Can You Get Attendance Allowance and DLA? What the Rules Say in 2026

Rules and figures checked against GOV.UK in October 2026: DLA for adults and Attendance Allowance eligibility. This guide covers England and Wales.

Attendance Allowance vs DLA: What Is the Difference?

DLA is a benefit for disabled people that is being replaced by other benefits. It has two parts: a care component for help with personal care or supervision, and a mobility component for help with getting around. Attendance Allowance is the benefit for people who have reached State Pension age and need help with personal care or supervision. It has no mobility part.

Source: GOV.UK, benefit and pension rates 2026 to 2027. The middle and highest DLA care rates match the two Attendance Allowance rates. For the full breakdown, see our 2026/27 Attendance Allowance rates guide.

Can You Still Claim DLA Over 65 or at State Pension Age?

No. GOV.UK is clear that you can only apply for DLA if you are under 16 and live in England or Wales. If you are over 16, you cannot apply for it. For adults, the options are:

• Personal Independence Payment (PIP) if you live in England or Wales and have not reached State Pension age
• Attendance Allowance if you have reached State Pension age and do not get DLA

Note that Attendance Allowance starts at State Pension age, which is currently 66 and rising to 67 between 2026 and 2028, not at 65. If you have already reached it and have never had DLA, Attendance Allowance is the claim to make. Our guide on Attendance Allowance vs PIP explains how the two benefits split by age.

What If You Already Get DLA?

Existing DLA claims are being wound down, and GOV.UK sets out two groups.

Born on or before 8 April 1948

You will continue to get DLA for as long as you are eligible for it. You are not being moved to another benefit, and you cannot add Attendance Allowance on top.

Born after 8 April 1948

Your DLA will end. The DWP will send you a letter telling you when, and you will carry on getting DLA until that date. Unless your circumstances change, GOV.UK says you do not need to do anything until the letter arrives. The letter invites you to apply for PIP, and if you do apply you need to do it within 28 days. DLA continues to be paid until at least 28 days after a decision on your PIP application.

Changes you must report if you get DLA

GOV.UK says you must contact the Disability Service Centre if, for example:

• the level of help you need, or your condition changes
• you go into hospital or a care home for more than 2 days
• a medical professional says you are nearing the end of life
• you plan to go abroad for more than 4 weeks

You may be asked to claim PIP after you report a change. Reporting a change late can mean repaying money, so tell them as soon as it happens.

When Is Attendance Allowance the Right Claim?

If you do not get DLA, PIP or a similar benefit, GOV.UK says you can get Attendance Allowance if you have reached State Pension age and all of the following apply:

• You have a physical or mental disability, or a health condition
• It is severe enough that you have difficulty or need help caring for yourself, or someone to supervise you for your own or someone else’s safety
• You have needed that help for at least 6 months. There are different rules if you are nearing the end of life
• You are in Great Britain when you claim, and have been there for at least 2 of the last 3 years, with some exceptions

You do not have to have someone caring for you to claim. You cannot usually get Attendance Allowance if you live in a care home and your local authority pays for your care, but you can if you pay all the costs yourself. Our guide on who can claim Attendance Allowance goes through the rules, and our list of conditions that may qualify shows how needs, not diagnoses, decide the outcome. For a quick checklist of the barriers, see what stops you from getting Attendance Allowance.

The Mobility Gap: What DLA Pays That Attendance Allowance Does Not

This is the part people most often miss. DLA can include a mobility component of £30.30 or £80.00 a week. Attendance Allowance has nothing equivalent. GOV.UK states plainly that it does not cover mobility needs.

So if you currently get DLA with a mobility component, do not assume Attendance Allowance would replace it. The two benefits are not a like-for-like swap, and you cannot keep both. The same gap affects people moving from PIP, which we cover in what happens to PIP at pension age.

If Your DLA Has Ended, Do Not Leave a Gap

Attendance Allowance is not paid from the day another benefit stops. It is paid from your claim start date, and that date depends on how you apply:

• Online: the date you make the claim
• Printed form posted: the date the DWP scanned onto theri system.
• Form requested by phone: the date of your call, if you return the form within 6 weeks

Every week of delay can cost you up to £114.60 at the higher rate, and a missed week cannot be made up later. If your DLA has ended and you are at State Pension age, check straight away whether Attendance Allowance applies. Our guide to applying for Attendance Allowance explains why the form is harder than it looks.

How DLA and Attendance Allowance Work With Other Benefits

For several other benefits, the middle and highest DLA care rates and Attendance Allowance are treated the same way:

• Carer’s Allowance. A carer can claim if the person they care for gets Attendance Allowance, or the middle or highest rate of the DLA care component. See Carer’s Allowance and Attendance Allowance
• Pension Credit. You could get an extra £86.05 a week for severe disability if you get Attendance Allowance, or the middle or highest rate of the DLA care component. See Attendance Allowance and Pension Credit

Over State Pension Age and Not Getting DLA?

If you have reached State Pension age, do not get DLA or PIP, and you need help with personal care or supervision, you may be missing out on Attendance Allowance. At Attendance Allowance Services:

• The eligibility check is free. You speak to a registered Occupational Therapist, with no obligation
• We complete the application for you. Your Occupational Therapist completes and endorses it, and we post it by 1st Class Royal Mail within 4 days for your approval, signature and submission to the DWP
• No fee unless it is successful. Any fee is collected after you receive the backdated payment
• Family members and carers are welcome. We are happy to talk to anyone supporting an applicant

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you get Attendance Allowance and DLA at the same time?

No. GOV.UK says you must not be getting Disability Living Allowance, Personal Independence Payment, Adult Disability Payment, Scottish Adult Disability Living Allowance or Armed Forces Independence Payment to be eligible for Attendance Allowance. You get one or the other.

Can you claim DLA over 65?

No. GOV.UK says you can only apply for DLA if you are under 16 and live in England or Wales. If you are over 16 you cannot apply. If you have reached State Pension age and do not get DLA, you can apply for Attendance Allowance instead.

What happens to my DLA when I reach State Pension age?

GOV.UK does not say that DLA stops when you reach State Pension age. It says what happens depends on your date of birth. If you were born on or before 8 April 1948, you continue to get DLA for as long as you are eligible. If you were born after that date, your DLA will end and the DWP will write to tell you when.

Is DLA worth more than Attendance Allowance?

It can be, because DLA can include a mobility component. The middle and highest DLA care rates, £76.70 and £114.60 a week, match the two Attendance Allowance rates in 2026/27. DLA also has a lowest care rate of £30.30 and a mobility component of £30.30 or £80.00. Attendance Allowance has no mobility part.

Can I switch from DLA to Attendance Allowance?

Not while you still get DLA, because you cannot get both. If your DLA has ended and you have reached State Pension age, you may be able to claim Attendance Allowance if you meet the rules. It starts from your claim date, not from the day your DLA stopped, so do not delay.

Does DLA count for Carer’s Allowance?

Yes, if it is the middle or highest rate of the care component. GOV.UK says the person you care for must already get a qualifying benefit, and both Attendance Allowance and the middle or highest DLA care rate are on the list. You must also spend at least 35 hours a week caring for them.

Does DLA count for the Pension Credit severe disability amount?

Yes, if it is the middle or highest rate of the care component. GOV.UK says you could get an extra £86.05 a week in Pension Credit if you get Attendance Allowance or the middle or highest rate of the DLA care component.

Are the rules the same in Scotland?

No. This guide covers England and Wales. GOV.UK says that in Scotland all existing DLA claims have been moved to Scottish Adult Disability Living Allowance, which has its own rules.

Can Attendance Allowance Services help if I get DLA?

We help people who have reached State Pension age, and do not get DLA or PIP to apply for Attendance Allowance. If you already get DLA you cannot claim Attendance Allowance at the same time. If you are not sure which benefit applies to you, call us for a free, no-obligation chat with a registered Occupational Therapist.