Pensioners with one of 56 health conditions could get £370 a month from DWP – how to apply | Personal Finance | Finance
Attendance Allowance is paid to people who have reached state pension age who have a disability or health condition that affects their everyday lives. It’s the most underclaimed Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) benefit with millions of pensioners missing out. Some pensioners have told Express.co.uk they struggle with the application process which they say is unnecessarily complicated leading to charities like Age UK providing useful advice on how to apply.
More than two million pensioners are living in poverty in the UK, according to a report published by the Centre for Ageing Better.
At the same time, around 3.4 million older people are missing out on Attendance Allowance which could boost their monthly budget by around £370.
Britons can claim Attendance Allowance if they have a disability or health condition that affects their ability to carry out everyday tasks.
They don’t need to have a full-time carer but must be able to show that they have been suffering with their condition for six months before they can qualify.
READ MORE: State pensioners could get £1,000 in cost of living payments
Some people may be unaware of which health conditions could mean they qualify for this financial help.
Conditions like arthritis, back pain and severe mental impairment could mean someone of state pension age is eligible for this benefit, which isn’t means-tested.
As it’s a health-related benefit it doesn’t matter if someone is still earning, has a private pension or savings.
How much claimants receive depends on how their condition affects them and whether they need assistance during the day or night – or both.
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How much is Attendance Allowance?
Attendance Allowance works out at £61.85 a week if someone needs assistance either during the day or at night.
The higher rate of £92.40, is awarded to someone if they need help during the day and overnight, or if they are terminally ill.
How much someone receives depends on how much their condition affects them, rather than the condition itself.
Macmillan advises Attenance Allowance claimants:
- “Use an online benefit calculator like the one on the Macmillan website. Collect details of partner’s income, any savings and any outgoing costs, like rent.
- “As your income changes, so may your benefit entitlement, so don’t forget to investigate your entitlement going forward too.
- “The benefit system can be confusing if you are unfamiliar with it, with different types of incomes and outgoings treated differently. If you have any questions, please get in touch with one of our Welfare Rights Advisers.
- “Not all benefits are dependent on finances, some depend on your health. Especially for cancer patients, as you start and undergo treatment, you should keep a diary of symptoms or side effects that effect your ability to look after yourself at home. Disability benefit entitlement are for mid-long-term conditions, so it is really useful to know when any difficulties started when you are exploring accessing these types of benefits.
- “If you are provided with a terminal prognosis, you may get an automatic, fast-tracked entitlement to disability benefits. Make sure you speak to your consultant, doctor, cancer nurse or one of our Welfare Rights Advisers for more information if this affects you or a loved one.”
The 56 health conditions that qualify for Attendance Allowance are:
- Arthritis
- Spondylosis
- Back Pain – Other / Precise Diagnosis not Specified
- Disease of The Muscles, Bones or Joints
- Trauma to Limbs
- Blindness
- Deafness
- Heart disease
- Chest disease
- Asthma
- Cystic Fibrosis
- Cerebrovascular Disease
- Peripheral vascular Disease
- Epilepsy
- Neurological Diseases
- Multiple Sclerosis
- Parkinson’s Disease
- Motor Neurone Disease
- Chronic Pain Syndromes
- Diabetes Mellitus
- Metabolic Disease
- Traumatic Paraplegia/Tetraplegia
- Major Trauma Other than Traumatic Paraplegia/Tetraplegia
- Learning Difficulties
- Psychosis
- Psychoneurosis
- Personality Disorder
- Dementia
- Behavioural Disorder
- Alcohol and Drug Abuse
- Hyperkinetic syndrome
- Renal Disorders
- Inflammatory Bowel Disease
- Bowel and Stomach Disease
- Blood Disorders
- Haemophilia
- Multi System Disorders
- Multiple Allergy SyndromeSkin Disease
- Malignant Disease
- Severely Mentally impaired
- Double Amputee
- Deaf/Blind
- Haemodialysis
- Frailty
- Total Parenteral Nutrition
- AIDS
- Infectious diseases: Viral disease – Coronavirus covid-19
- Infectious diseases: Viral disease – precise diagnosis not specified
- Infectious diseases: Bacterial disease – Tuberculosis
- Infectious diseases: Bacterial disease – precise diagnosis not specified
- Infectious diseases: Protozoal disease – Malaria
- Infectious diseases: Protozoal disease – other / precise diagnosis not specified
- Infectious diseases – other / precise diagnosis not specified
- Cognitive disorder – other / precise diagnosis not specified
- Terminally Ill.
