Thousands of pensioners across Britain could be missing out on financial support worth up to £5,740 a year without realising it.
Attendance Allowance helps people aged 66 and over who find daily self-care challenging due to physical or mental health conditions.
The benefit provides crucial financial assistance to those whose illnesses or disabilities make looking after themselves difficult.
It is paid tax-free directly into bank accounts each month.
Currently, 1.7 million older Britons receive this support, according to Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) figures.
But many more could qualify if they are struggling with one of dozens of health issues.
The allowance does not require recipients to have anyone actually caring for them.
It recognises the extra challenges that come with managing health problems in later life.
Nearly 50 health conditions qualify for a £5,700 DWP payment
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There are two payment rates available, depending on how much help someone needs.
The lower rate provides £73.90 weekly, while those needing more support receive £110.40 per week.
At the higher rate, that adds up to £5,740.80 over a full year — cash that could make a real difference to pensioners managing their health.
The amount someone receives depends on how severely their condition affects them and how much assistance they need with daily tasks.
The full list of the 48 conditions currently being claimed:
- AIDS
- Alcohol and Drug Abuse
- Arthritis
- Asthma
- Back Pain – Other / Precise Diagnosis not Specified
- Bacterial disease – precise diagnosis not specified
- Behavioral Disorder
- Blood Disorders
- Bowel and Stomach Disease
- Cerebrovascular Disease
- Chronic Pain Syndromes
- Cognitive disorder (other)
- Coronavirus Covid-19
- Cystic Fibrosis
- Dementia
- Diabetes Mellitus
- Disease Of The Muscles, Bones or Joints
- Epilepsy
- Frailty
- Haemodialysis
- Haemophilia
- Hearing Disorders
- Heart Disease
- Hyperkinetic Syndrome
- Inflammatory Bowel Disease
- Learning Difficulties
- Major Trauma Other than Traumatic/Paraplegia
- Malignant Disease
- Metabolic Disease
- Motor Neurone Disease
- Multi System Disorders
- Multiple Allergy Syndrome
- Multiple Sclerosis
- Neurological Diseases
- Parkinsons
- Peripheral vascular Disease
- Personality Disorder
- Psychoneurosis
- Psychosis
- Renal Disorders
- Respiratory Disorders and Diseases
- Skin Disease
- Spondylosis
- Trauma to Limbs
- Traumatic Paraplegia
- Tuberculosis
- Viral disease – precise diagnosis not specified
- Visual Disorders and Diseases
Thousands of pensioners are eligible for support
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GETTYIt is not about having a specific diagnosis but rather how much their health impacts everyday life.
Payments arrive monthly and are completely tax-free, going straight into recipients’ bank accounts.
This regular income can help cover the extra costs that often come with managing long-term health conditions. More than 480,000 people claiming Attendance Allowance have arthritis — making it the most common condition among recipients.
But the list of qualifying conditions is far broader than many realise. The DWP assesses each application individually rather than using the conditions as a strict checklist.