Britons of state pension age have been urged to check they’re not missing out on Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) worth up to £114.60 a week. Attendance Allowance is a weekly payment from the DWP that helps with extra costs for people with a disability or health condition severe enough to need someone to help look after them.
It’s paid at two different rates, and the amount successful claimants receive depends on the level of care required due to the disability or health condition, the UK Government website explains. You could get £76.70 or £114.60 a week to help with personal support if both of the following apply:
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You have a physical disability, a mental disability, or a health condition
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You’re State Pension age (66 or 67 depending on when you were born) or older
It’s also not means tested, meaning anyone over state pension age can apply, regardless of their savings or income. But Iona Bain, BBC Morning Live’s resident money expert, has voiced concerns that people may be missing out on support through downplaying their genuine struggles.
Ms Bain explained that she had learnt more about the benefit after her mother was diagnosed with age-related macular degeneration a couple of years ago.
Speaking on the programme, she explained it led to deterioration of her mum’s eyesight, “particularly in one eye and it definitely had an impact on her life”, Chronicle Live reports.
“It definitely meant that she needed more support. So, I looked into a particular benefit called Attendance Allowance to see whether she would be eligible and a few things really jumped out at me.”
She discovered that having an official diagnosis of a specific condition doesn’t automatically affect whether or not you’re eligible for AA. “That’s not really how it works,” the personal finance guru added. “It’s more about being able to show what the impact of that is on your day-to-day life and the fact that you now need support as a result of that condition or disability.”
However, Ms Bain revealed why she believes some potential claimants aren’t getting the support they’re entitled to. “They might be quite stoic” and want just to “get on with things”, she said. “They feel that they’ve been coping just fine so they don’t really need that extra support.
“But actually, sometimes you just get used to living a certain way and you don’t realise that you’ve been paying for things in your life as a result of your condition and that is actually a pressure and a burden there.”
She stressed that there is “shame” or “stigma” around getting some support. “The first part of this whole process is describing how your disability or condition is affecting your day-to-day life and the struggles that you’re having as a result,” she explained.
“Some people might find that quite draining and difficult so it’s good to just have some moral support there apart from anything.”
Ms Bain explained that in her family’s case, her dad was able to help mum and her put together the application because he was able to provide a lot of the necessary information, “and build a picture of how this condition was affecting my mum’s life”.
She noted some people “might feel reluctant or embarrassed at that help, and that’s really understandable, but I would say it’s absolutely fine to do”.
“If you would prefer to do this on your own, or you have to do this on your own, my advice would be to keep a diary for a couple of weeks of what you’re living with.”
You can find out more about Attendance Allowance and how to apply on GOV.UK website.