Disability Living Allowance for adults

Disability Living Allowance (DLA) is a tax-free benefit for people with disabilities who need help with mobility or care costs. Personal Independence Payment (PIP) has replaced DLA for people between 16 and State Pension age.

Overview

If you’re already getting Disability Living Allowance (DLA) and are between 16 and State Pension age, you’ll continue to get DLA until the Department for Communities (DfC) writes to tell you when your DLA will end and invites you to apply for PIP.

You will only be eligible to make a fresh claim to DLA if you are under 16.

Disability Living Allowance for children

If you're over State Pension age

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. You will not be reassessed for Personal Independence Payment.

If you’re over State Pension age and haven’t received DLA or Personal Independence Payment in the last year, you may be able to claim Attendance Allowance instead.

Disability Living Allowance rates

The rate you get is made up of two 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 you get depends on how your disability or health condition affects you.

Care

Care part	Weekly rate
Lowest	£29.20
Middle	£73.90
Highest	£110.40

Mobility

Mobility part	Weekly rate
Lower	£29.20
Higher	£77.05

How you’re paid

Disability Living Allowance is usually paid every four weeks.

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

How benefits and pensions are paid

Effect on other benefits and entitlements

If you receive DLA it might increase the amount of other benefits or credits you're entitled to, such as:

Income Support
Employment and Support Allowance
Universal Credit
Pension Credit
Housing Benefit

DLA is normally ignored as income for working out these income-related benefits and credits.

DLA and your carer

If you have someone looking after you, they may be entitled to claim Carer’s Allowance or Carer’s Credit.

SMS messages

When claiming DLA you may receive text messages (SMS) from the Department for Communities (DfC). They will always be clearly marked as DfC and will never ask you to give, or click a link to give, personal information or financial details by message or email.

If you’re concerned or unsure about any text messages (SMS) you receive from about DLA you should contact Disability and Carers Service directly. If you suspect you have received a fraudulent message as a scam, contact Disability and Carers Service immediately.

More information is available at: scamwiseni

Change of circumstances

Changes to your circumstances can affect whether you should get DLA or the amount you get. It is important to contact the Disability and Carers Service.

Disability and Carers Service

Here are some examples of what you need to report:

a change in your personal details such as name, address or doctor
you go into a residential or care home
you go into hospital
the level of help you need or condition changes
your condition worsens and you’re not expected to live more than 12 months
you’re imprisoned or held in detention
you’re immigration status has changed if you’re not a British or Irish Citizen

Going abroad to live or visit

You need to report if you go abroad for a temporary period or to live in another country. If your visit abroad is temporary, you may continue to get your benefit paid if:

your absence from Northern Ireland does not last more than 13 weeks
you are temporarily absent from Northern Ireland for the purpose of receiving medical treatment, payments can continue to be paid for 26 weeks

If you are going to live abroad permanently it may affect any DLA you get.

If you move to a country in the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland and already receive DLA, you may continue to get it under certain circumstances. You should check further information on the Payment of disability benefits in other European countries.

If you use sign language, you might be able to use the video relay service to contact the Disability and Carers Service using British Sign Language (BSL) or Irish Sign Language (ISL). To access the service go to:

Disability and Carers Service

Appeal a decision

If you disagree with a decision, you must usually ask for ‘mandatory reconsideration’ before you appeal.

Appealing against a benefits decision

What to do next

Comments or queries about angling can be emailed to anglingcorrespondence@daera-ni.gov.uk

If you have a comment or query about benefits, you will need to contact the government department or agency which handles that benefit. Contacts for common benefits are listed below.

Employment and Support Allowance

Call 0800 587 1377

Jobseeker’s Allowance

Contact your local Jobs & Benefits office

Personal Independence Payment

Call 0800 587 0932

If your query is about another benefit, select ‘Other’ from the drop-down menu above.

Comments or queries about the Blue Badge scheme can be emailed to bluebadges@infrastructure-ni.gov.uk or you can also call 0300 200 7818.

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