Attendance Allowance: Millions of pensioners are missing out on £400 monthly boost | Personal Finance | Finance
As the cost of living crisis continues, Britons are urged to check they are receiving all the benefits they are entitled to as this could prove vital in the upcoming months. From April 2023, Attendance Allowance is going up in line with September’s inflation rate of 10.1 percent meaning state pensions on the higher rate will get over £400 a month.
Around 1.8 million people currently claim the benefit administered by the Department for Work and Pensions, however, millions more can receive it.
Attendance Allowance is available to state pensioners with a disability or health condition. It is intended to help them meet higher costs or pay for support.
Currently, the state pension age in the UK is 66, but this could rise to 67 in upcoming years.
A person can claim the support if they need help with a physical or mental disability as long as they can prove it has affected their lives for at least six months.
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The lower rate for the benefit is currently £61.85 a week while people on the higher rate get £92.40.
The 10.1 percent payment boost from April 2023 means people on the lower rate will see their payments increase to £68.10 while the upper rate will increase to £101.73.
Pensioners will therefore get between £247.40 and £406.92 every four weeks.
To make a claim, individuals have to fill out the Attendance Allowance claim form.
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There are a couple of ways to get the form. People can call the Attendance Allowance helpline on 0800 731 0122 (textphone 0800 731 0317) or download a claim form from the GOV UK website.
When filling out the form, it is suggested that people should be really clear about how their illness or disability affects their life and attach any supporting information.
This could include information such as GP letters, care plans, or prescription lists.
Once the form has been submitted, the Department of Work and Pensions may contact people for more information or arrange a doctor visit.
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Richard Lane, director of External Affairs at StepChange Debt Charity commented on the uprating of benefits.
He said: “After weeks of uncertainty, confirmation from the Chancellor today that benefits will be uprated in line with inflation, and cost of living support will continue beyond April will be welcomed by millions of households facing a difficult winter.
“With the news that inflation has now reached 11 percent, this support will soften the impact, particularly as the current cap on typical household energy bills is due to be lifted from the spring.
“The rise in the living wage will also go some way to offset soaring inflation which tends to affect those on the lowest incomes most acutely.
