The Government support is massively underclaimed
Over a million pensioners miss out on Attendance Allowance.
Experts have named three common conditions which may qualify pensioners for extra financial support.
Hundreds of thousands of older people miss out on Attendance Allowance despite being eligible.
Loved ones are being encouraged to help pensioners check if they could be eligible for the support.
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It can be worth £3,842.80 or £5,644 a year, potentially making a huge difference to someone’s living standards.
Three common conditions which will qualify in most cases are arthritis, heart disease and dementia – incredibly common in older people.
The benefit is not means-tested, so income and savings are irrelevant to someone’s ability to claim.
This is an important point as some people may think they are too wealthy, or have too much in savings to get extra help.
A huge 1.1 million people are thought to be missing out on the payments.
Money expert Martin Lewis has been leading the campaign on Attendance Allowance in a bid to increase awareness.
He said: “For many older people who are ill or start to face mental or physical disability, life doesn’t just get tougher, it gets costlier too.
“That’s why 18 months ago we launched our Attendance Allowance guide and awareness campaign, and successes have flooded in since. Yet it remains massively underclaimed.”
The amount someone will receive depends on the level of support they require.
The higher rate is worth £110.40 a week, while the lower rate provides £73.90 a week.
The payments are designed to support medical costs, but it’s up to claimants to decide how the money is spent.