The DWP’s Attendance Allowance benefit payment rate will rise by 6.7 percent in April, bringing a welcome boost worth hundreds of pounds more to households grappling with high living costs.
Attendance Allowance is distributed by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to people over the state pension age of 66 who need help with personal care or supervision due to illness or a disability.
The benefit has broad eligibility criteria, however, it’s thought a significant amount of people are not claiming it despite qualifying for the support.
Estimates from MoneySavingExpert and Policy in Practice suggest that as many as 1.1 million individuals could be missing out on up to £5.2billion a year.
However, claiming could make a substantial difference to a person’s annual income. Currently, at its highest rate, the benefit can be worth up to £441 a month, equating to around £5,291 per year.
But from April, the rate will be worth even more as many benefits will rise in line with September 2023’s 6.7 percent inflation rate.
Attendance Allowance is paid at two rates, the lower rate and the higher rate. The amount eligible claimants receive is calculated based on how much help is needed, not any current help the person does or doesn’t get.
The new lower and higher payment rates that are proposed to come into effect in April are:
This will bring the highest payment up to around £470 a month and a much more significant £5,644 a year.
Those requiring assistance during the day or night may qualify for the lower rate, while those needing help both day and night or facing a terminal illness may be eligible for the higher rate.
To be eligible for Attendance Allowance, people must be 66 years old or older and habitually reside in the UK, Ireland, the Isle of Man, or the Channel Islands.
They must be in Great Britain (England, Scotland, or Wales) when making the claim and have resided there for the past two years. The person must also have a type of disability or illness severe enough to need help with personal care.
The full list of conditions that can qualify for Attendance Allowance include:
People must have needed for the past six months unless they have less than 12 months to live.
However, it should be noted that people won’t be able to claim Attendance Allowance if they already receive Personal Independence Payment (PIP), Adult Disability Payment (ADP), or the care component of Disability Living Allowance (DLA).
To claim, people need to complete an Attendance Allowance form, clearly specifying the assistance they require and the assistance they do not.
People can get access to a form by either calling the helpline on 0800 731 0122 or downloading it from the Government website, here.
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