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DWP payment for people with reading issues could be worth £749

DWP payment for people with reading issues could be worth £749

Daily Mirror6 days ago
If you need help with a wide variety of tasks, you could receive extra financial support
People with reading difficulties and other conditions could be eligible for a cash boost of £749 from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). Personal Independence Payments (PIP) can offer additional financial support for a wide range of conditions.

Yet it's how these payments are calculated that is more crucial than the conditions themselves. This is because PIP assessments are not based on any one specific condition, but rather on how much that condition impacts you.

When undergoing an assessment for PIP, the level of assistance you require to participate in certain activities will help determine your PIP amount. Citizens Advice suggests that if you need help with any of the following due to a condition, you should consider applying for PIP:

Reading and understanding written information
Washing and bathing
Communicating with other people
Eating and drinking
Making decisions about money
Moving around
Planning a journey or following a route
Managing your treatments
Managing toilet needs or incontinence
Mixing with others
Dressing and undressing
Preparing and cooking food
How is PIP paid?
PIP is usually paid every four weeks unless you are terminally ill, in which case it is paid weekly. It will be paid directly into your bank, building society or credit union account.
PIP payment rate
You will need an assessment to work out the level of financial help you will receive and your rate will be regularly reviewed to make sure you are getting the right support.
PIP is made up of two components:

Daily living
Mobility
Whether you get one or both of these and how much you might get depends on how severely your condition affects you. You will be paid the following amounts per week, depending on your circumstances:

Daily living
Standard rate: £73.90
Enhanced rate: £110.40
Mobility
Article continues below
Standard rate: £29.20
Enhanced rate: £77.05
Making a PIP claim
You can make a new claim by contacting the DWP. You will find all the information you need to apply on the GOV.UK website here. Before you call, you will need:
your contact details
your date of birth
your National Insurance number - this is on letters about tax, pensions and benefits
your bank or building society account number and sort code
your doctor or health worker's name, address and telephone number
dates and addresses for any time you've spent abroad, in a care home or hospital
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Kill the single state pension age
Kill the single state pension age

Spectator

time13 hours ago

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Kill the single state pension age

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Behind the dry language sits a political question no one rushes to answer: when should people stop working, and who pays for the years they do not? You know the script here. Britain is ageing. The ratio of workers to pensioners is shrinking. Every review concludes that the SPA must rise. Every opposition grumbles about the cruelty of doing so. Every government, when in office, quietly nudges the age upwards. Nothing fundamental changes. What almost never gets challenged is the model itself: a single age at which everyone, regardless of class, health or occupation, is deemed equally ready for retirement. This is tidy for Whitehall. It is also daft. The Office for National Statistics reports that male life expectancy for a retirement age man in Surrey is 86 years; in Blackpool, it is 81. Healthy life expectancy – the years lived without major illness – shows still sharper divides. Yet we persist in pretending that the 66-year-old accountant in Guildford and the 66-year-old ex-dockworker in Hull should both cross the same finish line. That is unjust, and unsustainable. It loads the cost of longer-lived, healthier retirees onto taxpayers who may not live long enough to see much retirement at all. Here I can almost hear some readers reaching for outrage about contributions. Shouldn't a person's pension entitlement reflect their national insurance contributions? So a Surrey stockbroker who pays more NI than a Sunderland scaffolder has earned the right to draw the state pension for longer? This takes me to the biggest and most persistent misunderstanding in British politics: the state pension isn't really a pension. It's a benefit. And it's funded not from some pot of money patiently built up from each recipient's contributions, but from the taxes of today's workers. National Insurance is just a tax, and one that long ago lost any hypothecated link to the pension system. That means pension policy cannot be treated as a personal contract between citizen and state. It is a collective transfer between generations. Pretending otherwise, with talk of 'I've paid in, I deserve it back', hides the real choices – about fairness between regions, between classes, and between young and old. Other countries are at least edging away from the one-size-fits-all fiction. Denmark and the Netherlands now link their pension ages directly to life expectancy. Countries including Norway and Portugal offer some scope to offer earlier pensions to those who have done physically demanding work. None has yet built a fully 'variable' pension age, but the recognition is spreading: a uniform pension age does not match demographic reality. Britain should be bolder. One approach is to tie entitlement not to age but to years of contributions, recognising that someone who started work at 18 has done their share by 65, while the graduate entering at 25 has not. Another is to give more flexibility to those in arduous jobs: that Sunderland scaffolder is likely to be physically knackered in a way that his stockbroking compatriot is not. More radical still is to abandon the cliff-edge retirement model altogether. Instead of full-time one day and nothing the next, policy should support tapering – part-time, flexible work in the sixties and seventies, subsidised and encouraged so people can scale down, not drop out. This would help individuals, who gain income and purpose. It helps employers, who retain skills and experience. It helps the state, which saves on pensions and collects more tax. Above all, it acknowledges reality: ageing is a spectrum, not a binary switch from 'young' to 'old'. This is politically difficult, to put it mildly. I am recommending electoral hemlock, because it entails higher pension ages for some (who will be angry) and different treatment for some (ditto). No sane politician attempts major change to the state pension. The fury of the Waspi women still haunts ministers. Even tinkering with winter fuel allowances causes uproar. You'd be mad to do it, minister. But it must still be done. The fiscal maths is brutal. By 2075, pensioners will make up more than a quarter of the adult population. The cost of the state pension is projected to rise from around 5 per cent of GDP today to nearly 8 per cent. Absent reform, the money has to come from somewhere: higher taxes on a shrinking workforce, or cuts to other services. Intergenerational politics are already sour. Younger voters see themselves funding entitlements for older cohorts who enjoyed cheaper houses and more generous occupational pensions. A rigid single SPA deepens that resentment. That is the real political danger: not the fury of today's pensioners, but the alienation of tomorrow's workers who simply refuse to pay for the pensions of others. Dr Morrissey's review is framed as technical, but it is inescapably political. She has licence to say what ministers will not: that one pension age for all is outdated, unfair and unaffordable. A braver politics would seize that truth, and act on it. None of this is easy. None of it is popular. But it is necessary. The single state pension age should end.

DWP payment worth up to £441 if you can provide seven things
DWP payment worth up to £441 if you can provide seven things

Wales Online

time17 hours ago

  • Wales Online

DWP payment worth up to £441 if you can provide seven things

DWP payment worth up to £441 if you can provide seven things Attendance Allowance is a benefit for people over State Pension age who need help with personal care or supervision due to an illness, disability or mental health condition Attendance Allowance, a benefit administered by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), is available to individuals over State Pension age who require assistance with personal care or supervision due to an illness, disability or mental health condition. The weekly amount awarded, either £73.90 or £110.40, depends on the level of support needed. ‌ These payments are made every four weeks, totalling £295.60 or £441.60 respectively. This additional income can be used as you see fit to meet your needs and maintain independence in your own home - it doesn't necessarily have to be spent on a carer. ‌ This tax-free benefit, specifically designed to assist older people, won't impact any other state support you receive. Independent Age, a charity, has produced a factsheet to guide new claimants through the application process, along with seven top tips for completing the form. ‌ According to the most recent DWP figures, nearly 1.7 million people across Great Britain were claiming the benefit in August 2024, including 150,000 residing in Scotland. For money-saving tips, sign up to our Money newsletter here However, those over State Pension age living in Scotland can no longer make a new claim for Attendance Allowance and must instead apply for the Pension Age Disability Payment (PADP). This devolved payment follows similar eligibility and payment rates as its DWP equivalent - more information can be found on reports the Daily Record. It's crucial to note that Attendance Allowance and PADP are not means-tested, so unlike Pension Credit, any income from retirement earnings or savings won't be considered. Article continues below Top tips for completing Attendance Allowance application form Independent Age advises: "The decision maker will use your claim form to work out whether you qualify for Attendance Allowance, so it's important to give as much detail as possible." They recommend anyone completing the form should: Explain how your condition affects your day-to-day life and what personal tasks you have difficulties with Answer all the questions if you can and give examples Include the time it takes you to carry out specific tasks and how much help you need with them, even if there's no one to help you Explain how your needs change and how bad your difficulties can be if some days are better than others Mention any things you avoid doing because they're difficult for you – for example, if it's difficult bending and reaching to put on and take off socks, even while you're sitting down Explain what happens when you don't receive the care you need, especially if this has left you at risk of falls or struggling to manage Send supporting information if you're able to - for example, from your carer, GP or consultant. ‌ Additional help and support can be found on the Independent Age website here or by telephoning them on 0800 319 6789. Here's a quick overview of the benefit to help you determine if you - or a relative - should submit a claim. What is Attendance Allowance? Attendance Allowance (and PADP) assists with additional costs if you have a disability, physical or mental health condition, or illness serious enough that it makes it difficult for you to care for yourself - it doesn't cover mobility requirements. ‌ You don't need to have someone looking after you to submit a claim. Who can apply? You should submit an application for Attendance Allowance if you have a disability or illness and require help or supervision during the day or at periods throughout the night - even if you don't currently receive that assistance. This could include: ‌ Assistance with your personal care - for instance getting dressed, eating or drinking, getting in and out of bed, bathing or showering and using the toilet. Support to remain safe You should consider applying if you struggle with personal tasks, such as those that take a long time, cause pain or require physical assistance. Attendance Allowance isn't solely for individuals with a physical disability or illness. It's also worth claiming if you need help or supervision throughout the day or night due to:. ‌ a mental health condition. learning difficulties. a sensory condition - such as being deaf or visually impaired. Main disabling conditions for attendance allowance The main disabling conditions for Attendance Allowance are sourced from information recorded on the DWP's computer system. The DWP states that when more than one condition is present, the primary disabling condition is reported. It's crucial to understand that this list isn't a checklist for claiming Attendance Allowance, but rather it's intended to provide insight into the types of conditions being supported. ‌ However, if you require additional support during the day or night due to a long-term illness, disability or health condition, you should consult the official eligibility guidance on the website. How much could I receive on Attendance Allowance? You could be eligible for £73.90 if you need help during the day or at night, or £110.40 if you need help both during the day and at night, or if you're terminally ill. The benefit is paid every four weeks, meaning you could receive either £295.60 or £441.60 each pay period. The funds can be used as you see fit, potentially aiding in maintaining independence within your own home for a longer period. ‌ This could encompass:. Utilising taxis Contributing towards bills Employing a cleaner or gardener Is it possible to claim Attendance Allowance even with savings and other income? Indeed. Attendance Allowance isn't means-tested, so your other income or the amount of savings you have doesn't matter - there's no limit. ‌ It is also tax-free and exempt from the Benefit Cap, meaning no money will be deducted from any other benefits. Will Attendance Allowance impact my State Pension? No, it won't affect your State Pension and you can still claim it even if you're working and earning money. How does Attendance Allowance influence other benefits? ‌ Your other benefits might increase if you receive Attendance Allowance, these include:. Additional Pension Credit Housing Benefit Reduction Council Tax Reduction How do I submit a claim? A lengthy claim form must be completed when applying for Attendance Allowance. Although it may seem intimidating initially, assistance is available from your local Citizens Advice, so don't let the form deter you from applying. ‌ If you'd rather handle it yourself, you can follow the Citizens Advice guide on how to complete your claim form here. Comprehensive details on how to obtain the application form by post or over the phone can be found on the website here. What occurs if I am nearing State Pension age? If you're considering applying for Attendance Allowance upon reaching State Pension age, it might be more beneficial to claim Personal Independence Payment (PIP) immediately as it could potentially provide a higher amount. Who is ineligible for Attendance Allowance? Those residing in Scotland cannot claim Attendance Allowance; instead, they should apply for the Pension Age Disability Payment - further information can be found here. ‌ You won't qualify for Attendance Allowance if you're already receiving PIP or Disability Living Allowance (DLA) to cover your care costs. If you attempt to apply for Attendance Allowance while on DLA, the DWP will typically reassess your DLA award instead. You can renew your PIP or DLA when the current award expires, provided you still meet the eligibility criteria. If your renewal is unsuccessful, you can then apply for Attendance Allowance. More information about Attendance Allowance can be found on the website here. Article continues below

Norfolk chef on dialysis says Pip is not targeting right people
Norfolk chef on dialysis says Pip is not targeting right people

BBC News

timea day ago

  • BBC News

Norfolk chef on dialysis says Pip is not targeting right people

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