The Short Answer
Age decides which benefit applies, and the components are the difference that matters. PIP covers people aged 16 to State Pension age and has both a daily living and a mobility component. Attendance Allowance covers people over State Pension age and has no mobility component at all. An existing PIP award continues past State Pension age, so the comparison only bites on a new claim.
Side by Side
The table below sets out the position, with each figure taken from the source named beneath it.
| PIP | Attendance Allowance | |
|---|---|---|
| Age for a new claim | 16 to State Pension age | Over State Pension age |
| Daily living component | Yes — £76.70 or £114.60 a week | Equivalent care rates, set separately |
| Mobility component | Yes — £30.30 or £80.00 a week | None |
| Means-tested | No | No |
| Assessment | Twelve activities, points, descriptors | Care needs, day and night |
Last checked: 6 August 2026
The mobility row is the practical difference. It also removes the entitlements that follow a mobility award: the Motability Scheme, vehicle tax relief and the automatic Blue Badge route.
Where the Boundary Falls
At State Pension age, and only for new claims. GOV.UK states that you "usually need to be under State Pension age to make a new PIP claim", and that above it "you cannot usually make a new claim for PIP. You can apply for Attendance Allowance instead".
An award already in payment is unaffected. Reaching State Pension age does not end PIP, does not convert it, and does not trigger a review.
Last checked: 7 August 2026
The Twelve-Month Exception
A new PIP claim above State Pension age is possible where PIP was recent. GOV.UK states: "You can make a new claim for PIP if you got PIP or Adult Disability Payment (ADP) in the last 12 months."
That matters because of the mobility component. Where an award lapsed shortly before State Pension age, the PIP route may still be open and is worth checking before defaulting to Attendance Allowance.
Which Is Better
PIP, where it is available, because of the mobility component. For daily living needs alone the two are comparable; for anyone with a mobility limitation, PIP carries entitlements Attendance Allowance cannot.
The enhanced mobility rate is also the qualifying award for the Motability Scheme, which asks for a qualifying mobility allowance with at least 12 months left to run. Attendance Allowance has no equivalent route.
That makes the timing of a claim consequential for people approaching State Pension age. Claiming PIP before that birthday preserves access to a component that will not otherwise be available.
Avoiding a Gap
An award that expires above State Pension age may not be replaceable with PIP. Where a review is due close to that boundary, acting on the review letter promptly is worth more than usual, because a lapsed award and a new claim are not the same thing.
The dates are knowable in advance. A first PIP award runs for between 9 months and 10 years, the letter states the period, and the review form is returned within 1 month of its date.
Last checked: 7 August 2026
The Age Rules in Full
Two ages decide PIP: 16 at the lower boundary and State Pension age at the upper one. Below 16 the benefit is Disability Living Allowance for children, and the move to PIP comes by invitation from the DWP rather than by application.
Every age threshold, including what happens at 16, is on who can claim.
What happens to an award that is already in payment when you reach that age is set out on PIP at State Pension Age.