A new report by the National Audit Office (NAO) on the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) accounts has discovered that the estimated rate of underpayment in Attendance Allowance is 4.3%, equivalent to some £230 million. Overpayment for the benefit is 2.2%, or £120 million.
The public watchdog said these estimates suggest that Attendance Allowance has the lowest rate of overpayment, excluding State Pension, but the highest rate of underpayment of all the benefits sampled by the DWP in its annual Fraud and Error exercise for 2021-22.
It is the first time Attendance Allowance has been measured and for the 1,406,431 older people across the UK - including 123,909 living in Scotland - claiming the support worth either £61.85 or £92.40 each week, it should be a strong nudge to make sure they are receiving the right award.
