8. From 16 years
At 16, a disabled young person has the option of claiming social security benefits in their own right.
DLA and personal independence payment (England, Northern Ireland and Wales)
A young person aged 16 or over who does not have an existing award of DLA cannot claim DLA and needs to apply for personal independence payment (PIP) instead (see
Chapter 4). A young person already receiving DLA before their 16th birthday will be invited to claim PIP on reaching that age; see
Chapter 3(3) for details.
CDP and adult disability payment (Scotland)
A young person aged 16 or over who does not have an existing award of CDP cannot claim CDP and needs to apply for adult disability payment (ADP) instead (see
Chapter 6(9)). A young person already receiving CDP when they reach the age of 16 can choose whether to stay on CDP until they are 18, or apply for ADP before they are 18; see
Chapter 6(4) for details.