Elderly with medical conditions including arthritis can claim £358 a month on top of state pension – he… – The Sun

BRITS over state pension age who suffer from a medical condition may be able to claim benefits worth £358 a month on top of their state pension.

The attendance allowance is designed to help with extra costs if you have a disability severe enough that you need someone to help look after you.

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OIder people with medical conditions can claim thousands of pounds a yearCredit: Getty

There are two different rates, depending on the level of care needed.

The lower rate is worth £60 a week, while the higher rate comes in at £89.60 each week.

Over a whole year, the higher rate benefit adds up to £4,659.20, so it’s well worth putting in a claim if you think you might be eligible.

There are 57 categories of medical conditions you can claim with, but the most commonly used ones are arthritis (30%) and dementia (8%).

The latest figures show that over 50,000 retirees claim the monthly benefit for muscle, joint or back pain.

You can also claim for mental health conditions and learning difficulties.

Around 1.4million people are already claiming the benefit, but not everyone who’s eligible claims.

Here’s everything you need to know including the qualifying criteria and how to apply:

To get attendance allowance you need to be:

You cannot get Attendance Allowance if you already get Disability Living Allowance (DLA) or Personal Independence Payment (PIP).

To qualify for the lower amount, you need to require frequent help or constant supervision during the day, or supervision at night.

You get the higher amount if you need help or supervision throughout both day and night, or if you’re terminally ill.

Usually, you need to have needed help with your condition for more than six months to get the benefit, but this is waived if you’re terminally ill.

You don’t need to have a carer in order to claim, but if you do, they could get Carer’s Allowance if you have substantial caring needs.

You can’t get Attendance Allowance if you live in a care home and your care is paid for by your local authority.

However, you can still claim if you pay for all your care home costs yourself.

To qualify, you also need to be in Great Britain when you claim, unless you’re in the armed forces.

You need to have been in Great Britain for at least two of the last three years and be habitually resident in the UK.

However, you might still be able to get Attendance Allowance if you’re a UK …….

Source: https://www.thesun.co.uk/money/16724348/elderly-medical-conditions-claim-attendance-allowance/