Guidance

Disability Living Allowance and Personal Independence Payment: the main differences

Published 18 April 2016

Disability Living Allowance

Disability Living Allowance (DLA) is a tax-free benefit for disabled people who need help with mobility or care costs. DLA is ending for people who were born after 8 April 1948 and are 16 or over. You can now only make a new claim for DLA if you’re under 16.

Personal Independence Payment

Personal Independence Payment or PIP was introduced in April 2013. PIP helps with some of the extra costs caused by long-term ill health or a disability.

What hasn’t changed?

Both DLA and PIP:

• are non-means-tested, non-taxable cash benefits
• are benefits you can claim if you’re in or out of work, do voluntary work or are in education or training
• are linked to getting other benefits and support – such as Carer’s Allowance and the Blue Badge scheme
• have special rules if you’re terminally ill

What has changed?

• PIP is for people aged 16 to 64. You can only make a new claim for DLA if you’re under 16
• PIP isn’t about diagnosing your disability or health condition. PIP is based on how your condition affects you, not on the condition you have
• if you make a claim for PIP, you’ll need to be assessed by a health professional. This will usually happen face-to-face
• PIP is assessed on different criteria to DLA – it has a score-based system that relates to the help you need, with a list of daily living and mobility activities
• PIP treats all conditions equally and takes into account mental, intellectual, cognitive and sensory impairments
• the care component of DLA has three rates of payment and the daily living activity in PIP has two
• most PIP awards will be fixed term with a review point built in. That review mechanism will apply even if your condition is permanent, but will not apply if you’re terminally ill

DLA for children

Where a child under 16 receives DLA, they will be invited to claim PIP when they are approaching, or have just turned 16. No action needs to be taken until the invitation to claim PIP is received.

DLA is ending for people who were born after 8 April 1948 and are aged 16 or over

This will happen even if you have an indefinite or long-term award.

You’ll continue to get DLA until the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) writes to tell you about when it will end. The letter will invite you to apply for a new benefit called Personal Independence Payment (PIP) and tell you what to do next.

Once you get your letter you’ll have 28 days from the date on the letter to decide whether you want to make a claim for PIP.

As you won’t be able to choose to keep DLA, it’s worth finding out about PIP. Other benefits or services you or your carer get, such as Motability or Carer’s Allowance, may also end or change. You don’t need to contact us until we write to you unless you need to tell us about a change in how your condition or disability affects you.

You will not be affected by this change and will continue to receive DLA if:

• you were born on or before 8 April 1948
• you are under the age of 16

What is PIP?

PIP is intended to help with some of the extra costs caused by long-term health conditions and disabilities.

PIP is made up of 2 components (parts):

• daily living – for help participating in everyday life
• mobility – for help with getting around

Find out more information about PIP.