, home adaptations for disabled children
See also our main UK mobility aid statistics page.
Published 18 July 2026 · Last updated 28 August 2026