Pension Age Disability Payment in Scotland: How to Claim for a Parent with Dementia

If your parent has dementia and lives in Scotland, the Pension Age Disability Payment (PADP) is one of the most important benefits to claim — and one of the most commonly missed. It can be worth over £5,900 per year, it is not means-tested, and it does not require a formal dementia diagnosis.

What PADP Is

PADP replaced Attendance Allowance in Scotland and is administered by Social Security Scotland rather than the DWP. It is a non-means-tested, tax-free payment for people of State Pension age who need help with daily living activities or supervision because of a disability or health condition.

Current Rates (2026/27)

• Lower rate: £76.70 per week — for people who need help during the day OR need help at night
• Higher rate: £114.60 per week — for people who need help during BOTH day and night

If someone needs help during both the day and night, the higher rate is the relevant rate; the award is based on assessed care needs, not dementia stage.

Eligibility for Dementia

A clinical diagnosis of dementia is not required. PADP is awarded based on the level of supervision, assistance, or care your parent needs — not on the medical label. If your parent needs someone to prompt them to eat, monitor them for wandering, help with personal hygiene, or supervise medication, describe those needs in the application; Social Security Scotland decides eligibility from the evidence.

The application focuses on the help, attention, and supervision your parent needs in daily life.

How to Apply

Apply through Social Security Scotland — by phone, online, or by post. The application form asks detailed questions about your parent's daily care needs. Be specific and describe the worst days, not the best. Note every task that requires help or supervision, including things your parent can sometimes manage but not reliably.

Critical timing: PADP cannot be backdated before the first contact date. Contact Social Security Scotland first to establish the claim date, then complete the application with detailed information about your parent's needs.

What Happens in a Care Home

If your parent receives Free Personal Care (FPC) in a care home, PADP is suspended after 28 days. If only Free Nursing Care (FNC) is received, PADP continues. The effect depends on which care payment is being received, not simply on whether your parent is self-funding.

PADP and Carer Support Payment

If your parent receives PADP, their main carer may also be eligible for Carer Support Payment (Scotland's replacement for Carer's Allowance). To qualify, the carer must provide at least 35 hours of care per week and earn below the earnings threshold.

Other benefits and reductions have their own rules; check council tax and housing-benefit eligibility separately.

Do Not Delay

The single biggest mistake families make with PADP is waiting. Every week without a claim in place is money lost that cannot be recovered. If your parent needs daily help or supervision because of dementia, start the claim today.

Our Scotland Dementia Care Guide includes a PADP application preparation worksheet with prompts for describing care needs effectively.

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