People over the age of 66 with certain health conditions could bolster their monthly income to £1,423 next year
Attendance Allowance and Pension Age Disability Payment supports over 1.7 million UK pensioners (Image: GETTY)
From April next year, there will be an increase in state pension and benefit rates. This includes the Attendance Allowance, which could provide disabled pensioners with an additional £458.40.
More than 1.7 million individuals in Great Britain are already benefiting from this support according to the Daily Record and combined with the full state pension increase, retirees could potentially receive a monthly income of £1,423.
Attendance Allowance, now replaced by the Pension Age Disability Payment in Scotland, offers extra financial assistance to older individuals with a disability, long-term illness, or physical or mental health condition. Both benefits provide the same higher and lower rate amounts. The rate that claimants receive will depend on the level of assistance they require during the day or night.
Eligibility requires having a physical disability, mental disability, or a health condition severe enough to necessitate help or supervision for personal safety or the safety of others. However, it’s important to note that you don’t need to have a carer or plan to get one to claim the benefit.
You must have required that help for at least six months to qualify, although different rules apply for those nearing the end of life.
You must also:
- Be in Great Britain when you claim – there are some exceptions, such as members and family members of the armed forces
- Have been in Great Britain for at least 2 of the last 3 years
- Be habitually resident in the UK, Ireland, Isle of Man or the Channel Islands
- Not be subject to immigration control (unless you’re a sponsored immigrant)
People who already receive Disability Living Allowance, Personal Independence Payment, Adult Disability Payment, Scottish Adult Disability Living Allowance or Armed Forces Independence Payment cannot get Attendance Allowance.
Main health conditions supported by Attendance Allowance and PADP according to the Daily Record:
- Arthritis
- Spondylosis
- Back Pain
- Disease Of The Muscles, Bones or Joints
- Trauma to Limbs
- Visual Disorders and Diseases
- Hearing Disorders
- Heart Disease
- Respiratory Disorders and Diseases
- Asthma
- Cystic Fibrosis
- Cerebrovascular Disease
- Peripheral vascular Disease
- Epilepsy
- Neurological Diseases
- Multiple Sclerosis
- Parkinsons Disease
- Motor Neurone Disease
- Chronic Pain Syndromes
- Diabetes Mellitus
- Metabolic Disease
- Traumatic Paraplegia/Tetraplegia
- Major Trauma Other than Traumatic Paraplegia/Tetraplegia
- Learning Difficulties
- Psychosis
- Psychoneurosis
- Personality Disorder
- Dementia
- Behavioural Disorder
- Alcohol and Drug Abuse
- Hyperkinetic Syndrome
- Renal Disorders
- Inflammatory Bowel Disease
- Bowel and Stomach Disease
- Blood Disorders
- Haemophilia
- Multi System Disorders
- Multiple Allergy Syndrome
- Skin Disease
- Malignant Disease
- Severely Mentally impaired
- Double Amputee
- Deaf/Blind
- Haemodialysis
- Frailty
- Total Parenteral Nutrition
- AIDS
- Infectious diseases: Viral disease – Coronavirus covid-19
From next April, the higher rate of Attendance Allowance will see an increase from £110.40 to £114.60 per week. In a similar vein, the full new state pension will rise from £230.25 to £241.30, as confirmed by the Chancellor in her autumn Budget.
These two DWP provisions could potentially provide retirees with a total of £1,423 per month. However, it’s important to note that not everyone is eligible for the full amount of state pension.
The amount of state pension you receive is determined by the number of years national insurance contributions or credits on your record. As per Royal London’s data, as of 2023, only about half of the 3,407,567 individuals receiving the new State Pension were getting the full weekly amount.
