Attendance Allowance and five other benefits for Britons over state pension age | Personal Finance | Finance
State pension, as well as other payments and benefits offered by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) are due to increase by 3.1 percent next month. However, this may not be enough to help over 66s cover the rising costs of living but they could be eligible for far more than just state pension payments.
Reaching state pension age entitles eligible Britons to a range of freebies, discounts and additional benefits which could help them not only survive the cost of living crisis but maintain or better their retirement lifestyle.
Attendance Allowance
Britons over the state pension age that have a severe disability and require someone to look after them could be eligible for £89.60 every week through Attendance Allowance.
Claimants do not need to have an actual carer or attendant when they apply, they only need to prove that they require that type of help as the money can be used to help them maintain their independence.
Those living in care homes that are paid by their local authority are usually not eligible.
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Attendance Allowance provides two different rates depending on the help claimants need. Those that require assistance either during the day or at night can get the lower rate of £60 while those that need assistance during both day and night can get £89.60.
This benefit also doesn’t consider one’s income or their savings.
Additionally, successfully claiming Attendance Allowance also means Britons could get extra Pension Credit, Housing Benefit or Council Tax Reduction.
Constant Attendance Allowance
This payment is for those that became ill or disabled under specific circumstances.
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The benefit offers between £36.60 and £146.40 per week depending on the extent of their disability and care needs.
Britons must be claiming either Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit or a War Disablement Pension and require daily care because of their disability to be eligible.
Pension Credit
Roughly 1.4 million pensioners across Great Britain receive this top-up made specifically to help those on a low income in retirement.
However, almost one million people are believed to be missing out on their entitlement as £1.8billion goes unclaimed.
Warm Home Discount Scheme
The Warm Home Discount Scheme operates from November to March each year, providing eligible households with a £140 discount on their electricity bills.
This money is automatically given to one’s energy supplier so they will not receive any money themselves.
There are two groups of Britons eligible for Warm Home Discount: the core group and broader group.
The core group is made up of elderly people on low income who are receiving the Guarantee Credit element of Pension Credit.
