The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) provides up to £114 per week to state pensioners who have disabilities or serious health conditions. Attendance Allowance, designed to help older individuals cover care costs, is available at two rates depending on the level of care required. Claimants can receive either £76.70 or £114.60 each week to assist with personal support if their condition necessitates help with self-care or supervision for safety. Eligibility also requires that the claimant has needed this level of care for at least six months.
Underclaimed Benefit
Despite its importance, Attendance Allowance remains one of the most underclaimed benefits in Britain. Up to a million eligible pensioners are missing out, potentially losing billions of pounds annually. Many are unaware of the benefit or hold misconceptions about eligibility. According to research from MoneySavingExpert and Policy in Practice, thousands of pensioners with physical or mental health conditions qualify but do not apply. The personal finance blog founded by Martin Lewis notes that this often stems from misunderstandings about what the benefit entails and who can receive it.
Rates and Eligibility
The lower rate applies to those who need help or supervision during either the day or the night. The higher rate is for individuals requiring assistance both day and night, or for those with a terminal illness where a medical professional has given a prognosis of 12 months or less to live. Receiving Attendance Allowance can also unlock other benefits, such as a Blue Badge, council tax discount, and additional Pension Credit.
Health Conditions Covered
The DWP lists 56 health conditions that may qualify for Attendance Allowance. These include:
- Arthritis
- Spondylosis
- Back pain (other or unspecified)
- Muscle, bone, or joint diseases
- Limb trauma
- Visual or hearing disorders
- Heart disease
- Respiratory conditions (including asthma, cystic fibrosis)
- Cerebrovascular and peripheral vascular disease
- Epilepsy
- Neurological diseases (e.g., multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's, motor neurone disease)
- Chronic pain syndromes
- Diabetes mellitus
- Metabolic disease
- Traumatic paraplegia/tetraplegia
- Major trauma
- 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 (e.g., haemophilia)
- Multi-system disorders
- Multiple allergy syndrome
- Skin disease
- Malignant disease
- Severe mental impairment
- Double amputee
- Deaf/blind
- Haemodialysis
- Frailty
- Total parenteral nutrition
- AIDS
- Infectious diseases (including COVID-19, tuberculosis, malaria)
- Cognitive disorder (unspecified)
- Terminal illness
Eligibility is not limited to this list; other conditions may also qualify if they meet the care needs criteria.
