what happens at retirement age when on dla

[disabledpensionquestion]

My mum has been disabled since her early 30s after a car accident. She currently has a lifetime award of DLA and is a few months off retirement age. Does she switch to state pension at that time and the dla stop?

Can't seem to find anything online about this other than that you can't start a new DLA/PIP claim after state retirement age. She does have a very small private pension built up from before the accident but she also took time off with kids so it's only a few hundred pounds a year.

Getting Older
Getting older does not stop your PIP award but it can stop you from renewing your claim or making a new claim.
If you are over State Pension agee_ and you want your PIP to continue, make sure you renew your claim when your current award ends.
If you are over State Pension agee and your last award of PIP ended over a year ago, you cannot renew your claim or make a new claim. You may be able to claim Attendance Allowancee instead but this does not include a mobility component.

www.turn2us.org.uk/Benefit-guides/Personal-Independence-Payment/When-does-PIP-stop

thanks for your reply but thats pretty much what I'd already found.

We're trying to work out if the DLA she already has a lifetime award will continue. Anyone have any idea which scenario is the right one

DLA continues no state pension -I would guess not this one

DLA continues also gets state pension

DLA stops gets state pension

All the information I can find only relates to not being able to start a new PIP claim after state pension age but nothing about what happens if you already have a lifetime award of the old benefit DLA.

@disabledpensionquestion

thanks for your reply but thats pretty much what I'd already found.

We're trying to work out if the DLA she already has a lifetime award will continue. Anyone have any idea which scenario is the right one

DLA continues no state pension -I would guess not this one

DLA continues also gets state pension

DLA stops gets state pension

All the information I can find only relates to not being able to start a new PIP claim after state pension age but nothing about what happens if you already have a lifetime award of the old benefit DLA.

DLA is not an income replacement benefit like state pension is. DLA will continue as normal although she could be asked to apply for PIP instead at some point I think even with a lifetime award- I didn't actually think lifetime awards existed any more? So DLA continues and she will be invited to claim state pension. If she currently gets any other benefits like income support or ESA then that will stop at pension age and state pension takes over. Depending on how much her state pension is, she may be eligible for pension credit, especially as she has the DLA in place. If she lives alone and no one claims carers allowance for looking after her then she may be eligible for a severe disability premium on pension credit. Eligibility to pension credit would also be affected by savings , any private pensions etc. I would advise her to contact Age Uk for a benefit check - once she knows state pension amount, they can do a benefit check to see if pension credit can be claimed. I'm assuming your mum is single?

Sorry to summarize - your second scenario is correct. DLA continues and state pension starts to be paid. The pension service should write to her a couple of months before she turns state pension age and tell her how to apply.

My mum gets state pension and DLA

Ok thanks thats really helpful I just couldn't find anything online that made sense of her situation.

I might not have the details correct at the moment. I will need to go through all letters with her when I'm next home as she has a brain injury affecting concentration and memory so sometimes not everything gets relayed.

My Dad claimed PIP before state pension age. He's now 72 and has a 10 year award.