Overlooked DWP benefit rule that could top up your State Pension by £5,644 a year

OVER a million people are estimated to be missing out on a little-known benefit worth over £5,500 a year.

Analysis from Policy in Practice, carried out in December last year, found that just 69% of people who are eligible for Attendance Allowance are claiming it.

This means that around 1.1million people are missing out on 5.2billion worth of benefits that they are entitled to.

If you qualify for the higher rate, Attendance Allowance is worth £108.55 a week, which works out as £5,644.60 a year.

Even at the lower rate, it’s worth £72.65 a week or £3,777.80 a year, over a third of the total value of the state pension, so it’s well worth putting a claim in.

Here’s everything you need to know including who qualifies for Attendance Allowance, how to claim it, and how to work out what you might get.

What is Attendance Allowance?

Attendance Allowance is a government benefit designed to help with the extra cost of living if you have a disability or health condition that is serious enough that you need someone to help look after you.

You can also claim it if you have a terminal illness and are nearing the end of your life.

Who qualifies for Attendance Allowance?

To get attendance allowance you need to be over state pension age. Currently that’s 66, but it will soon rise to 67 for people born after April 1960. The changes are expected to come in between 2026 and 2028.

To be eligible for the benefit, you also need to have a physical or mental disability or a health condition. 

This will need to be serious enough that you need someone to help care for you, or you need supervision for yours or someone else’s safety. You must have needed that help for at least six months to claim.

The rules are different if you’re terminally ill with not long left to live, and you should be able to get the higher rate much more quickly.

You usually need to be in Great Britain to claim, although there are some exceptions for people in the army and their family members. 

You also need to have been here for two of the last three years and be classed as “habitually resident” which means that your main home is in the UK. Those rules may not apply if you’re a refugee or have humanitarian protection status.

You might still be able to get Attendance Allowance if you’re a UK national and you live in or move to the EU, European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland.

You cannot get Attendance Allowance if you already receive the Disability Living Allowance (DLA), Personal Independence Payment (PIP) or Adult Disability Payment (ADP).

You also cannot usually get Attendance Allowance if you live in a care home and your care is paid for by your local authority. However, you can still claim if you pay for all your care costs yourself.

If it’s not clear how your disability or health condition affects you, you might have to have an assessment. You’ll get a letter saying why and where you need to go. A medical professional will be at the assessment to examine you and assess your needs.

What about Scotland

Scotland is introducing a different system called Pension Age Disability Payments.

If you live in Aberdeeen City, Argyll and Bute, Highland, Orkey Islands, or the Shetland Islands, you need to apply for the Pension Age Disability Payments.

If you live anywhere else in Scotland, you should apply for Attendance Allowance.

Anyone on Attendance Allowance will start to be moved across to Pension Age Disability Payments from Spring next year. You will receive letters from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and Social Security Scotland explaining the changes, how they will impact you, and any actions you need to take.

How much will I get for Attendance Allowance?

Attendance Allowance is paid at two different weekly rates, depending on how much help you need.

The benefit isn’t means tested, so it doesn’t matter how much you have in savings or what you earn.

The lower rate is worth £72.65 a week, and is for people who need frequent help or constant supervision during either the day or the night.

The higher rate – which is worth £108.55 a week – is for people who need that help both at daytime and at nighttime, or for anyone nearing the end of their life.

You could get extra Pension Credit, Housing Benefit or Council Tax Reduction if you get Attendance Allowance.

How to claim Attendance Allowance

You can apply either online or by post.

You’ll need to provide your National Insurance number and your address and contact details. You’ll also need to explain the details of your disability or health condition and why you need extra help. You should also include details of your GP or medical centre.

If you’re in hospital or a care home, you should include those details. 

To apply online, use this link. If you want to apply by post, you need to either print and send the Attendance Allowance claim form or contact the helpline on 0800 731 0122 to request a form.

Send the completed form to: Freepost, DWP Attendance Allowance. Do not write anything except the freepost address on the envelope. You do not need a postcode or a stamp. 

The form comes with notes telling you how to fill it in.

After you send your claim, you’ll get a text or letter within three weeks that explains when you can expect a decision. Once a decision is made, you’ll get a letter explaining the outcome.

If you applied online, your claim will start from the date you submitted the form. If you applied by post, the claim starts from when DWP receives your letter. If you called the helpline to get a form, your claim will start on the date of your call, as long as you return the form within six weeks.

If you’re in Northern Ireland, you need to follow a different process, which is outlined here. 

If you’ve been diagnosed with a terminal illness and a medical professional has said you have less than 12 months left to live, then the process is different. You should ask your doctor or another medical professional for the form SR1. They can fill this in and give it to you, or send it directly to DWP themselves. 

In this case, you should be given the higher rate and should not be asked for an assessment. 

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