Pension Age Disability Payment
For more information, visit the Parkinson’s UK website (last updated July 2025).
Pension Age Disability Payment is a benefit for people over State Pension age in Scotland who have an illness or disability and need help with their personal care or safety. It replaced Attendance Allowance in Scotland in 2025.
Pension Age Disability Payment is for you, not for a carer, and you don’t need to have someone supporting or caring for you to qualify.
Pension Age Disability Payment is based on the help you need, not on the help you currently get.
Pension Age Disability Payment is paid at 1 of 2 weekly rates, depending on the amount of help you need. Pension Age Disability Payment is usually paid every 4 weeks directly into a bank, building society or Post Office card account.
The Pension Age Disability Payment claim form is quite long, and can be difficult to fill in because it deals with personal care issues. But it’s worth taking the time to do it, because getting the benefit can increase your weekly income.
What if I’m in England, Wales or Northern Ireland?
Attendance Allowance is the equivalent to Pension Age Disability Payment in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. It has similar rules and eligibility criteria.
Do I qualify for Pension Age Disability Payment?
You’re eligible for Pension Age Disability Payment if:
- you’re State Pension age
- you’ve had care or supervision needs for the last 6 months (the ‘qualifying period’)
- you’ve been living in the UK for 2 of the last 3 years and your immigration status doesn’t prevent you claiming
- you’re ‘habitually resident’ in the UK, and
- you’re terminally ill, or
- you satisfy one of the disability tests
Pension Age Disability Payment is not means-tested. So any income or savings you have don’t affect whether you’re awarded it or how much you get.
What are the disability tests?
To get Pension Age Disability Payment, you must have a severe physical or mental disability (or both) that means you reasonably need (but you don’t necessarily receive) the following help:
- care from another person several times throughout the day to help with your ‘bodily functions’. This can include help getting in and out of bed, getting dressed and undressed, washing and other personal hygiene needs, going to the toilet, taking medication, eating, cutting up food, drinking and communicating with other people, or
- continual supervision (being checked on or watched regularly, but not non-stop) throughout the day to make sure you’re safe and/or not a danger to yourself or others, or
- care from another person at least twice each night, or for 20 minutes or more, to help you with your ‘bodily functions’ (as described above), or
- another person to be awake and watch over you to make sure that you’re safe or not a danger to others, at least 3 times each night, or for 20 minutes or more each night.
How do I claim Pension Age Disability Payment?
You can make a claim online through Social Security Scotland’s myaccount system at the link below.
Apply for Pension Age Disability Payment
If you struggle to fill in the form, Social Security Scotland can help either on the phone, face to face or via webchat.
How long is Pension Age Disability Payment awarded for?
Pension Age Disability Payment may be awarded to you for an indefinite period (where there’s no set end date) or for a fixed period of time.
If it’s for a fixed period, you’ll normally be sent a renewal claim form 4 months before your existing claim runs out.
Does Pension Age Disability Payment affect other benefits?
Receiving Pension Age Disability Payment can increase the amount of any means-tested benefits (such as Pension Credit) you get. Pension Age Disability Payment can be paid in addition to any other social security benefits. It’s not taxable, and not based on National Insurance contributions.
However, your local authority might take Pension Age Disability Payment into account when considering if you need to contribute to the cost of any care and support services you receive from them.
Can I claim Pension Age Disability Payment alongside ADP or Scottish Adult Disability Allowance?
No. You can’t receive more than 1 of these benefits at any 1 time.
If you already get Adult Disability Payment (ADP, the new benefit replacing Personal Independence Payment in Scotland) you’ll continue to get this benefit and you won’t be able to claim Pension Age Disability Payment.
The same goes for Scottish Adult Disability Allowance (the new benefit replacing Disability Living Allowance in Scotland).
What if I go into hospital or a care home?
Your payment will stop after you’ve been in hospital for a total of 4 weeks (either in 1 stay, or several stays, where the gaps between stays are no more than 4 weeks each time).
You can’t usually get Pension Age Disability Payment if you live in a care home and your care is paid for by your local authority. You can still claim Pension Age Disability Payment if you pay for all your care home costs yourself.
What if I’m refused Pension Age Disability Payment?
If you feel that you’ve been wrongly refused Pension Age Disability Payment, you can ask Social Security Scotland for a ‘mandatory redetermination’ of its decision.
You have 42 days from the date of the decision to do this. You can ask for a mandatory redetermination over the phone, but it’s best to confirm in writing. Your decision letter will have contact details to make the request.
It can help if you get a letter from your GP, specialist or Parkinson’s nurse, pointing out what your care needs are. The letter may simply state that they have read the diary you’ve kept of your care needs and they agree that those needs are a result of your condition.
What if there’s a change in my condition?
If you get the lower rate of Pension Age Disability Payment and your condition progresses, you can ask Social Security Scotland to look at your claim again and consider the higher rate.
They may do this if you need help to keep yourself safe, you need to be looked after both during the day and the night, or if you develop a terminal illness.
Before putting in your request, try to get some advice and information about the process. If Social Security Scotland receives information that your care needs have decreased, your benefit may be withdrawn.
Before asking for a review, you should consider how your needs have increased on a daily basis.
It can be helpful to get medical support before you ask for a review. A letter from your GP, specialist or Parkinson’s nurse stating your current care needs will help. The letter may simply say that they’ve read the diary of your care needs and agree your condition would create the needs you’ve mentioned.
When you ask for a review, you need to contact Social Security Scotland. Find out more at the link below.