Attendance Allowance claim form tips to help pensioners claim benefit worth up to £441 every month
Attendance Allowance is a benefit delivered by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) for people over State Pension age who need help with personal care or supervision due to an illness, disability or mental health condition. A successful claim is now worth either £73.90 or £110.40 each week, the level of award depends on the amount of support someone needs.
Payments are made every four weeks and work out at £295.60 or £441.60 respectively. A little extra money can go a long way and you can use it however you like to meet your needs and help you stay independent in your own home longer - the money doesn't have to be spent on a carer.
The benefit, designed specifically to help older people, is tax-free and won't affect any other State support you receive. The charity Independent Age has created a factsheet to help new claimants through the application process, alongside seven top tips for filling in the form.
The latest figures from the DWP show in August 2024, there were nearly 1.7 million people across Great Britain claiming the benefit, including 150,000 living in Scotland.
People over State Pension age with a Scottish postcode can no longer make a new claim for Attendance Allowance and must claim Pension Age Disability Payment (PADP). The devolved payment follows similar eligibility and payment rates as its DWP counterpart - find out more on mygov.scot here.
It's essential to remember that Attendance Allowance and PADP are not means-tested, so, unlike Pension Credit, income from any retirement earnings or savings will not be taken into account.
Tips for filling in Attendance Allowance application form
Independent Age explains: '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 suggest anyone filling in 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.
More help and support is available on the Independent Age website here or by calling them on 0800 319 6789.
Below is a quick guide to the benefit to help you decide if you - or a family member - should make a claim.
What is Attendance Allowance?
Attendance Allowance (and PADP) helps with extra costs if you have a disability, physical or mental health condition, or illness severe enough that it makes it hard for you to look after yourself - it does not cover mobility needs.
You do not need to have someone caring for you in order to make a claim.
Who can claim?
You should apply for Attendance Allowance if you have a disability or illness and need help or supervision throughout the day or at times during the night -even if you don't currently get that help.
This might include:
Help with your personal care - for example getting dressed, eating or drinking, getting in and out of bed, bathing or showering and going to the toilet
Help to stay safe
You should also apply if you have difficulties with personal tasks, for example if they take you a long time, you experience pain or you need physical help, like a chair to lean on. Attendance Allowance isn't just for people with a physical disability or illness.
You should also claim if you need help or supervision throughout the day or night and have:
a mental health condition
learning difficulties
a sensory condition - if you are deaf or visually impaired
Attendance Allowance main disabling conditions
Medical conditions are sourced from information recorded on the DWP's Attendance Allowance computer system. The DWP says where more than one condition is present the main disabling condition is reported on.
It's important to note this list is not a checklist for claiming Attendance Allowance, it is intended to help people understand what type of conditions are being supported. However, if you need extra support during the day or night due to a long-term illness, disability or health condition, you should check out the official eligibility guidance on the GOV.UK website here.
Arthritis
Spondylosis
Back Pain
Disease Of The Muscles, Bones or Joints
Trauma to Limbs
Visual Disorders and Diseases
Hearing Disorders
Heart Disease
Respiratory Disorders and Diseases
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 Syndrome
Skin Disease
Malignant Disease
Severely Mentally impaired
Double Amputee
Deaf/Blind
Haemodialysis
Frailty
Total Parenteral Nutrition
AIDS
Infectious diseases: Viral disease - Coronavirus covid-19
How much could I get on Attendance Allowance?
You could receive £73.90 if you need help during the day or at night or £110.40 if you need help during the day and at night, or if you are terminally ill. The benefit is paid every four weeks , which means you could receive either £295.60 or £441.60 every pay period.
You can spend the money however you like and it could help you stay independent in your own home for longer.
This might include:
paying for taxis
helping towards bills
paying for a cleaner or gardener
Can I claim Attendance Allowance even if I have savings and other income?
Yes. Attendance Allowance isn't means-tested so it doesn't matter what other money you have coming in or how much you have in savings either - there's no limit. it is also tax-free and you will be exempt from the Benefit Cap so you won't have money taken away from any other benefits.
Will Attendance Allowance affect my State Pension?
No, it won't affect your State Pension and you can even claim it if you're still working and earning money.
How does Attendance Allowance affect other benefits?
The other benefits you get might increase if you get Attendance Allowance, these include:
Extra Pension Credit
Housing Benefit Reduction
Council Tax Reduction
How do I make a claim?
You will need to complete a long claim form when you apply for Attendance Allowance. It might seem daunting at first but help is available from your nearest Citizens Advice, so don't let the form put you off applying.
If you'd prefer to do it yourself you can follow the Citizens Advice guide on how to fill in your claim form here. Full details of how to get the application form by post or over the phone can be found on the GOV.UK website here.
What happens if I am about to reach State Pension age?
If you are thinking about applying for Attendance Allowance when you reach State Pension age, you might be better off claiming Personal Independence Payment (PIP) straight away - you may be able to get more money.
Who cannot claim Attendance Allowance?
You cannot claim Attendance Allowance if you live in Scotland, you need to claim Pension Age Disability Payment instead - find out more here.
You won't be able to get Attendance Allowance if you already get PIP or Disability Living Allowance (DLA) to pay for your care. If you apply for Attendance Allowance while getting DLA, the DWP will usually reassess your DLA award instead.
You can renew your PIP or DLA when the existing award ends as long as you still meet the eligibility criteria. If your renewal is unsuccessful you can apply for Attendance Allowance instead.
Find out more about Attendance Allowance on the GOV.UK website here.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Channel 4
2 hours ago
- Channel 4
Kendall: ‘It's been a bumpy old few months' as UK youth unemployment rises
By Jamie Roberton The government has endured 'a bumpy old few months', the work and pensions secretary has admitted, as she reiterated calls for significant welfare reform. Liz Kendall said 'too many people are being written off' and that she did 'not contemplate failure' in her efforts to deliver 'root and branch reform'. Ms Kendall was speaking as she unveiled a £45 million package in a bid to reduce youth unemploymen t. New figures released on Thursday revealed that 948,000 young people are not in education, employment or training – an increase of 24,000 on previous data. In an exclusive interview with Channel 4 News, Ms Kendall said the current trend of young people missing from work or education – now 12.8% of all aged 16 to 24 – was 'not acceptable' and 'terrible for the country'. Asked if the scale of the reform necessary could be achieved, Ms Kendall said: 'I have got to. Not for me or the government but for the young people who are desperate for a chance. 'I do not contemplate failure. Life is a marathon and a sprint and I am determined to carry on for the long-term.' The Department for Work and Pensions said the figures represented 'a national crisis', blaming 'a perfect storm' of the impact of the coronavirus pandemic as well as the lack of mental health and skills support. The proportion of young people not in education, employment or training – known as NEETs – who cited sickness as an obstacle has increased from one in 10 in 2021, to one in four in 2023. The interview with Ms Kendall was conducted before the release of the figures and the significant Epping asylum hotel ruling. Pressed on whether she had considered resigning given the scale of the recent government U-turn on benefits cuts that she had pushed, Ms Kendall said: 'It has been a bumpy old few months. Welfare reform is always really hard, perhaps especially with the Labour Party. 'Let me just say this: as more of us are living for longer, more of us have disabilities, more of us have long-term health conditions, we have got to change the system, because too many people are being written off and that can't last, because many people actually are desperate for a chance to work. 'We need to change the system to help more people when they can work and protect those who can't'. Figures reveal unemployment down to pre-pandemic levels FactCheck: the Conservatives' youth unemployment claim FactCheck: Starmer's disability benefits u-turn explained
STV News
4 hours ago
- STV News
GP practices to receive £15m funding boost in bid to improve services
The health secretary has announced £15m in funding for GP practices in Scotland in a bid to improve services. The funding will aim to support staff and ensure more roles are recruited, while allowing practices to build up capacity and support the day-to-day running of services. Neil Gray said: 'We have been listening carefully to the views of Scotland's GPs and as a result, I am pleased to confirm an initial additional investment of £15m for the current financial year.' The funding announcement comes after discussions with the sector about the sustainability of GP services. The Scottish Government said negotiations will continue around further support to 'help shift care from acute to community'. 'This new funding will help support capacity and ensure GPs and services in the community have the resources they need for their essential role in our health system', Gray added. 'We remain in negotiations with the sector on the provision of further support in the future, but this initial instalment demonstrates this Government's commitment to supporting primary care and alleviating current pressures on the system. 'We want to make it easier for people to see their GP and to achieve this we are working towards ensuring a greater proportion of new NHS funding goes to primary and community care. 'Funding gap remains' BMA Scotland welcomed the news – but said a near-£300m funding gap remains and that GPs are still facing a considerable funding shortfall. Dr Iain Morrison, chairman of BMA Scotland's GP committee, said: 'We welcome this immediate investment to help alleviate some of the recruitment and retention issues plaguing GP practices and harming patients' access to healthcare. 'We see this as a positive move by Government to acknowledge the issues we have described in our ongoing negotiations to rescue general practice. 'Our negotiations continue with a view to stabilising and then improving GP services across the nation. 'General practice in Scotland has seen funding erosion and cost pressures generate a funding gap of £290m, which we must see restored. 'It is only by closing this substantial gap that patients will see long term, sustainable improvements in access to GPs and the care we are able to provide to them. 'On that basis, we urge the Scottish Government to build on this and come forward with a substantial offer of new long-term funding that will put general practice in Scotland on a more sustainable footing. 'General practice can offer so much more that it is able to currently. Only with substantial investment can we realise the potential and give the people of Scotland the service they deserve.' Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
The Herald Scotland
5 hours ago
- The Herald Scotland
Scottish Government responds to 'apocalyptic' social care warning
Charities are paid by the state, including local authorities, to provide care for elderly, sick and disabled people. Demand is now so high, and funds so tight due to cuts, that they can no longer make ends meet, they say. The signatories warned that 61% of charities providing health and social care support worry they "will no longer be a going concern within four years" in a situation described as "apocalyptic". Read More: The letter calls for 'immediate action to address the profound crisis threatening our sector', and says 'the wellbeing and rights of Scotland's people and the sustainability of the third sector and wider public services are at immediate risk'. It said: "Our organisations face increasing levels of demand which simply cannot be met within available public funds. Services and support are facing severe funding cuts. Many organisations are scaling back services significantly; others are looking at the possibility of closure. The sector, and the people it supports, have been pushed to breaking point.' It is understood that Mr Swinney intends to respond to the letter in due course. A Scottish Government spokesperson said: 'Scottish Government funding of health and social care is at a record level. Our 2025-26 budget is investing £21.7bn. 'We are working with the social care sector to understand the financial issues they are facing. The UK Government's decision to raise employer's National Insurance Contributions is one such challenge, costing the sector more than £84 million extra this year. 'Our priority at all times is to protect these vital services that the people of Scotland value and depend on.' The Herald previously reported that the Scottish Government's approach to pay in adult care homes was described as "not fit for purpose". The Scottish Trades Union Congress (STUC) warned a policy tying carer pay to the national living wage is outdated as higher increases in the minimum wage and average earnings erode any 'premium' which once existed. A report found residential care worker pay in Scotland is now 11p lower than it is in the rest of the UK, having been 38 pence an hour higher just five years ago. In 2020, residential care workers in Scotland were paid 4% more than the typical UK care worker, but by 2024 they earned 1% less. Residential care worker pay in Scotland has increased by £2.27 over that period but that is less than the increase in the minimum wage (£2.72), average earnings (£3.44) and carer pay in the rest of the UK (£2.76). Because pay is tied to the national living wage, a greater increase in the minimum wage compared to that measure penalises those in the care sector in relative terms.
