Care and support

Disability living allowance and attendance allowance

What is disability living allowance?

Disability living allowance (DLA) is paid to people who have a mental or physical illness or disability. You can claim DLA if you are under 65. If you are 65 or over you may be able to claim attendance allowance instead - see below.

If you claim DLA before your 65th birthday, it will continue to be paid after you reach 65, so long as you still meet the other rules for getting DLA. DLA has two parts - for care needs and for mobility needs.

What is attendance allowance?

Attendance allowance (AA) is for people aged 65 or over who have a mental or physical illness or disability. If you are under 65 you should claim disability living
allowance instead – see above. AA is paid at one of two rates, depending on your care needs.

Why should I consider claiming DLA or AA?

You can claim DLA or AA whatever your income or savings. You don’t need to have paid national insurance contributions. They can be claimed whether you are working or not and can be paid on top of any other benefit you get, although you won’t be able to get DLA and AA – it’s one or the other. They do not reduce the amount you get in any other benefit and can even increase the amount you get. They are tax-free.