DWP hands £114 per week to state pensioners with 56 health conditions | Personal Finance | Finance
State pensioners with disabilities or serious health conditions could be claiming £114 in weekly support from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). Attendance Allowance, which helps older people cover care costs, is paid at two rates, with the amount awarded depending on the level of care needed.
Claimants can get £76.70 or £114.60 a week to help with personal support if their disability or health condition is serious enough to require assistance with self-care or supervision to ensure their own or someone else’s safety. Eligibility also depends on the claimant requiring such a level of care for a minimum of six months. Despite the vital financial support offered by Attendance Allowance, it remains one of the most underclaimed benefits, with up to a million people missing out on potentially billions of pounds a year.
The lower rate applies to those who need help or supervision during either the day or the night, while the higher rate is for those who need help or supervision during both day and night or if a medical professional has said they have 12 months or less to live.
Thousands of pensioners with physical or mental health conditions in Great Britain are eligible for the benefit but not claiming it, according to research from MoneySavingExpert and Policy in Practice.
“That’s often due to misconceptions around what it is and who qualifies,” the personal finance blog founded by Martin Lewis said.
Receiving Attendance Allowance can also open up access to a number of other benefits, including a Blue Badge, council tax discount and extra pension credit.
