Millions of people across the UK could be missing out on £400 payments from the Department for Work and Pensions if they are eligible for Attendance Allowance. This benefit is available to people who have a qualifying medical condition or disability and are above state pension age.
Recipients would also need to require help with day-to-day personal care as a result of their health needs to be eligible. It has been found that Attendance Allowance is one of the DWP's most underclaimed benefits, as around 3.4 million people in the UK are eligible to claim but don't, reports Lancashire Live.
Here is everything that you need to know about Attendance Allowance, including how much it is, who can claim it, and a full list of conditions and disabilities which could make you eligible.
Who can claim Attendance Allowance?
Once you are of state pension age, which is 66, you can claim Attendance Allowance. You must also be a resident in the UK and have been for the last two years.
Claimants must also have an illness or disability which requires support. There is no set condition which makes you eligible for Attendance Allowance as it is dependent on the support you need to manage day-to-day life.
This can help with getting washed and dressed, help with medical treatment, go to the toilet, help with mealtimes, or help because you get confused. So if you have Athiritus but you are able to safely look after yourself then you may not be able to claim. However, if you need someone to help you cook for yourself or support you with personal tasks because you experience pain then you may be eligible.
Conditions and disabilities which could make you eligible:
- Arthritis
- Spondylosis
- Back Pain – other/precise diagnosis not specified
- Disease of the muscles, bones or joints
- Trauma to limbs
- Blindness
- Deafness
- Heart disease
- Chest disease
- Asthma
- Cystic fibrosis
- Cerebrovascular disease
- Peripheral vascular disease
- Epilepsy
- Neurological diseases
- Multiple sclerosis
- Parkinson's 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 autrition
- AIDS
- Infectious diseases: Viral disease - coronavirus Covid-19
- Infectious diseases: Viral disease - precise diagnosis not specified
- Infectious diseases: Bacterial disease – tuberculosis
- Infectious diseases: Bacterial disease – precise diagnosis not specified
- Infectious diseases: Protozoal disease – malaria
- Infectious diseases: Protozoal disease – other/precise diagnosis not specified
- Infectious diseases - other/precise diagnosis not specified
- Cognitive disorder - other/precise diagnosis not specified
- Terminally ill
If you are terminally ill and not expected to live more than 12 months, then you will be able to claim - there is also a quicker application process for people who are terminally ill and you should receive a decision within two weeks.
It should be noted that you won't be able to get Attendance Allowance if you already receive Personal Independence Payment (PIP), Adult Disability Payment (ADP), or the care component of Disability Living Allowance (DLA). However, it will not affect any other benefits which you are claiming.
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