Disability living allowance and attendance allowance

These pages tell you about disability living allowance (DLA) and attendance allowance (AA) - non-means-tested benefits for people with a disability. DLA and AA are administered by the Disability and Carers Service which is part of the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).

Disability living allowance is being replaced with a new benefit called the personal independence payment from April 2013 - see the later section. 

For further information about this click on personal independence payment.

What is disability living allowance?

Disability living allowance (DLA) can be paid if you are under 65 when you first claim and:

• you have a mental or physical illness or disability which affects your ability to manage your personal care, for example, you may have difficulty with getting out of bed, getting dressed, washing, bathing, using the toilet, taking medication, seeing or hearing, eating and drinking, walking etc and/or
• you need someone to keep an eye on you because of a physical or learning disability or a mental health problem and/or
• you have difficulty cooking a main meal for yourself because of your illness or disability and/or
• you have difficulty walking outdoors or need someone with you when walking in unfamiliar places because of your illness or disability.

If you claim DLA before your 65th birthday, it can continue to be paid after you reach 65, so long as you still meet the other rules for getting DLA.
DLA has two parts (components) - the care component and the mobility component. You may qualify for one or both of these.

What is attendance allowance?

Attendance allowance (AA) can be paid if you are aged 65 or over and have a mental or physical illness or disability which affects your ability to manage your personal care or means that you need someone to keep an eye on you throughout the day. AA is paid at one of two rates, depending on the level of your needs. There is no mobility component in AA.