What Illnesses Qualify For Disability Living Allowance?

Disability Living Allowance is a tax-free benefit for disabled people in the UK. This benefit is slowly being replaced by Personal Independence Payment (PIP). The amount you receive depends on how much help you require.

Here, we’ve looked at which conditions and illnesses qualify for Disability Living Allowance, along with which qualify for Personal Independence Payment, Adult Disability Payment and Attendance Allowance (all of which are replacing Disability Living Allowance).

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In this article:

1. What illnesses qualify for Disability Living Allowance (DLA)?
2. Who can claim Disability Living Allowance
3. Rates
4. What illnesses qualify for Personal Independence Payment?
5. What illnesses qualify for Adult Disability Payment?
6. If you’re above the State Pension age

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What Illnesses Qualify For Disability Living Allowance (DLA) - A Complete Breakdown

To continue claiming Disability Living Allowance (DLA), you’ll need to qualify for at least one of the two components - the ‘Care Component’ and the ‘Mobility Component’.

People who qualify for the Care Component need assistance with things like getting dressed, preparing and cooking meals, using the toilet and other personal hygiene tasks.

People who qualify for the Mobility Component will be unable to walk or find walking difficult. Some people qualify because they’re unable to walk outdoors or on an unfamiliar route with assistance.

Department for Work and Pensions data shows that well over 3,200,000 in the UK have received or currently receive DLA, with arthritis, learning difficulties and mobility-related issues being some of the most common reasons for claiming.

The table below shows the different illnesses, conditions and disabilities that people have which allow them to qualify for DLA, according to the Department for Work and Pensions.

This table includes the number of people who have claimed DLA for each of these illnesses at the different rates and components.

Source: Department For Work and Pensions

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Who Can Claim Disability Living Allowance

You must have had care and/or mobility needs as a result of an illness, medical condition or disability for at least three months before you're able to claim Disability Living Allowance. You must also expect to continue having these needs for at least six months after making a claim.

People who claim Disability Living Allowance often require care at home or in a care home. If you pay for your own care, you can continue receiving Disability Living Allowance in a care home. If the local authority pays for your care, you can continue receiving the mobility component indefinitely, but the care component will stop 28 days after you enter the home.

Disability Living Allowance (DLA) is gradually being replaced by other benefits, such as:

• Personal Independence Payment (PIP) for people under the State Pension age in England and Wales
• Adult Disability Payment for people under the State Pension age in Scotland
• Attendance Allowance for people over the State Pension age who don’t get Disability Living Allowance

If you were born on or before 8th April 1948, you’ll continue receiving DLA for as long as you remain eligible.

If you were born after 8th April 1948, your DLA benefit will end at some point. You’ll receive a letter letting you know when this will happen, and you don’t need to do anything before this point.

Disability Living Allowance Rates 2024/2025

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What Illnesses Qualify For Personal Independence Payment (PIP)?

Almost three million people across the UK are entitled to Personal Independence Payment (PIP) benefits - and this can be almost £800 a month.

There are 21 types of health conditions which will make you eligible for PIP payments, under which 547 total conditions fall. Provided you’ve had difficulty with daily living or mobility for at least three months, you may qualify for this benefit. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) will also expect your condition to continue for at least 12 months from when it began.

Here’s the list of medical conditions that are eligible for PIP in the UK.

To qualify, you must also be aged 16 or over (but under the State Pension age) and be living in England, Wales or Scotland.

The table below gives an overview of the illnesses, conditions and disorders that most people claim PIP for, along with the number of people claiming in the UK (as of October 2022):

The five most commonly recorded disabling conditions are:

• Psychiatric disorders - 37% of claims
• Musculoskeletal disease (general) - 20% of claims
• Neurological disease - 13% of claims
• Musculoskeletal disease (regional) - 12% of claims
• Respiratory disease - 4% of claims

What you’ll get

Through Personal Independence Payment (PIP), you may be eligible to receive the following amounts for 2024/2025, depending on which rate and part you qualify for:

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What Illnesses Qualify For Adult Disability Payment?

To qualify for Adult Disability Payment, you must have a long-term physical or mental health condition, an illness, a disability, or be terminally ill. A long-term condition is one that’s lasted 13 weeks or more, and is expected to last at least another 39 weeks.

There are no specific illnesses, conditions or disabilities that qualify for Adult Disability Payment. Instead, it depends on what you require help with.

Adult Disability Payment is made up of two components, both of which are paid at different rates. You could be eligible for one or both of these, depending on your needs.

Daily Living component

You may qualify for the Daily Living component if you need assistance with:

• Preparing food
• Eating and drinking
• Personal hygiene tasks such as washing and using the toilet
• Getting dressed and undressed
• Managing a health condition or illness
• Verbal communication and socialisation
• Reading
• Budgeting

Mobility component

You may qualify for the Mobility component if you need help getting from one place to another, or with planning and carrying out a specific route.

What you’ll get

If you live in Scotland, are over 16 but haven’t reached the State Pension age, you can apply for Adult Disability Payment.

Through this benefit, you may be eligible to receive the following amounts in 2024/2025, depending on what you qualify for:

Data from Social Security Scotland shows that by the end of October 2022, only around 3,500 people across Scotland were receiving Adult Disability Payment. By October 2022, around £6.6 million had been paid to disabled adults through this benefit.

55 to 64-year-olds represented the most common age group to apply, making up around 25% of total applicants.

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If You’re Above the State Pension Age (Attendance Allowance)

If you’re above the State Pension age, you’ll instead be eligible for Attendance Allowance. The vast majority of illnesses, conditions and disabilities qualify for Attendance Allowance, with some of the most common including dementia and sight impairments. However, mobility needs aren’t covered by Attendance Allowance.

In total, there are 54 different categories of medical conditions covered, and you can view the full list in our article dedicated to which medical conditions qualify for Attendance Allowance.

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