Two of the main disability benefits, Personal Independence Payment and Attendance Allowance, do a similar job of helping with the extra costs of a health condition, but which one you can claim depends largely on your age. Getting this right matters, because claiming the wrong one wastes time. This guide explains the difference between Attendance Allowance and PIP, which applies at your age, and what happens at the boundaries.

The simple age rule

The basic rule is about your age when you first claim. If you are aged 16 or over but under State Pension age, you claim Personal Independence Payment. If you are over State Pension age, you claim Attendance Allowance instead. Children under 16 claim Disability Living Allowance. So your date of birth, and when you first need to claim, usually decides which benefit is open to you.

What PIP offers

PIP is for working-age people and has two parts: a daily living component for help with everyday tasks, and a mobility component for getting around. It is assessed using a points system, and the mobility component can give access to the Motability Scheme and an automatic Blue Badge at the enhanced rate. The maximum PIP award, combining both components at the enhanced rate, is higher than the most you can get from Attendance Allowance.

What Attendance Allowance offers

Attendance Allowance is for people over State Pension age and focuses only on help with personal care and supervision. It does not have a mobility component, so it does not help specifically with getting around and does not give access to Motability. It is not assessed using a points system; instead it looks at the help you reasonably need. For 2026/27 it is paid at £76.70 or £114.60 a week.

The key differences at a glance

The main differences are these:

  • Age: PIP for working age, Attendance Allowance for State Pension age and over.
  • Components: PIP has daily living and mobility; Attendance Allowance has care and supervision only, with no mobility part.
  • Assessment: PIP uses points and descriptors; Attendance Allowance looks at the help you need without a points system.
  • Extras: PIP enhanced mobility unlocks Motability; Attendance Allowance does not.

Both are tax-free, neither is means-tested, and both can boost Pension Credit and help a carer claim a carer's benefit.

What if you already get PIP at pension age?

If you are already receiving PIP when you reach State Pension age, you do not lose it or have to switch to Attendance Allowance. Your PIP continues, including the mobility component, and is reviewed in the usual way. This is an important point, because the mobility help and Motability access that come with PIP are not available through Attendance Allowance, so keeping an existing PIP award can be valuable.

Reaching State Pension age without a claim

If you have never claimed and you reach State Pension age, you can no longer make a new PIP claim, so Attendance Allowance becomes the route. This means that if you are approaching State Pension age and think you might qualify for PIP, including its mobility component, it can be worth claiming before you reach pension age, so that you can secure the mobility help that Attendance Allowance does not offer.

Which gives more money?

Because Attendance Allowance has no mobility component, the most you can receive from it is £114.60 a week, while PIP can be worth up to £194.60 a week when both components are paid at the enhanced rate. However, the comparison is not always straightforward, as it depends on your needs. The practical point is that age usually decides which benefit you can claim, rather than which would pay more.

If you live in Scotland

In Scotland, these benefits have devolved equivalents. Working-age people claim Adult Disability Payment instead of PIP, and people over State Pension age claim Pension Age Disability Payment instead of Attendance Allowance, both delivered by Social Security Scotland. The age rules are similar, and the rates match, but the application process is run separately and tends to be more supportive.

You do not switch automatically at pension age

A common worry is that reaching State Pension age will mean losing a disability benefit or being forced to reapply. It does not. If you are on PIP, it simply continues, and you are not moved onto Attendance Allowance. The age rule only decides which benefit is open to a brand new claim, so existing awards carry on under their own rules, which is reassuring for anyone approaching pension age while already receiving support.

What about DLA at pension age?

Some older people still receive Disability Living Allowance from before PIP existed. If you reach State Pension age while on DLA, you generally keep it rather than moving to Attendance Allowance, though the rules here can be complex. If you are an older DLA claimant and are unsure of your position, it is worth getting advice, as a review or change could affect which benefit you end up on.

Both sit alongside other benefits

Whichever of these benefits you receive, it is paid on top of your other income and is not counted as income for most means-tested benefits. Both PIP and Attendance Allowance can increase your Pension Credit or other support rather than reducing it, and neither is affected by your savings. This is why claiming the right one is so worthwhile: it is extra money that can also unlock further help.

Timing a claim near pension age

If you are within a few months of State Pension age and think you might qualify for PIP, including the mobility component and Motability, it is worth considering claiming before your birthday, because once you pass State Pension age that route closes and only Attendance Allowance remains. Getting advice on the timing can make a real difference to the help you can secure.

Claiming the right one first time

Because the two benefits are assessed so differently, it is worth making sure you apply for the right one from the start rather than claiming the wrong benefit and having to begin again. If you are not certain which applies to you, a quick check with an adviser before you start will confirm it. Getting it right first time avoids delay and means your award, and any backdating, starts as early as possible.

Neither stops you working or saving

Because neither PIP nor Attendance Allowance is means-tested, you can have savings, a private pension or other income and still receive them in full, and PIP does not stop if you work. They are designed to help with the extra costs of a disability whatever your financial situation, which is why it is always worth claiming the one that applies to you rather than assuming your income rules you out.

In short

Your age when you first claim decides the benefit: PIP under State Pension age, Attendance Allowance over it, and DLA for children. If you already have PIP, you keep it past pension age, so claiming before your birthday can secure mobility help that Attendance Allowance does not offer.

Where to get help

If you are unsure which benefit applies to you, or you are approaching State Pension age and weighing up whether to claim PIP first, free advice is available from Citizens Advice, Age UK and welfare rights services. They can check your position and help you claim the right benefit. See our guides to PIP and Attendance Allowance for the detail of each.