State pensioners born before 1959 urged to claim free £441 ‘no matter your income or savings’State pensioners born before 1959 could get an extra £441 each month in the form of an extra Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) benefit: Attendance Allowance.
Attendance Allowance is extra money if you have a long-term physical or mental condition or disability. It doesn’t matter what your condition is – what matters is how it affects you. If you’ve reached State Pension age and need help with personal care, or need support to check you’re ok, you may be eligible
Attendance Allowance isn’t means-tested, so it doesn’t matter what your income or savings are. You can get Attendance Allowance even if you’re working or studying.
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If you’re awarded Attendance Allowance, you can spend it on whatever you want that makes life easier. You don’t have to spend it on paying for care. However, your local council or trust can take Attendance Allowance into account when working out how much you need to pay for care services.
Getting Attendance Allowance won’t reduce your other benefits. In fact, it could even increase them. If you have a carer, claiming Attendance Allowance may help them qualify for benefits such as Carer’s Allowance. You and/or your carer may be entitled to other extra help too.
If you’re a carer, with a long-term condition or disability, you can claim Attendance Allowance for yourself and it won’t affect any Carer’s Allowance you may be receiving.
To make a claim for Attendance Allowance, you must fill out a form. You can get a form by calling the Attendance Allowance helpline on 0800 731 0122 (textphone: 0800 731 0317), or by visiting GOV.UK.
In Northern Ireland, contact the Disability and Carers Service on 0800 587 0912 (textphone: 0800 012 1574) or visit NI Direct.
If you call up for a form, it will be stamped with the date you called. If your claim is successful, it will be paid from this date (as long as you return it within six weeks). If you download a form and post it, your claim will start from the date it’s received.