New way for older people to claim Attendance Allowance payments from DWP
Nearly 1.7 million people over State Pension age are receiving either £73.90 or £110.40 each week in Attendance Allowance.
The latest figures from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) show there are now nearly 1.7 million older people receiving additional financial support through Attendance Allowance, including 150,000 living in Scotland.
The payment is now worth either £73.90 or £110.40 each week and is designed to help people of State Pension age with daily living expenses - it does not cover mobility needs.
The benefit supports people with a disability, long-term illness and mental or physical health issues. The list of conditions supported through Attendance Allowance is long, nearly 50, but the most common disabling condition - an umbrella term used by the DWP - is arthritis, which provides support for 483,376 people across Great Britain, including 44,455 in Scotland.
For anyone considering making a new application this month, updated guidance on GOV.UK now states that the new online service will only accept a 'limited number of applications each week'. It's important to be aware that you cannot apply online using a mobile phone or tablet, it must be a desktop or laptop computer.
People can also apply through the post by either printing and submitting the Attendance Allowance claim form on GOV.UK here, or by contacting the helpline on 0800 731 0122 to request one.
For those applying by post, the DWP recently updated the guidance to remind claimants not to 'write anything except the Freepost address on the envelope' - they also said it does not need a postcode or a stamp.
Commenting on the online application process, a DWP spokesperson said: 'We are temporarily testing a new online service to make claiming Attendance Allowance easier and to improve accessibility. While the online service is not yet widely available, no-one will miss out on the benefit as claimants can still apply in the usual way by post."
It's important for people living in Scotland to be aware that Pension Age Disability Payment (PADP) has now replaced all new claims for Attendance Allowance. Payments are eligibility are the same, but the devolved benefit is delivered by Social Security Scotland and not DWP - full details on MYGOV.SCOT here.
Attendance Allowance and PADP are worth either £73.90 (lower rate) or £110.40 (higher rate) each week and as the benefit is usually paid every four weeks, this amounts to either £295.60 or £441.60 every pay period - some £5,740.80 over the 2025/26 financial year.
How much someone receives depends on the level of support needed and the benefit is designed to help people of State Pension age with daily living expenses which can also help them stay independent in their own home for longer.
It's important to be aware there is no mobility component attached to Attendance Allowance or PADP.
Main health condition and number of claimants across Great Britain
It's important to note that this list is not a checklist for claiming Attendance Allowance, it is intended to help people understand what type of conditions are being supported. However, if you need extra support during the day or night due to a long-term illness, disability or health condition, you should check out the official eligibility guidance for Attendance Allowance on the GOV.UK website here.
10 most-claimed Attendance Allowance health conditions:
Arthritis - 483,376 clamants
Dementia - 173,179 claimants
Heart Disease - 124,528 claimants
Respiratory Conditions - 104,098 claimants
Disease Of The Muscles, Bones or Joints - 86,319
Cerebrovascular Disease - 74,716
Back Pain - 74,804
Visual Disorders and Diseases - 50,993
Parkinson's - 44,440 claimants
Neurological Conditions - 35,597 claimants
Below is everything you need to know about Attendance Allowance including the main health conditions being claimed, eligibility and how to make a claim. Full details on claiming PADP can be found here.
What is Attendance Allowance?
Attendance Allowance helps with extra costs if you have a physical or mental disability or illness severe enough that makes it hard for you to look after yourself - it does not cover mobility needs. You do not need to have someone caring for you in order to make a claim.
Who can claim?
You should apply for Attendance Allowance if you have a disability or illness and need help or supervision throughout the day or at times during the night -even if you don't currently get that help.
This might include:
Help with your personal care - for example getting dressed, eating or drinking, getting in and out of bed, bathing or showering and going to the toilet
Help to stay safe
You should also apply if you have difficulties with personal tasks, for example if they take you a long time, you experience pain or you need physical help, like a chair to lean on. Attendance Allowance isn't just for people with a physical disability or illness.
You should also claim if you need help or supervision throughout the day or night and have:
a mental health condition
learning difficulties
a sensory condition - if you are deaf or visually impaired
How much could I get on Attendance Allowance?
You could receive either £73.90 (lower rate) or £110.40 (higher rate) each week. This amounts to either £295.60 or £441.60 every pay period.
You can spend the money however you like and it could help you stay independent in your own home for longer.
This might include:
paying for taxis
helping towards bills
paying for a cleaner or gardener
Can I claim Attendance Allowance even if I have savings and other income?
Yes. Attendance Allowance isn't means-tested so it doesn't matter what other money you have coming in or how much you have in savings either - there's no limit. it is also tax-free and you will be exempt from the Benefit Cap so you won't have money taken away from any other benefits.
Will Attendance Allowance affect my State Pension?
No, it won't affect your State Pension and you can even claim it if you're still working and earning money.
How does Attendance Allowance affect other benefits?
The other benefits you get might increase if you get Attendance Allowance, these include:
Extra Pension Credit
Housing Benefit Reduction
Council Tax Reduction
How do I make a claim?
You will need to complete a long claim form when you apply for Attendance Allowance. It might seem daunting at first but help is available from your nearest Citizens Advice, so don't let the form put you off applying.
If you'd prefer to do it yourself you can follow the Citizens Advice guide on how to fill in your claim form here. Full details of how to get the application form by post or over the phone can be found on the GOV.UK website here.
What happens if I am about to reach State Pension age?
If you are thinking about applying for Attendance Allowance when you reach State Pension age, you might be better off claiming Personal Independence Payment (PIP) straight away - you may be able to get more money.
Who cannot claim Attendance Allowance?
You cannot claim Attendance Allowance if you are over State Pension age and live in Scotland. You need to claim PADP instead, find out more here.
You won't be able to get Attendance Allowance if you already get PIP or Disability Living Allowance (DLA) to pay for your care. If you apply for Attendance Allowance while getting DLA, the DWP will usually reassess your DLA award instead.
You can renew your PIP or DLA when the existing award ends as long as you still meet the eligibility criteria. If your renewal is unsuccessful you can apply for Attendance Allowance instead.
here.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mirror
3 days ago
- Daily Mirror
‘I'm a mum of two disabled teenagers - brutal PIP cuts make our life impossible'
Mum Nicola Holmes says that if Personal Independence Payments (PIP) are removed under a Labour shake-up, it is an assault on families like theirs, and it will push them further into poverty Former actor and beauty therapist Nicola Holmes , 55, lives in Tewkesbury with husband Wayne, an electrician, and their two children Ethan, 18, who has autism, Down's syndrome and severe anxiety, and Ella, 16, who has PDA (pathological demand avoidance) anxiety and is situationally mute. Vulnerable people, like Nicola and her family, who are claiming PIP have accused the government of targeting society's most vulnerable by stopping benefits as part of the new Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill. This is despite Department of Works and Pensions (DWP) confirmation that benefit claimants affected by proposed changes to PIP will have their payments protected for a 13 week transitional period. Existing claimants affected by changes to the PIP daily living component, including those who lose their eligibility to Carers' Allowance and the carers' element of Universal Credit, who will receive the additional protection, feel it is nowhere near enough. Mum Nicola says the cuts will push families like hers deeper into poverty. The family relies on husband Wayne's income as self-employed electrician, PIP for Ethan, universal credit and carers' allowance. Reacting to today's benefits announcements, she tells The Mirror: 'This Is not reform. This is collapse. As a mum of two disabled teenagers, both autistic, and one who also has Down's syndrom, I feel completely abandoned by a system that was supposed to protect us. READ MORE: 'I'm having panic attacks over PIP shake-up - I don't know how ministers sleep at night' 'It almost feels too late for them now, as if the bureaucracy is simply determined to age them out of the system, rather than ever step up and support them properly. 'I can't work, not out of choice, but because I am caring full-time for two incredible, vulnerable human beings in the total absence of meaningful provision. I also have a chronic health condition, brought on by the relentless stress of caring. The system has failed my young people again and again, and in doing so, has failed me and my husband as their parents. As a family, we have been left behind. 'Now, the government plans to make brutal cuts to Universal Credit and PIP. Making the process even more nefarious and complex. 'Disability should not be scored by numbers. Lifelong conditions should be accepted as just that and not be needed to be reassessed. Disabled people should not have to prove their worth in society. 'It's a direct assault on families like mine…families already surviving on the bare minimum. We are constantly exhausted, financially drained, emotionally spent. These cuts won't just make life harder. They will make it impossible. 'PIP and carers' allowance are intrinsically linked. Removing them from thousands will have a violent domino effect of astronomical proportions. Carers allowance is not meant to be a wage and yet it is included as earnings and therefore taxed as one. The Government makes out people are getting something for nothing – but carers provide the equivalent of a second NHS. 'This will be catastrophic. Instead of rebuilding the foundations, the government is accelerating collapse by targeting those of us who were already barely hanging on. 'We're not seeing reform, we're watching the systematic removal of care and responsibility from governance. Social safety nets have become traps. Services have become mazes. 'It feels like the lives of disabled people, and those of us who care for them, simply don't matter anymore. We're seen as burdens to be managed or costs to be cut, rather than human beings with potential, rights, and futures worth investing in. 'This is very serious.'
Daily Mirror
5 days ago
- Daily Mirror
'I'm an NHS nurse - I've been put in rat-infested temporary flat miles from job'
Nadine Rich, a qualified NHS district nurse, from Greater Manchester, who has a three-year-old daughter Nevaeh to look after has told how the benefits system is working against her A mum and NHS nurse says she is "being forced into poverty" as she wants to work full time as a nurse but a DWP rule on housing means she can't while she's living in a rodent-infested flat miles from work and family. Nadine Rich, a qualified NHS district nurse, has a three-year-old daughter, Nevaeh, to raise and while juggling a career and bringing up a toddler is a difficult job for any parent, it is even tougher for her as she has no home. After her relationship broke down last April, she was made homeless and she says she can't rent privately due to past circumstances, so her only option is to find a council house. While she's on the waiting list for a council house, Nadine, from Peel Hall in Wythenshawe, lives in temporary accommodation in Abbey Hey which is 11 miles away from her family, friends, workplace, and Neveah's school. She says her temporary flat has rodents requiring multiple visits from pest control, which has set her back £600 in all. There's also mould which has needed treatment, and Manchester council has undertaken repairs. And Nadine claims that it is a DWP rule that is preventing her from getting her life back on track after 14 months. As a single parent, Nadine is entitled to some universal credit payments to help top-up her income to help with essential costs, like paying rent. She told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that would be a £378-per-month boost if she got it. But Nadine doesn't receive universal credit because a DWP rule says you can't spend it on temporary homeless accommodation like Nadine finds herself in. Instead, she can only receive housing benefit. But the problem with housing benefit is that the more you work, the less you're entitled to — so Nadine has to cut her hours, so housing benefit can cover the £875 per month rent on her temporary accommodation. When she tried to work full-time, she couldn't pay for day-to-day essentials, and ended up in rent arrears with Manchester Council, which the mum-of-one says saw her suspended from Manchester's housing register, further delaying her progress to finding a forever home. So Nadine has cut her hours to 30 per week, and she's struggling. 'I am getting the rent paid for, but I am being forced into poverty. I can work far more but I cannot afford the rent and petrol,' she said. 'It's £10 per day to get to and from work. If I work five or six days then that's £60 per week in petrol 'It's either my child or my job, I know most women have to make that decision but if I was just put in the appropriate property, it would be different.' The government says it acknowledges there is a challenge between the interaction of universal credit and housing benefit, and is considering reform of the system to prevent a repeat of Nadine's case. 'Through our Plan for Change, we have raised the national living wage, increased benefits and provided additional support to thousands of the poorest households across the country,' a government spokesperson added. 'The government inherited a serious housing crisis, but we are taking urgent and decisive action to end homelessness, providing £1 billion for crucial services this year so councils can support families faster.' But while the government deliberates, Nadine is 'at her wits end'. She went on: 'It's putting my life on hold. I cannot progress from band five to band six, because need to do a course. If I go to uni for the course, I still have to pay rent [and without an income] I will end up in rent arrears again. I'm a nurse. I'm a qualified nurse.' What Manchester council says On the quality of Nadine's apartment, a Manchester City Council spokesperson said: "This property was inspected earlier this year in response to a complaint from the tenant. Some evidence of damp, and a small area of mould, was identified and we instructed the accommodation provider to carry out a number of repairs to address this. These were all completed. There was no evidence of pests at the time. "However, if Nadine wants to get in touch with us again we would be happy to arrange a further inspection so any necessary steps can be taken." And on the flat's location 11 miles away from Wythenshawe, they added: 'Pressure on temporary accommodation caused by demand relative to supply means that it is often not possible to house people facing homelessness in their preferred area. "We are making progress in reducing such placements, both through increased prevention of homelessness and by increasing our supply of suitable temporary accommodation with the area, as well in the longer term by delivering 10,000 social, council and genuinely affordable homes by 2032 - with more being built now that at any time in the last 15 years."
Scottish Sun
5 days ago
- Scottish Sun
Warning to anyone claiming key benefit as simple mistake could see your benefit STOPPED
We reveal what happens if you make the mistake below CUT OFF Warning to anyone claiming key benefit as simple mistake could see your benefit STOPPED Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) HOUSEHOLDS claiming a key government benefit could risk payments being stopped over a simple mistake. Attendance Allowance is paid to state pensioners suffering from a long-term physical or mental condition or disability. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 1 You could see your Attendance Allowance benefit stopped over a simple mistake Credit: Alamy It is paid at two different weekly rates depending on your level of need - £73.90 and £110.40. However, if your personal circumstances change you must tell the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) as it means your entitlement to the benefit could go up or down. If you don't report any change, you could have your payments stopped, have to pay a penalty or even be taken to court. The types of changes you have to report include if you plan to leave the UK for longer than four weeks or you go to prison. Read more on Benefits CASH IN Households can apply for free cost of living cash worth £500 You also have to report if you change your name, address or bank details and if your immigration status changes. You need to contact the Attendance Allowance helpline straight away if: the level of help you need or your condition changes - you'll need to provide details like if the amount of times you need help each day has changed you go into hospital or a care home - you'll need to provide the address, the dates you've been there for, and how your stay is paid for a medical professional has said you might have 12 more or less to live (you could get Attendance Allowance at a higher rate under "special rules for end of life") you plan to leave the country for more than 4 weeks you go into prison you change your name, address or bank details you want to stop receiving your benefit your doctor's details change your immigration status changes, if you're not a British citizen You can contact the AA helpline on 0800 731 0122 Monday to Friday 8am to 6pm. What happens if you don't report a change in circumstances If you've not reported a change in circumstances and have been overpaid, you'll have to pay it back. You should get a letter from DWP Debt Management explaining how to repay and manage any benefit money you owe. Three key benefits that YOU could be missing out on, and one even gives you a free TV Licence You can pay back the overpayment in full or set up regular monthly payments. If you need help managing repayments, you can contact the DWP Debt Management contact centre on 0800 916 0647. If you are found to have been overpaid due to your own negligence or error you may also have to pay a £50 penalty. If you're suspected to have committed benefit fraud, you'll be contacted by the DWP, HMRC, the Defence Business Services or your local authority. If you are found to have committed benefit fraud, one or more of the following may happen: you'll be told to pay back the overpaid money you may be taken to court or asked to pay a penalty (between £350 and £5,000) your benefits may be reduced or stopped More information on this can be found via How do you report a change in circumstances for other benefits? The rules around reporting a change in circumstances vary depending on the benefit. Who you need to contact about reporting a change in circumstances varies based on the benefit as well. Here is how to report a change for the main benefits: Universal Credit - Report changes using your Universal Credit online account if you have one or contact the Universal Credit helpline on 0800 328 5644. Pension Credit - Call the Pension Service helpline on 0800 731 0469 or report changes by post. The address is on the letters you get about your Pension Credit. Disability benefits - Call the Disability Service Centre to report changes if you get Disability Living Allowance (DLA) or PIP. The number to call is 0800 121 4433. Carer's Allowance - Report a change online or call the Carer's Allowance Unit on 0800 731 0297. Housing Benefit - Tell your local council about changes if you get Housing Benefit. You can find what local council area you fall under via Child Benefit - Report changes using the Child Benefit online service or call on 0300 200 3100. All other benefits - Call Jobcentre Plus to report changes. You need to have your National Insurance number when you call. You can find your nearest centre via Are you missing out on benefits? YOU can use a benefits calculator to help check that you are not missing out on money you are entitled to Charity Turn2Us' benefits calculator works out what you could get. Entitledto's free calculator determines whether you qualify for various benefits, tax credit and Universal Credit. and charity StepChange both have benefits tools powered by Entitledto's data. You can use Policy in Practice's calculator to determine which benefits you could receive and how much cash you'll have left over each month after paying for housing costs. Your exact entitlement will only be clear when you make a claim, but calculators can indicate what you might be eligible for. Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing money-sm@ Plus, you can join our Sun Money Chats and Tips Facebook group to share your tips and stories
