Over a million Brits are receiving additional financial aid from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) through Attendance Allowance. This benefit, which is either £73.90 or £110.40 per week, is designed for those of State Pension age who are dealing with long-term physical or mental health issues or disabilities.
To qualify, people generally need to have a condition severe enough to require care or supervision from another person and must have been receiving this help for at least six months. However, Policy in Practice estimates that as many as 1.1 million eligible people are not receiving this support.
To make things easier for those over State Pension age, we have drawn up a list of more than 40 health conditions usually covered by Attendance Allowance. The most frequently claimed disabling condition, according to the DWP, is arthritis, which affects 460,993 people.
These conditions are not a checklist for claiming Attendance Allowance, but rather a guide to help you understand what is and isn’t supported. If you need extra help during the day or night due to a long-term illness, disability, or health condition, please refer to the official eligibility guidance on GOV.UK.
Health issues and disabilities that may qualify for Attendance Allowance
The Daily Record previously highlighted the conditions under which you might qualify for claiming Attendance Allowance:
- Trauma to Limbs
- Asthma
- Hearing Disorders
- Multi System Disorders
- Visual Disorders and Diseases
- Haemodialysis
- Renal Disorders
- Epilepsy
- Disease Of The Muscles, Bones or Joints
- Alcohol and Drug Abuse
- Double Amputee
- Total Parenteral Nutrition
- Frailty
- Haemophilia
- AIDS
- Traumatic Paraplegia/Tetraplegia
- Peripheral vascular Disease
- Psychosis
- Spondylosis
- Metabolic Disease
- Parkinsons Disease
- Multiple Sclerosis
- Blood Disorders
- Learning Difficulties
- Malignant Disease
- Dementia
- Motor Neurone Disease
- Deaf/Blind
- Cerebrovascular Disease
- Multiple Allergy Syndrome
- Respiratory Disorders and Diseases
- Back Pain
- Psychoneurosis
- Hyperkinetic Syndrome
- Severely Mentally impaired
- Neurological Diseases
- Bowel and Stomach Disease
- Behavioural Disorder
- Cystic Fibrosis
- Heart Disease
- Diabetes Mellitus
- Inflammatory Bowel Disease
- Infectious diseases: Viral disease – Coronavirus covid-19
- Major Trauma Other than Traumatic Paraplegia/Tetraplegia
- Skin Disease
- Chronic Pain Syndromes
- Arthritis
- Personality Disorder
Can Attendance Allowance affect your State Pension?
No, it doesn’t impact your State Pension, and you can still claim it even if you’re working and earning an income.
How does Attendance Allowance affect other benefits?
Receiving Attendance Allowance may also increase your other benefits, including:
- Housing Benefit Reduction
- Council Tax Reduction
- Extra Pension Credit
Who is not eligible for Attendance Allowance?
If you’re already getting PIP or Disability Living Allowance (DLA) to cover your care costs, you won’t be eligible for Attendance Allowance. If you apply for Attendance Allowance while on DLA, the DWP will usually reassess your DLA award instead.
You can renew your PIP or DLA when the current award expires, provided you still meet the eligibility criteria. If your renewal is unsuccessful, you can then apply for Attendance Allowance.
How to make a claim
To apply for Attendance Allowance, you’ll need to fill out a comprehensive claim form. While this might seem daunting at first, support is available from your local Citizens Advice, so don’t let the form deter you from applying.
Alternatively, you can handle the process yourself using the Citizens Advice guide to fill in your claim form here. For information on how to get the application form by post or phone, visit the GOV.UK website here.
Typically, the details needed to make a claim include:
- Details of the disability or health condition which you need extra help for
- Details of your GP surgery or medical centre
- Details of your care home, hospital or hospice if you’re currently staying in one
- Your National Insurance number
- Your address and contact details
