MILLIONS of individuals suffering from serious disabilities can get cash help through attendance allowance.
If you are entitled to the highest rate, the benefit is worth up to £5645 a year, so it’s always worth checking if you are eligible.
Attendance allowance helps with extra costs if you have a severe disability that requires someone to help look after you.
It’s paid at two different rates and how much you get depends on the level of care that you need because of your disability.
The lower rate is worth £72.65 a week, while the higher rate is £108.55 a week.
If you receive the lower rate, you are entitled to frequent help or constant supervision during the day, or supervision at night.
At a higher rate, you will get help or supervision throughout the day and night.
However, if you claim attendance allowance, you must report several changes to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).
If you do not, you may have to repay the cash you’ve been paid and pay a £50 penalty.
You must contact the attendance allowance helpline straight away if:
You can be taken to court if you’ve been found to have purposefully given the wrong information.
These changes can affect your attendance allowance award.
Depending on the change, your payments could go up, go down, stay the same or stop.
To report a change in circumstances, you must contact the attendance allowance helpline.
If you need someone to help you, you can:
Call 0800 731 0122 to report a change in circumstances.
YOU can get attendance allowance as long as you've reached state pension age (66).
The following also needs to apply:
There are 56 categories of medical conditions you can claim with, including heart disease, Parkinson’s disease and diabetes.
You are also entitled if a medical professional has said you might have 12 months or less to live.
To find out more visit www.gov.uk/attendance-allowance.
You can apply for attendance allowance online or by post.
To apply, you’ll need:
To apply online, visit ww.gov.uk/attendance-allowance/how-to-claim.
You cannot apply online if you:
To apply via post, you must download the attendance allowance form by visiting www.gov.uk/government/publications/attendance-allowance-claim-form.
Once completed, you should send this to Freepost DWP Attendance Allowance.
Do not write anything except the freepost address on the envelope. You do not need a postcode or a stamp.
If you cannot print the form yourself, you can call the attendance allowance helpline on 0800 731 0122 and ask for a copy to be sent to you.
After you send your claim, you’ll get a text or letter within three weeks that explains when you can expect a decision.
Once a decision is made, you’ll get a letter explaining the outcome.
If you are awarded attendance allowance, the decision letter will tell you when you’ll get your first payment.
If you apply online, your claim will start on the date you make your claim.
If you print and post the form, your claim will start on the date the DWP receives it.
If you call the helpline to get a form, your claim will start on the date of your call (if you return the form within six weeks).
Around 1.1 million households are estimated to be missing out on the benefit, so it’s well worth checking if you or a family member may be eligible.
YOU can use a benefits calculator to help check that you are not missing out on money you are entitled to
Charity Turn2Us’ benefits calculator works out what you could get.
Entitledto’s free calculator determines whether you qualify for various benefits, tax credit and Universal Credit.
MoneySavingExpert.com and charity StepChange both have benefits tools powered by Entitledto’s data.
You can use Policy in Practice’s calculator to determine which benefits you could receive and how much cash you’ll have left over each month after paying for housing costs.
Your exact entitlement will only be clear when you make a claim, but calculators can indicate what you might be eligible for.
