How Disability Living Allowance unlocks holiday grants, Max Card discounts, and respite break funding for families raising autistic children across the UK and in Kent.
Disability Living Allowance (DLA) is the main disability benefit for children under 16 in the UK. If your autistic child needs more care, support, or supervision than a non-disabled child of the same age, they can qualify. The 2026-27 rates pay up to £194.60 per week when a child receives both the highest care rate (£114.60) and the higher mobility rate (£80.00).
But DLA matters for much more than the weekly payment. It is the single most common piece of evidence that charities, local authorities, and discount schemes ask for when you apply for extra support. An autistic child on DLA will often find themselves eligible for:
If you have not yet applied for DLA, that is the first step. Our DLA guide for autistic children walks through the form, and the DLA Diary tool helps you record the extra care your child needs each day so the evidence is ready when you apply.
Family Fund is the UK's largest charity providing grants for families raising disabled or seriously ill children. For many autistic children, a Family Fund grant is the most straightforward route to a funded holiday.
Family Fund grants cover a wide range of items and experiences. For holidays and breaks specifically, they commonly fund:
Grants are typically awarded as a voucher or direct payment to the supplier. Families can apply once every 12 months, though exceptional cases may get a second grant in the same year.
Family Fund uses a two-part test:
You apply online at familyfund.org.uk. The application takes around 30 minutes. You will need proof of benefits, a diagnosis or DLA award letter, and a description of how your child's needs affect family life.
The Max Card is the UK's leading discount card for families of children with additional needs, and it is free if you qualify. It unlocks reduced or free admission at over 2,000 UK attractions, including:
Kent attractions that accept the Max Card include Howletts Wild Animal Park, Port Lympne, Wingham Wildlife Park, Diggerland Kent, Leeds Castle, and The Rare Breeds Centre.
Kent County Council distributes the Max Card free to families who meet any one of the following criteria:
You apply through KCC's Local Offer website. The card lasts 12 months and is renewable. If you live outside Kent, check your own local authority — around 150 UK councils now distribute the Max Card free, and most use the same eligibility rules.
Revitalise is a national charity that provides accessible, fully supported holidays for disabled children, adults, and their carers. They run three specialist centres: Sandpipers (Southport), Netley Waterside House (Hampshire), and Jubilee Lodge (Chigwell, Essex).
A Revitalise break is more than a holiday — it is genuine respite. Trained staff provide round-the-clock care, so parents can rest, while children take part in activities like horse riding, sensory play, music, arts, and adapted trips out.
Costs vary, but many families receive partial or full funding through:
Contact Revitalise directly for a bursary application. DLA at any rate strengthens your case.
Every local authority in England has a legal duty under the Breaks for Carers of Disabled Children Regulations 2011 to provide short breaks. In Kent, this is delivered through KCC and a handful of commissioned partners.
Kent County Council's short break offer includes:
Apply through KCC's Disabled Children's Service. DLA is the most common qualifying evidence, but children without DLA can still access universal short breaks.
Imago delivers short break activities across west Kent on behalf of KCC. Their programme includes weekend clubs, holiday play schemes, and family fun days — all free to families of disabled children who have been referred by KCC. Autistic children make up the majority of attendees.
KCHFT provides specialist nursing and therapy input for children with the most complex health needs, including overnight respite at some sites. This route is usually only available through a Continuing Care application rather than by direct request.
Many families on DLA choose a UK caravan or holiday park break because the familiar setting, self-catering kitchen, and short travel time work better for autistic children than a hotel abroad. The main operators have all improved their SEN offer in recent years.
Haven has signed up to the National Autistic Society's Autism Friendly Award at several parks. They offer quiet hours in pools and entertainment venues, visual schedules, and sensory-friendly caravan choices. Haven also partners with Caudwell Children's Destination Dreams programme, which funds end-of-life and complex needs family breaks.
Butlins runs SEN-friendly breaks at all three resorts (Bognor Regis, Minehead, Skegness). Features include quiet areas at mealtimes, accessible rides, and sensory rooms at the main resort venue. The Caravan and Motorhome Club also has accessible pitches suitable for families with autistic children.
Both accept Max Card holders at many sites and have accessible caravans with wet rooms and wider doorways. Kent sites include Romney Sands (Dymchurch), Birchington Vale, and Allhallows.
Kent families have access to several local grant schemes in addition to the national routes above:
See our Kent SEND grants guide for a fuller list with application links.
Most holiday grants ask for the same core paperwork. Gather these before you start any application:
The funding side is only half the battle. An autism-friendly holiday needs planning in a way a neurotypical break does not. Parent-to-parent, here is what tends to work:
Rejection does not always mean no. Most charities let you reapply after 6 or 12 months, and many will reconsider if your circumstances change — a new diagnosis, a higher DLA rate, a loss of income, or a more detailed letter from school. If you are refused a KCC short break, you can ask for a review through SENDIASS.
If a grant body refuses because your child is not yet on DLA, apply for DLA first. Our DLA guide and DLA Diary tool make that process simpler.
A parent-friendly walkthrough of applying for Disability Living Allowance for your autistic child.
Read guide →A directory of local and national grants Kent SEND families can apply for.
Read guide →Places, clubs and sensory-friendly sessions across Kent that welcome autistic children.
Read guide →Independent professional reports can strengthen benefit and grant applications. Find specialists in our Kent directory: