Moving from Attendance Allowance to Pension Age Disability Payment

A new Scottish benefit called Pension Age Disability Payment is replacing Attendance Allowance in Scotland. This is happening as part of the Scottish devolution. 

From the end of February 2025, Attendance Allowance awards will start automatically moving to Pension Age Disability Payment.

Your award will move to Pension Age Disability Payment if you: 

• already get Attendance Allowance from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP)
• live in Scotland 

You do not need to do anything to start the move to Pension Age Disability Payment. 

When your Attendance Allowance will move

The move will happen in stages. It will not happen to everyone at the same time.

It will take until the end of 2025 to move everyone's benefit across.

How long your move will take

When your benefit starts moving, it will take 8 to 12 weeks to complete the move to Pension Age Disability Payment.

If your Attendance Allowance is due to be renewed

If your Attendance Allowance award is due to be renewed before your benefit starts moving, DWP will contact you.

DWP will manage your benefit and payments until the move to Pension Age Disability Payment is complete.

Keep contacting DWP about your renewal until your benefit has moved to Social Security Scotland.

If you live outside the UK

Your Attendance Allowance will not automatically move to Pension Age Disability Payment if you live outside the UK.

You can contact DWP and ask them to move your benefit to Pension Age Disability Payment if both of the following apply to you:

• you live in the EU, Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein, Switzerland or Gibraltar
• you have a ‘genuine and sufficient link’ to Scotland

A genuine and sufficient link is where you do not live in Scotland but have a link to Scotland. For example, you have spent a significant part of your life in Scotland.

Find out more if you’re currently living in the EU, Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein, Switzerland or Gibraltar.