Attendance Allowance and Pension Age Disability Payment provide up to £458.40 per month
Nearly 50 health conditions qualify pensioners for Attendance Allowance or Pension Age Disability Payment (PADP), worth up to £114.60 per week or £458.40 every four-week payment period. According to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), as of November 2025, nearly 1.7 million older people in Great Britain receive Attendance Allowance. In Scotland, Social Security Scotland data shows 185,895 people aged over 66 receive the devolved benefit, Pension Age Disability Payment.
Both benefits provide either £76.70 (lower rate) or £114.60 (higher rate) per week, paid in arrears. The amount depends on the level of care needed, helping State Pension age individuals with daily living expenses to maintain independence at home. Attendance Allowance has no mobility component.
48 health conditions listed by DWP for Attendance Allowance claims
The DWP records 48 health conditions as part of the claims process. Arthritis is the most common, supporting 503,389 people across Great Britain. The full list includes: Arthritis, Spondylosis, Back Pain - Other / Precise Diagnosis not Specified, 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, Motor Neurone Disease, Chronic Pain Syndromes, Diabetes Mellitus, Metabolic Disease, Traumatic Paraplegia, Major Trauma Other than Traumatic/Paraplegia, Learning Difficulties, Psychosis, Psychoneurosis, Personality Disorder, Dementia, Behavioral 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, Haemodialysis, Frailty, AIDS, Coronavirus covid-19, Viral disease - precise diagnosis not specified, Tuberculosis, Bacterial disease - precise diagnosis not specified, and Cognitive disorder (other).
Who can claim Attendance Allowance or PADP?
Eligibility applies to anyone over State Pension age with a disability or illness requiring help or supervision during the day or night, even if they do not currently receive that help. This includes assistance with personal care such as dressing, eating, bathing, or using the toilet, as well as help to stay safe. Those with mental health conditions, learning difficulties, or sensory conditions like deafness or visual impairment are also eligible.
Attendance Allowance is not means-tested, so savings and other income do not affect eligibility. It is tax-free and exempt from the Benefit Cap. Claiming it may increase other benefits such as Pension Credit, Housing Benefit reduction, or Council Tax reduction.
How to claim
Claims require a long application form, available from GOV.UK by post or phone. Help is available from Citizens Advice and Independent Age. For those nearing State Pension age, claiming Personal Independence Payment (PIP) instead may yield more money. Attendance Allowance cannot be claimed alongside PIP or Disability Living Allowance (DLA). In Scotland, individuals aged 66 and over should apply for Pension Age Disability Payment via mygov.scot, online, by phone, or post. Fast-track applications exist for terminal illness.
According to the DWP, Attendance Allowance does not affect State Pension, and claimants can still work and earn. The Social Security Independent Advocacy Service (Advice Direct Scotland) provides free support for PADP applications at 0808 196 8901 or support@advocacy.scot.
