Disability Living Allowance

If you’re disabled or are terminally ill and you haven’t reached state pension you may be able to get Disability Living Allowance.

If your child is disabled or is terminally ill they may qualify for Disability Living Allowance.

By 'terminally ill' we mean you suffer from an illness that is likely to limit your life expectancy to 12 months or less.

You don’t have to have paid National Insurance to qualify for Disability Living Allowance and it’s not means-tested.

Disability Living Allowance has 2 components – a care component and a mobility component. You may be able to get either or both of these depending on your condition.

If you’re disabled and have reached state pension age you may be entitled to Attendance Allowance instead.

Basic qualifying conditions

Normally, you must:

• be ordinarily resident and present in the Isle of Man when you make your claim for Disability Living Allowance, and
  
  
• have been present in the Isle of Man or the UK for at least 104 weeks of the 156 weeks immediately before you make your claim (note that the 104 weeks doesn’t have to be a continuous period)

And you must have needed help with your personal care or supervision or had difficulty with getting around for at least 3 months.

If you need help with your personal care or supervision you may be eligible for the care component. There are three different rates of the care component – lowest, middle and highest rates. The amount you may get depends on how much care or supervision you need.

If you have difficulty getting around you may be eligible for the mobility component. There are two different rates of the mobility component – lower and higher rate. You may get the lower rate if you’re able to walk, but you need someone to guide you when you’re walking outdoors on unfamiliar routes. You may get the higher rate if you’re unable or virtually unable to walk without severe discomfort, or you have had both legs amputated or you have severe sight impairment.

Special rules for the terminally ill

If you’re terminally ill (see above) you:

• don’t have to have lived in the Isle of Man or the UK for any particular period before you make your claim. But you must be present in the Isle of Man when you make your claim
  
  
• automatically qualify for the highest rate care component
  
  
• don’t have to wait 3 months before qualifying for Disability Living Allowance

You may get the mobility component as well if you have difficulty with getting around – see above.

Claiming Disability Living Allowance

Make your claim as soon as you need help, or straightaway if you’re terminally ill.

Ask us to send you a claim form, complete it and return it to us as soon as possible.

We may ask a doctor to assess your care needs or mobility issues.

If you’re terminally ill we’ll need your doctor to confirm this.

Disability Living Allowance Rates

The weekly rates of the Disability Living Allowance components are shown below:

Care component

Highest rate: £101.40

Middle rate: £68.00

Lowest rate: £26.90

Mobility component

Higher rate: £75.75

Lower rate: £26.90

Payments

Payments of Disability Living Allowance can be made:

• Weekly or every 4 weeks into your bank account, or
• You can collect them from a post office each week using a MiCard