My toddler still needs nappies but has no medical diagnosis. Can I apply?

On the Dorset, BCP and RNFL pages checked, the published exceptions are a medical condition (case by case) or a disability that requires nappies (RNFL, under 5). A late switch to cloth on its own is not listed as a reason to waive 18 months.

Does Brent use a different age from RNFL?

No. Brent’s Start for Life page matches RNFL: expecting a baby, a child under 18 months, or a child under 5 with a disability that requires nappies.

Will I automatically get the voucher if I attach a clinic letter?

No. RNFL still has to check you live in a participating borough and that the letter meets its wording. Dorset and BCP say older-child medical applications are considered case by case.

Is 18 months measured at application or at purchase?

BCP’s directory says the baby must be 18 months or under **when you apply**. Dorset and RNFL use the same age on the application. If your child is close to the line, apply while they still meet the published age, if you meet the other tests.

Guides · Nappies · Council schemes

Can I get a council nappy voucher if my baby is over 18 months?

Updated 10 September 2026 · Checked 10 September 2026 · By MayTally research desk — Checked against official UK sources

Why do so many forms stop at 18 months?

Waste-prevention schemes are written for the years when most children are in nappies. The 18-month line is a local eligibility test, copied from one authority to another, not an Act of Parliament.

Swipe sideways for the full table

Age rules on pages checked 10 September 2026
Page	Default age rule	Exception published on that page
Dorset Council	Babies must be aged 18 months or under and live in the Dorset Council area	Applications for older children with an existing medical condition considered case by case
BCP Council (FID T&Cs)	Baby aged 18 months or under when you apply	Older children with an existing medical condition considered case by case
Real Nappies for London / Brent Council	Baby under 18 months, or expectant parent; foster carers with a baby under 18 months	Child up to 5 years who requires nappies due to a disability, with an official letter

Summarised from Dorset, BCP Family Information Directory, RNFL apply and Brent Council pages on 10 September 2026. Other councils set their own ages. Rochdale, for example, also uses under 18 months with no disability extension on the page we checked.

What does “case by case” mean on Dorset and BCP?

Both councils use the same phrase: applications for older children with an existing medical condition are considered case by case. They do not publish a list of qualifying diagnoses, a second age cap, or a separate pot.

Dorset also says one of its Fox and Marsh starter packs “could be adapted for an older child with an existing medical condition”. That is about kit contents, not a promise that the application is accepted.

Case by case means a person reads the file. It is not an automatic extra year, and it is not a grant you can bank on. Use the council form and the waste-team email (Dorset: [email protected]) if you need a written answer for your child’s situation.

How does the RNFL under-5 disability route work?

RNFL’s apply page lists a parent with a child up to 5 years old who requires nappies because of a disability, living in a participating borough. Brent’s page repeats that test.

Supporting document 3 is not a MAT B1. RNFL asks for an official letter from a health professional, local authority, education service or disability support organisation.
The letter should confirm the child’s disability, date of birth, and the requirement to wear nappies (the apply page also says the expectation they will require nappies for the next 18 months).
If that letter is dated in the past month and shows your name and address, RNFL says it can also stand as proof of address.
Identity and (if needed) a separate recent address letter are still required.

How do I ask if my child is over 18 months?

Open your own scheme, not a national article Dorset, BCP or RNFL if those are yours; otherwise the waste page for your council. An 18-month line on someone else’s form does not apply to you.
Read the exception sentence Look for “case by case”, “medical condition”, or “under 5” / “disability”. If there is no exception, the default cut-off is the rule.
Prepare the proof the form names Medical condition (Dorset/BCP) or a professional letter that nappies are required (RNFL). Do not send clinical detail the form did not ask for.
Submit or email, then wait for that scheme’s answer A blog cannot decide the file. If the pot is closed, see the separate guide on closed or full schemes.

In shortIn short: 18 months is the usual gate. Dorset and BCP may look at an older child with a medical condition. RNFL has a documented under-5 disability route. None of those sentences is an award — only the form in your borough is.

Questions parents ask

My toddler still needs nappies but has no medical diagnosis. Can I apply?: On the Dorset, BCP and RNFL pages checked, the published exceptions are a medical condition (case by case) or a disability that requires nappies (RNFL, under 5). A late switch to cloth on its own is not listed as a reason to waive 18 months.
Does Brent use a different age from RNFL?: No. Brent’s Start for Life page matches RNFL: expecting a baby, a child under 18 months, or a child under 5 with a disability that requires nappies.
Will I automatically get the voucher if I attach a clinic letter?: No. RNFL still has to check you live in a participating borough and that the letter meets its wording. Dorset and BCP say older-child medical applications are considered case by case.
Is 18 months measured at application or at purchase?: BCP’s directory says the baby must be 18 months or under when you apply. Dorset and RNFL use the same age on the application. If your child is close to the line, apply while they still meet the published age, if you meet the other tests.

Sources

Official pages first. If this page and the official page disagree, the official page wins.

Dorset Council — Reusable nappies — checked 10 September 2026
BCP Council — Get help to buy reusable nappies — checked 10 September 2026
Real Nappies for London — Apply — checked 10 September 2026
Brent Council — Reusable nappy voucher scheme — checked 10 September 2026

This is information, not a guarantee of any payment, and not medical, legal or product-safety advice for your home. Prices and rules change; figures carry the date they were checked. Recall status comes from official records only — a product we cannot find is not a safety all-clear. Tell us if we got a fact wrong.