The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has listed 57 health conditions that could entitle State Pension recipients to an additional £114 a week on top of their existing payment.
Eligibility Criteria
Pensioners living with long-term health conditions or disabilities could be eligible for payments of up to £458 per month, following updated guidance from the government agency. The financial support, delivered through the Attendance Allowance scheme, is designed to help elderly individuals cover the additional costs of personal care and daily living needs.
You may qualify for Attendance Allowance if you have reached State Pension age, have a physical or mental disability (or health condition) severe enough to require frequent help or supervision with personal care, and have needed this assistance for at least six months. The benefit is not means-tested, so savings and income do not affect entitlement.
Payment Rates
As of April, Attendance Allowance rates increased by 3.8% in line with the consumer price index. Payments are divided into two weekly rates based on the level of care required. The higher rate is now £114.60 per week (around £458 per month) for those who need help or supervision during both day and night, or those nearing the end of life. The lower rate is £76.70 per week.
As of November 2025, there were 1,793,554 cases of entitlement to Attendance Allowance across the country, according to the latest DWP data.
List of 57 Qualifying Conditions
Below is the full list of health conditions that qualified claimants for Attendance Allowance payments, with the number of cases for each based on the main disabling condition:
- Arthritis - 522,638
- Spondylosis - 21,649
- Back Pain (Other / Precise Diagnosis not Specified) - 81,002
- Disease Of The Muscles, Bones or Joints - 92,933
- Trauma to Limbs - 22,233
- Visual Disorders and Diseases - 51,899
- Hearing Disorders - 9,953
- Heart Disease - 132,687
- Respiratory Disorders and Diseases - 110,267
- Asthma - 7,230
- Cystic Fibrosis - 108
- Cerebrovascular Disease - 76,851
- Peripheral vascular Disease - 7,545
- Epilepsy - 3,696
- Neurological Diseases - 39,901
- Multiple Sclerosis - 3,591
- Parkinsons Disease - 48,073
- Motor Neurone Disease - 780
- Chronic Pain Syndromes - 6,599
- Diabetes Mellitus - 21,380
- Metabolic Disease - 2,185
- Traumatic Paraplegia/Tetraplegia - 558
- Major Trauma Other than Traumatic Paraplegia/Tetraplegia - 2,237
- Learning Difficulties - 1,526
- Psychosis - 15,449
- Psychoneurosis - 12,498
- Personality Disorder - 207
- Dementia - 204,946
- Behavioural Disorder - 887
- Alcohol and Drug Abuse - 2,085
- Hyperkinetic Syndrome - 47
- Renal Disorders - 23,157
- Inflammatory Bowel Disease - 2,566
- Bowel and Stomach Disease - 7,525
- Blood Disorders - 1,480
- Haemophilia - 115
- Multi System Disorders - 8,927
- Multiple Allergy Syndrome - 89
- Skin Disease - 3,403
- Malignant Disease - 63,292
- Severe Mentally Impaired - 0
- Double Amputee - 0
- Deaf/Blind - 0
- Haemodialysis - 320
- Frailty - 2,265
- Total Parental Nutrition - 0
- AIDS - 132
- Infectious diseases: Viral disease (Coronavirus covid-19) - 720
- Infectious diseases: Viral disease (precise diagnosis not specified) - 45
- Infectious diseases: Bacterial disease (Tuberculosis) - 116
- Infectious diseases: Bacterial disease (precise diagnosis not specified) - 43
- Infectious diseases: Protozoal disease - Malaria - 0
- Infectious diseases: Protozoal disease - other / precise diagnosis not specified - 0
- Infectious diseases (other / precise diagnosis not specified) - 132
- Cognitive disorder (other / precise diagnosis not specified) - 24,219
- Terminally Ill - 46,422
- Unknown - 104,955
Total cases: 1,793,554.
