The latest figures from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) show that at the end of August 2022, more than 1.4 million people over State Pension age were receiving additional weekly financial support through Attendance Allowance. Following the annual uprating in April, the benefit is now worth either £68.10 or £101.75 each week.
Of the overall total, some 25,279 people living in Scotland are also in receipt of the tax-free benefit that is designed to support older people with daily living expenses and can also help them stay independent in their own home for longer. While the most common disabling condition is arthritis (404,369 claimants), there are also thousands of older people getting support for more than 20 'gastrointestinal conditions'.
This is an umbrella term used by DWP as the main category of disabling condition recorded at the time of application, which also includes sub-categories and then specific health conditions such as Colitis or Crohn's Disease (Inflammatory bowel diseases), Coeliac disease (Diseases of the small bowel) and Irritable Bowel Syndrome.
