State pensioners with certain health conditions can receive up to £5,959.20 per year under Andy Burnham’s government with a single claim to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). The money comes from the DWP benefit Attendance Allowance, which provides people of State Pension age with extra income if they have a physical or mental disability, or a health condition that requires a certain level of care.
How much can you get?
The benefit is paid at two different rates, and the amount is determined by the level of care you need. Both the lower and higher rate were uplifted by 3.8% in April, based on the September 2026 CPI inflation rate, giving claimants an extra boost in the 2026 to 2027 tax year.
The lower rate, for people who require help or supervision during the day or supervision at night, is worth £76.70 per week. The higher rate, for those who need help or supervision throughout both the day and night, is currently £114.60 per week.
Eligibility and conditions
The exact amount claimants get from the DWP will vary from person to person depending on care needs. If you are eligible for the full amount, you could get up to £5,959.20 per year at the higher rate, while the full lower rate is worth up to £3,988.40 annually.
Attendance Allowance is available to people of State Pension age in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. If you live in Scotland, you instead need to apply for Pension Age Disability Payment (PADP), which is paid at the same rate.
The lower rate of both Attendance Allowance and PADP is given to those who need frequent help or constant supervision during the day or at night. The higher rate is given to those who need help or supervision throughout the day and night, or if a medical professional has said you are nearing the end of life.
Qualifying conditions and future changes
To be eligible for either Attendance Allowance or PADP, you must have reached State Pension age and all of the following apply: you have a physical disability, a mental disability, or a health condition; your disability or health condition is severe enough for you to need help caring for yourself or someone to supervise you, for your own or someone else’s safety; and you have needed that help for at least six months.
While there is no definitive list of health conditions that qualify for Attendance Allowance and PADP, the DWP has a list of 56 main disabling conditions recorded on its Disability Living Allowance computer system. Having one of these conditions may mean you are likely to qualify for a payment of up to £114.60 per week, but this is not a checklist for qualifying—it is simply an overview of the type of conditions being supported. The list includes arthritis, heart disease, asthma, diabetes, dementia, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, chronic pain syndromes, and many others.
New Prime Minister Andy Burnham inherits the current Attendance Allowance system from his predecessors Sir Keir Starmer and ex-Chancellor Rachel Reeves, with the benefit set to continue under his premiership. As Mr Burnham has vowed to lead a “cost of living government”, it is unlikely that a major overhaul will be made to Attendance Allowance. If changes are in the pipeline, they would not be announced until the Autumn Budget delivered by new Chancellor John Healey on October 28. If announced, changes would likely come into effect in the next tax year, which begins on April 6, 2027.
