State Pension provides essential financial support for nearly 12.5 million older people across the UK, including 981,399 living in Scotland and more than one million expats abroad. This regular payment is available for those who have reached the UK Government’s eligible retirement age, which is now 66 for both men and women, and have paid at least 10 years’ worth of National Insurance Contributions.
However, many older people may not be aware of a benefit only available to those of State Pension age, even if they live outside the UK. Attendance Allowance is a payment of either £247.40 or £369.60 every four weeks, delivered by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), to help older people with the extra costs of living with a health condition.
The benefit is currently providing financial support to 1,403,754 people across Great Britain, including 123,786 in Scotland and 4,136 living abroad. The latest figures from DWP show that in May 2022, arthritis was the most common condition being supported through Attendance Allowance, followed by dementia.
