DWP benefit worth £441 a month scrapped for thousands in major shake up – all you need to know

A major Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) benefit paying up to £441 a month is being scrapped in Scotland as part of a significant benefit shake-up.Attendance Allowance, which supports people over state pension age with disabilities or medical conditions, is being phased out, affecting thousands of claimants.Attendance Allowance is being replaced by the Pension Age Disability Payment. Social Security Scotland announced this week that the new benefit is now open for applications nationwide, following successful pilot schemes in 18 local authority areas that began last October.This marks the 15th benefit to be delivered by the Scottish Government as it takes over administration of certain benefits from the DWP.The Pension Age Disability Payment is designed for disabled people or those with long-term health conditions who need help looking after themselves or supervision to stay safe. It is available to people of State Pension age and those who are terminally ill.The benefit is not means-tested and provides between £295.60 and £441.60 per month depending on specific needs.There are two payment rates: the lower rate of £73.80 weekly for those needing help during the day or night, and the higher rate of £110.40 weekly for those requiring more extensive support. People with terminal conditions automatically qualify for the higher rate.Current Attendance Allowance recipients do not need to take any action as the transfer to the new system will happen automatically in phases throughout 2025.Social Security Scotland has confirmed that everyone will continue to receive their payments "on time and in the right amount" with no break in service.The Scottish benefits department has already begun transferring the awards of 169,000 existing claimants to the new benefit. Social Security Scotland will write to people to inform them when their transfer is happening and when it is complete. Until then, recipients should continue to report any change in circumstances to the DWP.Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said: "The national launch of Pension Age Disability Payment is an important milestone in the development of our social security system, that will treat everyone with dignity, fairness and respect."The pilot phases have allowed us to put our different approach into practice, learning and improving before rolling the benefit out across Scotland."It is vital older people who are disabled, terminally ill or those who have care needs get the money they need to help them look after themselves, stay safe and live with dignity."The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring everyone gets the financial support they're entitled to."Chief Executive at Age Scotland, Katherine Crawford said: "Pension Age Disability Payment will be a vital means of support for older people who have a disability or long-term health condition."With rising bills and cost of living stretching many beyond their means, it's vital that older people are not missing out on any financial support."If you are unsure of your eligibility or looking for support with an application, please don't hesitate to get in touch with the Age Scotland helpline on 0800 12 44 222, use our online benefits calculator at www.age.scot/benefitscalculator, or book a place on one of our new workshops."The Pension Age Disability Payment initially launched in October 2024 across five pilot areas including Aberdeen City, Argyll and Bute, Highland, Orkney and Shetland. It was then extended to 13 more areas in March 2025, before finally becoming available throughout Scotland from 22 April 2025.The benefit includes improvements based on feedback from potential recipients, such as a streamlined process for nominating third-party representatives.Social Security Scotland offers face-to-face support for applicants through advisers based in communities across the country.Help is also available from the independent advocacy service VoiceAbility, which is funded by the Scottish Government to assist disabled people with benefit applications.Lynda O'Neill, Project Manager at The Daffodil Club in Easterhouse, said: "I know from working with older people with disabilities how costly it can be. "I've helped people to apply for support and would encourage anyone who thinks they could be eligible or knows someone who could be eligible to apply."More information about Pension Age Disability Payment, including eligibility criteria and application details, can be found on the Scottish Government website at www.mygov.scot/pensiondisability.