Published 22 October 2026
Quick answer: there is no benefit called “mobility allowance” any more. Help with getting around is now paid as the mobility part of Personal Independence Payment (PIP) for adults under State Pension age, Disability Living Allowance (DLA) for children, and Adult Disability Payment in Scotland. From April 2026 the mobility part is £30.30 or £80.00 a week. If you are over State Pension age you usually cannot start a new claim; Attendance Allowance is the benefit for you, and it has no mobility part.
Last checked: 22 October 2026, against GOV.UK, mygov.scot, nidirect, Citizens Advice, legislation.gov.uk and Motability’s own eligibility pages. Rates are the weekly amounts GOV.UK showed on that date. This is general information, not benefits advice.
Contents
- What “mobility allowance” means now
- Which benefit pays it, by age and nation
- How much it is
- If you are over State Pension age
- Mobility payments and the Motability Scheme
- How to claim
- Where people get it: our data
- Questions people ask
What “mobility allowance” means now
Mobility Allowance was a real benefit until 1992. The Disability Living Allowance and Disability Working Allowance Act 1991 repealed it from 6 April 1992, and its job passed to the mobility component of Disability Living Allowance. For adults of working age, DLA has since been replaced by PIP in England and Wales, and by Adult Disability Payment in Scotland.
People still search for “mobility allowance” because the name stuck. When someone says it today, they almost always mean the mobility part of PIP, DLA or Adult Disability Payment. None of these is means tested: your income and savings do not affect them.
Which benefit pays it, by age and nation
| Who | England and Wales | Scotland | Northern Ireland | Has a mobility part? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Children under 16 | DLA for children | Child Disability Payment | DLA for children | Yes (for DLA, the higher rate from age 3 and the lower rate from age 5) |
| 16 to State Pension age | PIP | Adult Disability Payment | PIP (run by the Department for Communities) | Yes |
| Over State Pension age, new claim | Attendance Allowance | Pension Age Disability Payment | Attendance Allowance | No |
| Over State Pension age, already getting PIP | PIP continues, mobility part included | Ask Social Security Scotland about your Adult Disability Payment award | PIP continues | Yes |
How much it is
| Benefit | Mobility part, lower or standard | Mobility part, higher or enhanced |
|---|---|---|
| PIP | £30.30 a week | £80.00 a week |
| Adult Disability Payment (Scotland) | £30.30 a week | £80.00 a week |
| DLA for children | £30.30 a week | £80.00 a week |
| Attendance Allowance | No mobility part. Pays £76.70 or £114.60 a week for care needs | |
The enhanced mobility rate of £80.00 a week is £4,160 a year. PIP and Adult Disability Payment also have a separate daily living part, paid at £76.70 or £114.60 a week, which you can get with or without the mobility part.
If you are over State Pension age
This is the question most people are really asking. The rules are:
- You cannot usually make a new PIP claim once you have reached State Pension age. GOV.UK points you to Attendance Allowance instead.
- The exception: you can make a new PIP claim after State Pension age if you got PIP or Adult Disability Payment in the last 12 months. Citizens Advice says the claim must be for the same condition, or one that developed from it.
- If you already get PIP when you reach State Pension age, it carries on, including the mobility part. But you cannot then move from the standard to the enhanced mobility rate, or start getting the mobility part if you did not already have it, even if your condition gets worse.
- Attendance Allowance is for care needs only. GOV.UK says it does not cover mobility needs, so difficulty walking on its own will not qualify you.
- In Scotland, Pension Age Disability Payment is replacing Attendance Allowance. It is also based on care needs.
That leaves a gap. Someone who first has trouble walking after State Pension age cannot get a weekly mobility payment, however bad the difficulty is. What is still open to them:
- Attendance Allowance, if they also need help with personal care or supervision. It is not means tested, pays up to £114.60 a week and can be spent on anything, including a scooter or a stairlift. See our Attendance Allowance guide.
- A council needs assessment, which can lead to equipment on loan and adaptations. A Disabled Facilities Grant can pay for larger changes such as a stairlift or level-access shower. See our DFG guide.
- VAT relief on equipment designed for disabled people, which can take 20% off the price. See VAT relief on mobility equipment.
- A Blue Badge from the council. You can apply without getting any benefit; the council assesses you. See how the Blue Badge scheme works.
Mobility payments and the Motability Scheme
The Motability Scheme lets you exchange a mobility payment for a leased car, wheelchair accessible vehicle, powered wheelchair or scooter. Motability’s own eligibility page lists these qualifying allowances:
- the enhanced rate mobility part of PIP
- the higher rate mobility part of DLA
- the enhanced rate mobility part of Adult Disability Payment (Scotland)
- the higher rate mobility component of Child Disability Payment (Scotland)
- War Pensioners’ Mobility Supplement
- Armed Forces Independence Payment
You need at least 12 months left on your award when you apply. The lower or standard mobility rate does not qualify, and Motability says you cannot join on Attendance Allowance. For what scooters cost through the scheme against buying one outright, see our Motability scooter cost comparison, and for the scheme itself, our Motability guide.
How to claim
| Benefit | Where | How to start |
|---|---|---|
| PIP (England and Wales) | GOV.UK | Phone the PIP new claims line; the number is on GOV.UK’s “How to claim” page |
| PIP (Northern Ireland) | nidirect | 0800 587 0932 |
| Adult Disability Payment, Child Disability Payment, Pension Age Disability Payment | Social Security Scotland, via mygov.scot | Online, by phone or on paper |
| Attendance Allowance | GOV.UK or nidirect | Claim form, online in some cases |
| DLA for children | GOV.UK | Claim form |
For PIP and Adult Disability Payment, the mobility part depends on how well you can plan and follow a journey and how far you can move around, not on your diagnosis. The law says you only count as able to do an activity if you can do it safely, to an acceptable standard, repeatedly and within a reasonable time. Describe your worst days as well as your good ones, and say how far you can walk on those terms. Whether you can walk at all is not the test.
Where people get it: our data
Review Mobility has compiled DWP’s figures for every local authority in England and Wales. Our PIP mobility league table found that 2,063,290 people in England and Wales received PIP’s enhanced mobility rate in April 2026, just over half of everyone entitled to PIP. In Blaenau Gwent one adult in 11 gets it; in Wokingham, one in 54.
For people over State Pension age, our Attendance Allowance league table found 1,760,770 people entitled in England and Wales in November 2025, from one in four over-66s in Hartlepool to one in 11 in Richmond upon Thames. Both datasets are free to download and reuse with a credit.
Questions people ask
Can I still get mobility allowance?
Not under that name. If you are under State Pension age, claim PIP (Adult Disability Payment in Scotland) and its mobility part. Children get the mobility part of DLA, or Child Disability Payment in Scotland.
How do I claim mobility allowance if I am over 65?
In most cases you cannot start a new claim for a mobility payment after State Pension age. You can claim Attendance Allowance if you need help with personal care, and ask your council for a needs assessment for equipment and adaptations. If you had PIP or Adult Disability Payment in the last 12 months, you may be able to claim PIP again.
I get PIP and I am about to reach State Pension age. Will I lose the mobility part?
No. An existing PIP award carries on after State Pension age, including the mobility part. What you lose is the chance to move up: after State Pension age the mobility part cannot go from standard to enhanced, and cannot start if you were not already getting it. If you are close to State Pension age and your walking has got worse, ask for your award to be reviewed before you reach it.
Does Attendance Allowance help with mobility?
Not directly. GOV.UK says it does not cover mobility needs. But it is not means tested and you can spend it as you choose, so many people use it towards a scooter, a stairlift or other equipment.
Is mobility allowance means tested?
No. The mobility parts of PIP, DLA and Adult Disability Payment are not affected by income or savings.
Can I get a Motability car on the standard rate?
No. Motability requires the enhanced or higher mobility rate, or one of the other qualifying allowances listed above, with at least 12 months left on the award.
Sources
All read on 22 October 2026.
- GOV.UK, Personal Independence Payment: how much you’ll get and eligibility
- GOV.UK, Attendance Allowance
- GOV.UK, Disability Living Allowance for children: rates and eligibility
- mygov.scot, Adult Disability Payment and Pension Age Disability Payment
- Citizens Advice, Getting PIP after you have reached State Pension age
- Social Security (Personal Independence Payment) Regulations 2013, regulation 4
- nidirect, Personal Independence Payment
- Motability, Am I eligible to join the Scheme? and Can I join the Scheme on Attendance Allowance?
- Disability Living Allowance and Disability Working Allowance Act 1991, section 2 (repeal of mobility allowance, in force 6 April 1992)
- Review Mobility datasets: PIP mobility league table and Attendance Allowance league table (DWP Stat-Xplore)
This guide is general information, not benefits advice. Rules and rates change, so check GOV.UK, mygov.scot or nidirect before you claim. For free help with a claim, contact Citizens Advice or your local welfare rights service. Review Mobility is an independent directory. No company or organisation paid to appear in this guide. Spotted an error? Email hello@reviewmobility.co.uk.
Published 22 October 2026