Disability Living Allowance for Adults: Rates and PIP

• If you are over 16 you cannot apply for DLA. You apply for PIP instead if you live in England or Wales and have not reached State Pension age, or Attendance Allowance if you are State Pension age or older and do not get DLA.
• If you were born on or before 8 April 1948, you will continue to get DLA as long as you are eligible for it.
• If you were born after 8 April 1948, your DLA will end. You will get a letter telling you when that will happen, and you will continue to get DLA until that date. Unless your circumstances change, you do not need to do anything until you get that letter.
• You can only apply for DLA if you are under 16 and live in England or Wales (see our DLA for children guide).
• You may be asked to claim PIP after you report a change to your circumstances.

DLA is made up of a care component and a mobility component, and to get DLA you must be eligible for at least one of them. They are paid at these weekly rates:

• Care, highest rate: £114.60. Help or supervision throughout both day and night, or a medical professional has said you are nearing the end of life.
• Care, middle rate: £76.70. Frequent help or constant supervision during the day, supervision at night, or someone to help you while on dialysis.
• Care, lowest rate: £30.30. Help for some of the day or with preparing cooked meals.
• Mobility, higher rate: £80. For any other, more severe, walking difficulty.
• Mobility, lower rate: £30.30. Guidance or supervision outdoors.

DLA and PIP are paid at the same amounts in 2026/27: PIP daily living is £76.70 and £114.60 and PIP mobility is £30.30 and £80.00. Attendance Allowance is £76.70 and £114.60.

You might get the care component of DLA if you:

• ✓Yes: Need help with things like washing, dressing, eating, using the toilet or communicating your needs
• ✓Yes: Need supervision to avoid putting yourself or others in danger
• ✓Yes: Need someone with you when you are on dialysis
• ✓Yes: Cannot prepare a cooked main meal

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

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

• ✓Yes: Cannot walk
• ✓Yes: Can only walk a short distance without severe discomfort
• ✓Yes: Could become very ill if you try to walk

You might get a letter saying you need to attend an assessment to check the level of help you need, and your benefit may be stopped if you do not go. DLA is usually paid every 4 weeks on a Wednesday.

If your DLA is ending, you will get a letter inviting you to apply for PIP. If you do apply, you will need to do it within 28 days:

• DLA will continue to be paid until at least 28 days after a decision is made about your PIP application.
• If you are eligible for PIP, you will start getting PIP payments as soon as your DLA payments end.
• For each PIP task, DWP looks at whether you can do it safely, how long it takes you, and whether you need help to do it, from a person or using extra equipment.
• DWP's PIP statistics for July 2026 say that new invitations to claim PIP for working age DLA claimants are not currently being sent out.
• If you disagree with a decision about your PIP claim, you can ask for mandatory reconsideration.

• Scotland: all existing claims for DLA have been moved to Scottish Adult Disability Living Allowance.
• Scotland: Adult Disability Payment from Social Security Scotland has a daily living part of £76.70 a week for a standard award or £114.60 for an enhanced award, and a mobility part of £30.30 for a standard award or £80.00 for an enhanced award.
• If you get DLA and move from England or Wales to Scotland, tell DWP that you have moved and contact Social Security Scotland to find out what benefit you may be eligible to claim. DWP will write to tell you what will happen to your DLA.
• Northern Ireland: DLA still exists and PIP has replaced it for people between 16 and State Pension age. If you already get DLA you keep it until the Department for Communities writes to tell you when it will end and invites you to apply for PIP. You can only make a fresh DLA claim if you are under 16.
• Northern Ireland: if you are already getting DLA and are over State Pension age with a lifetime award, your DLA will continue if you continue to meet the eligibility criteria, and you will not be reassessed for PIP.
• The Northern Ireland rates are the same: care £30.30, £76.70 and £114.60, mobility £30.30 and £80.00.