Q: Overview

Disability Living Allowance ( DLA ) is being replaced by Personal Independence Payment ( PIP ) for disabled people. You can only apply for DLA if you’re under 16 . You can apply for: PIP if you’re aged 16 or over and have not reached State Pension age Attendance Allowance if you’re State Pension age or older and do not get DLA If you already get DLA , your claim might end. You’ll get a letter telling you when this will happen and how you can apply for PIP . This guide is also available in Welsh (Cymraeg) .

Question 1

Overview

Accepted Answer

Disability Living Allowance (DLA) is being replaced by Personal Independence Payment (PIP) for disabled people.

You can only apply for DLA if you’re under 16. You can apply for:

PIP if you’re aged 16 or over and have not reached State Pension age
Attendance Allowance if you’re State Pension age or older and do not get DLA

If you already get DLA, your claim might end. You’ll get a letter telling you when this will happen and how you can apply for PIP.

This guide is also available in Welsh (Cymraeg).

Question 2

If you already get DLA

Accepted Answer

If you were born on or before 8 April 1948, you’ll continue to get Disability Living Allowance (DLA) as long as you’re eligible for it.

If you were born after 8 April 1948, your DLA will end. You’ll get a letter telling you when that will happen. You’ll continue to get DLA until that date.

Unless your circumstances change, you do not need to do anything until you get this letter.

Apply for Personal Independence Payment (PIP)

If your DLA is ending, you’ll get a letter inviting you to apply for PIP within 28 days. If you do apply, your DLA will continue to be paid until at least 28 days after a decision is made about your PIP application.

If you’re eligible for PIP, you’ll start getting PIP payments as soon as your DLA payments end.

If you have a fixed period DLA award

Contact the Disability Service Centre if you have not got a letter inviting you to apply for PIP 28 days before your DLA is due to end.

Change of circumstances

You must contact the Disability Service Centre if your circumstances change, as this can affect how much DLA you get. For example:

the level of help you need or your condition changes
you go into hospital or a care home for more than 4 weeks
you go abroad for more than 13 weeks
you’re imprisoned or held in detention

You must also contact the centre if:

you change your name, address or bank details
you want to stop receiving your benefit
your doctor’s details change

You might have to pay a £50 penalty and have to repay overpaid benefits if you do not report changes and are overpaid as a result.

If you disagree with a decision

You can challenge a decision about your DLA claim. This is called asking for ‘mandatory reconsideration’.

Question 3

DLA rates

Accepted Answer

You can no longer apply for Disability Living Allowance (DLA) if you’re 16 or over. You might be able to apply for Personal Independence Payment (PIP) instead.

DLA is made up of 2 components (parts), the ‘care component’ and the ‘mobility component’. To get DLA you must be eligible for at least one of the components.

How much DLA you get depends on how your disability or health condition affects you.

If you need help looking after yourself

You might get the care component of DLA if you:

need help with things like washing, dressing, eating, using the toilet or communicating your needs
need supervision to avoid putting yourself or others in danger
need someone with you when you’re on dialysis
cannot prepare a cooked main meal

You can get this part if no one is actually giving you the care you need, or you live alone.

Care component	Weekly rate	Level of help you need
Lowest	£23.20	Help for some of the day or with preparing cooked meals
Middle	£58.70	Frequent help or constant supervision during the day, supervision at night or someone to help you while on dialysis
Highest	£87.65	Help or supervision throughout both day and night, or you’re terminally ill

If you get DLA and Constant Attendance Allowance, the care component of your DLA will be reduced by the amount of Constant Attendance Allowance you get.

If you have walking difficulties

You might get the mobility component of DLA if, when using your normal aid, you:

cannot walk
can only walk a short distance without severe discomfort
could become very ill if you try to walk

You might also get it if you:

have no feet or legs
are assessed as 100% blind and at least 80% deaf and you need someone with you when outdoors
are severely mentally impaired with severe behavioural problems and get the highest rate of care for DLA
need supervision most of the time when walking outdoors
are certified as severely sight impaired and you were aged between 3 and 64 on 11 April 2011

Mobility component	Weekly rate	Level of help you need
Lower	£23.20	Guidance or supervision outdoors
Higher	£61.20	You have any other, more severe, walking difficulty

You must contact the Disability Service Centre if your circumstances change, for example your condition improves or you need more help.

Assessments

You might get a letter saying you need to attend an assessment to check the level of help you need. The letter explains why, and where you must go. Your benefit may be stopped if you do not go.

At the assessment, you’ll be asked for identification. You can use a passport or any 3 of the following:

birth certificate
a full driving licence
life assurance policy
bank statements

How you’re paid

DLA is usually paid every 4 weeks.

All benefits, pensions and allowances are paid into an account, for example your bank account.

Extra help

You could get extra benefits if you get Disability Living Allowance - check with the Disability Service Centre or the office dealing with your benefit.

If your disability or health condition stops you from working and you’re eligible for Universal Credit, you could get an extra amount on top of your Universal Credit standard allowance.

If you get DLA and you work, you might also be able to get the disability element of Working Tax Credit (up to £3,165 a year, or up to £4,530 if your disability is severe). Contact HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) to find out.

Disability Living Allowance (DLA) for adults

Overview

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Disability Living Allowance (DLA) for adults

Overview

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