Attendance Allowance is a benefit given to those over the State Pension age – which is currently 66 – who need help with day-to-day personal care or supervision due to their illness or disability
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has issued an update to households putting a claim in for the benefit Attendance Allowance.
In an update posted on the GOV.UK page, the pensions and benefits department shared that more people can now make applications for the benefit online. The option was first introduced last year, and has recently been updated.
You can’t apply for the benefit online if you are an appointee or have power of attorney. Previously, you also couldn’t apply if you were nearing the end of life. However, this has now been removed from the GOV.UK website.
It’s important to note that claimants should be aware that the DWP can only accept a “limited number of applications each week.” However, the DWP has not confirmed an official number.
Alongside this, claimants can’t make applications online using a mobile phone or tablet – they must use a desktop or laptop computer.
Attendance Allowance is a benefit given to those over the State Pension age – which is currently 66 – who need help with day-to-day personal care or supervision due to their illness or disability.
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The benefit is not means-tested and – depending on your specific needs – is worth between £295.60 and £441.60 a month as there are two different rates that can be paid. The lower rate is £73.80 a week, and it is paid to people who need help or supervision during the day or night.
The higher rate is £110.40 a week, and it is for people who need help or supervision during the day or night. People living with terminal conditions are eligible to claim the higher rate.
You can also apply for Attendance Allowance through the post. You will need to contact the Attendance Allowance helpline on 0800 731 0122 to request one.
When filling out the form, you’ll need to explain how your illness or disability affects your life, you will also need to provide evidence alongside the form.
For postal applications, the DWP recently updated its guidance to remind claimants not to “write anything except the Freepost address on the envelope.” The guidance also adds that it does not require a postcode or a stamp.
Previously commenting on the trial of the online service, a DWP spokesperson said: “We are temporarily testing a new online service to make claiming Attendance Allowance easier and to improve accessibility. While the online service is not yet widely available, no-one will miss out on the benefit as claimants can still apply in the usual way by post.”
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