State pensioners have been urged to check eligibility for a Department for Work and Pensions ( DWP ) benefit worth up to £737 a month. If you’re already getting PIP, it will continue when you reach State Pension age, Citizens Advice said.
Most people can’t make a new claim for PIP after they reach State Pension age. You might be able to make a new claim if you had a PIP award that stopped in the last year or if you’re getting Disability Living Allowance (DLA) – or it stopped in the last year.
You can’t claim PIP if you were born before 9 April 1948. If you can’t claim PIP, you might be able to get Attendance Allowance instead. If your condition gets worse while you’re getting PIP after State Pension age, there are extra rules about getting more PIP.
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You might be able to make a new claim for PIP if your last PIP claim ended less than a year ago. You can only claim PIP for a medical condition if either you claimed for the same condition as part of your last PIP claim or it developed out of a condition you claimed for as part of your last PIP claim.
Citizens Advice said: “For example, if your last claim was for diabetes and your diabetes has now made it harder for you to see, you can now claim PIP for your diabetes and your sight loss.” If you claim PIP after State Pension age, the DWP will usually give you an ‘indefinite award’. This means there’s no end date. They will usually review the award every 10 years.
If you’re already getting PIP when you reach State Pension age, the DWP will turn it into an indefinite award. Attendance Allowance offers weekly payments of £72.65 or £108.55, depending on the level of care required.
Citizens Advice said: “It might be worth applying for benefits like Pension Credit – or Universal Credit if you live with a partner under State Pension age. If you get Pension Credit or Universal Credit, you can get extra help with the cost of living – for example Winter Fuel Payments.”