Attendance Allowance: Pensioners could get an extra £92 of income every week | Personal Finance | Finance
For older people who need care, there can be many associated costs which they may struggle to pay. Claimants can benefit from up to £92.40 a week if they need support with different tasks.
Attendance Allowance is a benefit administered by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).
Some 1.8 million people are claiming Attendance Allowance but a staggering 3.4 million more are eligible but missing out on this vital benefit.
Britons could get £61.85 or £92.40 a week to help with personal support if they’re both physically or mentally disabled and state pension age or older.
The state pension age in the UK is currently 66, however, this could rise in the future.
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People could increase the other benefits they receive by claiming Attendance Allowance, such as Pension Credit, Housing Benefits or Council Tax Reduction.
Claimants do not have to have someone caring for them, but if they do, the carer could get Carer’s Allowance.
It should be noted that the benefit does not cover mobility needs.
How much is paid?
Attendance Allowance is not means-tested, and therefore what someone earns or how much they have in savings will not affect the amount they receive.
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The amount of Attendance Allowance someone gets depends on the amount of care they need.
Currently, the lower rate, worth £61.85 a week, is for people who need frequent help or constant supervision during the day, or supervision at night.
The higher rate of £92.40 is paid to those who require help or supervision throughout both day and night or are terminally ill.
All benefit payments will rise in line with inflation from April next year to help people through the cost of living crisis.
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Claims are usually reviewed every year but claimants should inform the DWP straight away if there are any changes to their circumstances.
People need to inform the DWP of changes to their health such as if they need to go to the hospital or a care home or if they leave the country for more than four weeks.
The DWP needs to know if:
- The amount of help someone needs or their condition changes
- Someone goes into hospital or a care home
- An individual leaves the country for more than four weeks
- A person has to go into prison
- Someone changes your name, address or bank details
- A person wants to stop receiving your benefit
- A doctor’s details change
- An individual’s immigration status changes or they are not a British citizen.
Campaigners are urging anyone who is struggling to make ends meet to check whether they are receiving all the financial help they are entitled to.
Almost £15billion is lost in unclaimed benefits every year with Attendance Allowance one of the most underclaimed DWP benefits – an estimated 3.4 million pensioners are thought to be missing out on up to £369 a month.
