PIP vs DLA for children: the age 16 transition
Working-age disability benefit vs the children's disability benefit
The short answer
Which one applies depends on age. Under 16 in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland: DLA (children). 16 and over: PIP. DWP writes 3-4 months before the child's 16th birthday inviting them to claim PIP. The PIP claim is independent — previous DLA award does not automatically transfer the rate or descriptors.
DLA for children covers disabled children from 3 months to 16 years old, with care and mobility components. At 16, DLA stops and PIP takes over — with a different activity-based scoring system, a longer and more adversarial form, and different component amounts. The transition is a common point of award loss because families apply for PIP using the DLA mindset.
- England
- Wales
- Northern Ireland
Personal Independence Payment
Administered by DWP. Applies in England, Wales, Northern Ireland.
Non-means-tested DWP benefit for working-age adults in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland with a long-term health condition or disability affecting daily living or mobility.
- England
- Wales
- Northern Ireland
Disability Living Allowance (children)
Administered by DWP. Applies in England, Wales, Northern Ireland.
DWP benefit for children under 16 in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland who need extra looking after or have mobility difficulties because of a disability.
Rates side-by-side
| Rate | Amount | Period |
|---|---|---|
| Daily living part — higher weekly rate | £114.60 | WEEKLY |
| Daily living part — lower weekly rate | £76.70 | WEEKLY |
| Mobility part — higher weekly rate | £80 | WEEKLY |
| Mobility part — lower weekly rate | £30.30 | WEEKLY |
| Rate | Amount | Period |
|---|---|---|
| Care component — highest rate | £114.60 | WEEKLY |
| Care component — lowest rate | £30.30 | WEEKLY |
| Care component — middle rate | £76.70 | WEEKLY |
| Mobility component — higher rate | £80 | WEEKLY |
| Mobility component — lower rate | £30.30 | WEEKLY |
Eligibility side-by-side
- DISABILITYYou must have a long-term physical or mental health condition or disability. [GOV.UK]
- OTHERThe difficulties must be expected to last for at least 12 months from when they started. [GOV.UK]
- AGEYou usually need to be under State Pension age to make a new PIP claim. If you're over State Pension age you cannot usually make a new claim for PIP, unless you got PIP or Adult Disability Payment (ADP) in the last 12 months. [GOV.UK]
- INCOMEPIP is not affected by your income or savings; you can get PIP if you're working or have savings. [GOV.UK]
- OTHERYou can get PIP at the same time as all other benefits, except Armed Forces Independence Payment. [GOV.UK]
- OTHERIf you get Constant Attendance Allowance you'll get less of the daily living part of PIP. [GOV.UK]
- + 12 more rules on the detail page.
- AGEChild must be under 16. At 16 the claimant moves onto Personal Independence Payment. [GOV.UK]
- DISABILITYChild must need extra looking after, or have walking difficulties, because of a disability. [GOV.UK]
- DISABILITYNeeds must be significantly greater than other children the same age without a disability. [GOV.UK]
- OTHERDifficulties must have lasted at least 3 months and be expected to last at least 6 more months (6+6 test), except for children with a terminal illness. [GOV.UK]
- RESIDENCEChild must normally live in England or Wales when the claim is made (DLA-children has been replaced by Child Disability Payment in Scotland). [GOV.UK]
- RESIDENCEPast-presence test: under 6 months — lived in GB at least 13 weeks; 6 months to 3 years — 26 of the last 156 weeks; over 3 — 6 of the last 12 months. [GOV.UK]
- + 1 more rule on the detail page.
Which one applies to you?
These benefits are paired: each person qualifies for one of the two depending on where they live. Run the triage tool for a nation-aware answer.