Pension Age Disability Payment

This advice applies to Scotland. See advice for See advice for England, See advice for Northern Ireland, See advice for Wales

What is Pension Age Disability Payment

Pension Age Disability Payment is a benefit for adults of State Pension age or over who live in Scotland. It’s to help with the extra costs of being disabled or having a long-term health condition.

Pension Age Disability Payment is paid by Social Security Scotland. It replaces Attendance Allowance in Scotland.

If you’re terminally ill, there’s a quicker process for applying for Pension Age Disability Payment. Read more about applying for Pension Age Disability Payment if you’re terminally ill.

Important

When can you apply

From 21 October 2024, you can apply for Pension Age Disability Payment if you live in:

  • Aberdeen City

  • Argyll and Bute

  • Highland

  • Orkney

  • Shetland.

If you do not live in one of these local council areas, you can apply from:

  • 24 March 2025 – if you live in Aberdeenshire, Angus, Clackmannanshire, Dundee City, East Ayrshire, Falkirk, Fife, Moray, Na h-Eileanan an Iar (Western Isles), North Ayrshire, Perth and Kinross, South Ayrshire or Stirling

  • 22 April 2025 – if you live in Edinburgh City, Dumfries and Galloway, East Dunbartonshire, East Lothian, East Renfrewshire, Glasgow City, Inverclyde, Midlothian, North Lanarkshire, Renfrewshire, Scottish Borders, South Lanarkshire, West Dunbartonshire or West Lothian.

Or you can apply for Attendance Allowance now. Find out how to apply for Attendance Allowance.

If you already get Attendance Allowance

You’ll keep getting Attendance Allowance until you move to Pension Age Disability Payment. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and Social Security Scotland will tell you when that will happen.

You will not have to re-apply, and the rate and amount of payment you get will be the same.

If your circumstances change while you’re getting Attendance Allowance, you should tell the DWP.

Who can get Pension Age Disability Payment

To get Pension Age Disability Payment, you must be of State Pension age or over and have a long-term health condition or disability that means you need help or supervision - even if you don’t currently get that help.

A long-term health condition or disability includes:

  • a physical disability or health condition

  • a mental health condition

  • learning difficulties

  • a sensory condition – for example, if you’re deaf or blind

  • a condition that affects your brain or memory – for example, dementia

  • difficulties with personal tasks – for example, if they take you a long time, you experience pain or you need physical help

  • a terminal illness.

You might need help or supervision:

  • with your personal care – for example, getting dressed, eating or drinking, getting in and out of bed, bathing or showering and going to the toilet

  • to stay safe

  • during the day or at night, or both.

You must have had care or supervision needs because of your disability or illness for at least 26 weeks before your Pension Age Disability Payment can start – unless you have a terminal illness. But you don’t need to have a formal diagnosis.

If you have not yet had care or supervision needs for at least 26 weeks, you can still apply. If you meet all the other conditions, you’ll get the payment from the date when the 26 weeks have passed.

In most cases, you must also live in Scotland.

If you already get a disability benefit

You cannot get Pension Age Disability Payment at the same time as:

  • Adult Disability Payment

  • Armed Forces Independence Payment

  • Attendance Allowance

  • Disability Living Allowance (DLA)

  • Personal Independence Payment (PIP).

How old must you be

You need to be of State Pension age or over to get Pension Age Disability Payment. You can check what your State Pension age is on GOV.UK.

If you’re under State Pension age, you can apply for Adult Disability Payment.

If you live in a care home

You can apply for Pension Age Disability Payment if you pay all of your own care costs.

If a local council pays for your care, you can apply for Pension Age Disability Payment, but you will only get it if you leave the care home.

If you're in hospital or a hospice

If you're in hospital for medical treatment provided by the NHS, you can apply for Pension Age Disability Payment but you will only get it when you leave hospital.

If you're terminally ill and are in a hospice, you can get Pension Age Disability Payment unless the hospice is an NHS hospital.

How much is Pension Age Disability Payment

There are 2 rates of Pension Age Disability Payment - the higher rate and the lower rate.

The rate you get will depend on:

  • the difficulties you have

  • how much help or supervision you need

  • when you need help or supervision.

If you need help or supervision either during the day or at night, you’ll get the lower rate of £72.65 a week.

If you need help or supervision both during the day and at night, you’ll get the higher rate of £108.55 a week.

You can spend the money however you like. For example, it could help you stay independent in your own home for longer.

If you’re entitled to Constant Attendance Allowance

If you’re entitled to Pension Age Disability Payment and Constant Attendance Allowance at the same time, your Pension Age Disability Payment will be reduced by the amount of Constant Attendance Allowance you get.

Constant Attendance Allowance is extra money to help pay for care if you get Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit or a War Disablement Pension.

Constant Attendance Allowance is not the same as Attendance Allowance.

If you get renal dialysis

If you get renal dialysis at home at least twice a week and you need someone to be with you during this, you’ll get the lower rate of Pension Age Disability Payment.

If you get renal dialysis and have other needs because of a different disability or health condition, you should note this on your application form.

Rules about living in Scotland

To get Pension Age Disability Payment, you must usually be all of the following:

There are different rules for some nationals of EU countries, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.

Get advice if you’re not sure if you can get Pension Age Disability Payment because of where you live.

Habitually resident in the UK, Ireland, the Isle of Man or the Channel Islands

To be habitually resident, you must:

  • have lived in the UK, Ireland, the Isle of Man or the Channel Islands for 'an appreciable period' - this often means at least 1 to 3 months, and

  • plan to stay for a reasonable length of time, though not necessarily forever.

You can only be habitually resident in 1 place at a time.

You do not have to meet the 'habitual residence' test if you:

  • have been granted refugee status or humanitarian protection under the immigration rules

  • are the dependant of a person with refugee status or humanitarian protection

  • arrived in the UK from certain areas, in some specific situations, as a result of conflict.

Check how to prove that you're habitually resident.

Present in the UK, Ireland, the Isle of Man or the Channel Islands

You must be present in the UK, Ireland, the Isle of Man or the Channel Islands when you apply for the payment. These places form the Common Travel Area.

You must also have lived in the Common Travel Area for at least 26 weeks - or periods that add up to 26 weeks - out of the 52 weeks before you apply. This is known as the 'past presence test'.

You do not have to meet the past presence test if you:

  • are terminally ill

  • have been granted refugee status or humanitarian protection under the immigration rules

  • are the dependant of a person with refugee status or humanitarian protection

  • are a member of the UK armed forces or a civil servant who is serving abroad

  • live with - and are the child, stepchild, child in care, parent, spouse or civil partner of - a member of the UK armed forces or a civil servant serving abroad

  • arrived in the UK from certain areas, in some specific situations, as a result of conflict.

Going abroad temporarily

You can still count as present during a temporary absence from the Common Travel Area.

A temporary absence is one that is not expected to last more than 52 weeks.

If you go abroad temporarily, you'll still be eligible for the payment for:

  • the first 13 weeks

  • the first 26 weeks if you're going abroad for medical treatment.

The medical treatment must be:

  • for a health condition you had before you left the Common Travel Area, and

  • provided or supervised by a suitably qualified person.

If you're a national of an EU country, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland

You can apply for the payment if you:

  • are from the EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland, or are the family member of someone who is, and

  • have settled status or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme.

The countries in the EU are listed on GOV.UK.

If you have settled or pre-settled status, you might be in a 'protected' group. This means that the residence and presence rules are different. You:

  • must be habitually resident in the UK

  • do not have to meet the past presence test.

If you're not in a protected group, the normal residence and presence rules apply.

If you do not have pre-settled or settled status, you're usually subject to immigration control and will not be able to apply for the payment.

The rules about residence and presence for nationals of EU countries, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland are complicated. Get advice if you're not sure if you can get the payment because of where you're from.

If you live in an EU country, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland

You might be able to get Pension Age Disability Payment.

The countries in the EU are listed on GOV.UK.

The UK must be the country responsible for paying benefits to you, and you must have a ‘genuine and sufficient’ link to Scotland - for example, you have:

  • spent a significant part of your life in Scotland

  • a bank account in Scotland

  • frequent contact with family members living in Scotland

  • worked or previously paid social security or tax contributions in Scotland.

This means that if you live in the EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland but would otherwise be entitled to Pension Age Disability Payment, you can get it as long as you meet all the other conditions.

The rules about residence and presence for people living in EU countries, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland are complicated. Get advice if you’re not sure if you can get Pension Age Disability Payment because of where you live.

How to apply

You can apply:

  • online - by completing an application form on mygov.scot

  • by post - you can phone Social Security Scotland free on 0800 182 2222, Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm, to ask for a paper form with a pre-paid envelope

  • face to face - an adviser from Social Security Scotland’s local delivery service can help you apply. Phone 0800 182 2222 to make an appointment.

If you’re a British Sign Language (BSL) user, you can use the contactSCOTLAND app to contact Social Security Scotland by video relay.

Completing the application form

If you apply online, you’ll need to create an account on mygov.scot with a user name and password. This is so you can save your application and come back to it later.

There are 2 parts to the Pension Age Disability Payment application form. You start the application by completing part 1. You then have 8 weeks to complete part 2.

You should try to complete part 1 as soon as you can, because Pension Age Disability Payment can be paid from that date.

If you phone Social Security Scotland to ask for a paper form, part 1 will be completed over the phone.

If you’re going to have difficulty completing the application within the 8-week deadline, you should tell Social Security Scotland. If you have a good reason for not meeting the deadline, you might be able to get more time.

You can read more about what you need to apply for Pension Age Disability Payment on mygov.scot.

Supporting information

Supporting information describes how your condition affects you and what support you need. Social Security Scotland uses supporting information to help them make a decision.

You can provide any information you think will be helpful, but supporting information can be copies of documents that you might have already, for example:

  • social care assessments

  • medical reports, letters or certificates

  • prescription lists that show the medication you take

  • test results.

Supporting information can also be a statement from someone who knows you well and how your health problem or disability affects your daily life.

If you don’t have any supporting information, don’t delay returning part 2 of the application. Social Security Scotland might be able to help get supporting information if you ask them to.

Read more about supporting information on mygov.scot.

If you're terminally ill

You can apply for Pension Age Disability Payment straight away. It does not matter how long you’ve been terminally ill for.

If you’re awarded Pension Age Disability Payment, you’ll get the higher rate.

To apply, you need to complete a shorter application form. You also need to provide a special form called a ‘BASRiS form’, completed by your doctor or nurse. You can tell Social Security Scotland to ask your doctor or nurse directly for the BASRiS form.

Once you apply, your application will be fast-tracked and dealt with by specially trained staff. Social Security Scotland will make a decision when they have both your application form and the BASRiS form.

Get advice and help to apply from an adviser at a Citizens Advice Bureau.

Get help to apply

You can get help to apply from:

  • Social Security Scotland’s local delivery service - phone 0800 182 2222 to make an appointment

  • a Citizens Advice Bureau.

Or you can get help to apply for Pension Age Disability Payment on mygov.scot. This includes if you want to apply in a language other than English.

You can also authorise someone to speak to Social Security Scotland on your behalf. This might be helpful if you feel unable to find the information you need or understand things about your application.

You can complete the third-party authorisation section of your Pension Age Disability Payment application form or download a third-party authorisation form on mygov.scot.

Help from the Independent Advocacy Service

You can get help from the Independent Advocacy Service. This service is provided by VoiceAbility.

You can get an advocate by:

VoiceAbility can help you express your views, get information you need and help you make decisions.

How decisions are made

Social Security Scotland will make a decision about your application using:

  • what you’ve said on your application form

  • any supporting information you’ve provided or they’ve obtained on your behalf.

If it’s not possible to decide on your application based on that information, Social Security Scotland might contact you with follow-up questions.

Getting a decision

Once you’ve applied, you’ll get updates on the progress of your application.

A decision will be sent to you by post. A decision is called a determination.

If you’re terminally ill, Social Security Scotland will aim to make a decision within 7 working days.

If you’re not terminally ill, you should get a decision within a few months.

If your application is successful, the money will be paid into your bank, building society or credit union account.

If Social Security Scotland decides that you’re not entitled to Pension Age Disability Payment, they’ll send you a letter explaining why.

If you do not agree with the decision

You can ask Social Security Scotland to look again at the decision about your Pension Age Disability Payment application. This is called asking for a re-determination.

Find out more about challenging a Social Security Scotland decision.

When is Pension Age Disability Payment paid

Pension Age Disability Payment will be paid every 4 weeks in arrears into your bank, building society or credit union account.

If you’re terminally ill, payments will be made every week in advance.

You can choose what to spend the money on. Social Security Scotland will not ask for receipts.

Once you’ve been awarded Pension Age Disability Payment, you’ll continue to get it as long as you still meet the conditions for it.

Reviews

If your needs are highly unlikely to change, you might be given an indefinite award. This means your award will not be reviewed in the future unless you tell Social Security Scotland that something has changed.

Otherwise, your award letter from Social Security Scotland will give a review date. This is to make sure that you continue to get the right amount of Pension Age Disability Payment for your needs.

A review is a chance to discuss any changes that have happened since you applied, or since your last review.

When the review is complete, Social Security Scotland will make a new decision called a determination. They’ll write to let you know the outcome of the review.

Read more about Pension Age Disability Payment reviews on mygov.scot.

How Pension Age Disability Payment affects tax and other benefits

Pension Age Disability Payment is not means tested, so it does not matter how much you earn or how much money you have in savings.

You will not pay tax on Pension Age Disability Payment.

Pension Age Disability Payment does not reduce your means-tested benefits or tax credits, but it might lead to increases in them.

You might be able to get other benefits and help because you get Pension Age Disability Payment.

If your circumstances change

You must tell Social Security Scotland if your circumstances change - for example, if:

  • your condition gets better or worse

  • the level of help and support you need changes

  • you move away from Scotland

  • you go into other accommodation - like a hospital or a care home.

Find out more about how a change of circumstances can affect Pension Age Disability Payment.

Get more help

You can get more advice from a Citizens Advice Bureau.

You can get advice from the Money Talk Team at your local Citizens Advice Bureau. You can call 0800 028 1456 to be directed to your local bureau. You can find more information on the Money Talk Team website.

You can also contact Social Security Scotland.

Read more about Pension Age Disability Payment on mygov.scot.