I’m £4.8k better off a year after claiming a little-known benefit – I feel like I’ve won the lottery

JOY Brown always prided herself on being fit and active but after developing a number of health problems it all became too much.

The 77-year-old Hampshire resident has lived alone since losing her husband, John, 16 years ago.

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And despite formerly being someone who enjoyed getting out and about, a fall one icy morning in December 2022 saw her break her hip which massively hindered her mobility.

It came after she contracted Osteoporosis, a bone disease which can increase the risk of fractures, at the start of 2014.

Joy’s fall in late 2022 led to her developing Psoriasis, a skin condition that causes skin to flake and peel, which needed treating twice a month by a carer – at the cost of £1,000.

She also needed help from family doing her clothes washing and cleaning the flat.

Struggling with the cost of living, and after talking to a friend, she realised she might be eligible for Attendance Allowance, and called Age UK the following February to see if she might qualify.

The benefit is paid to those who have a disability severe enough they need someone to look after them.

But recent figures from experts at Policy in Practice and consumer website MoneySavingExpert reveal over 1.1million UK households are eligible for the benefit but not claiming.

Joy spoke to an adviser at Age UK who helped with all the necessary paperwork needed to apply. Around 14 weeks later, she received her first payment.

She now earns an extra £407 a month from the benefit, which has made her feel like she’s “won the lottery”.

“I have to walk with a stick as I’m classed as disabled but with the Attendance Allowance, I could buy a wheelie walker,” she said.

“I have been able to move to a ground floor flat, which is £60 more a month, and I can go outside.”

“When I got the letter saying how much I’d got, I was absolutely shocked. I just could not believe that I’d got the full amount.”

On top of her £407 a month Attendance Allowance, Joy also receives a full new state pension of £203.85 a week and £540 Housing Benefit each month.

One perk of Attendance Allowance is that it can see other benefit payments rise as well.

For example, Joy’s Pension Credit allowance went from £15 a week to £94 a week after she started claiming Attendance Allowance.

Pension Credit is available to those over state pension age and on a low income, topping up payments to a minimum of £201.05 per week for a single pensioner and £306.85 for couples.

On top of being able to buy a wheelie walker and move to a ground-floor flat, Joy has used the extra £407 a month to pay for a cleaner who comes into the flat once a week and essential household appliances which have helped her gain some independence back.

Joy said: “Money has gone on me having a lady clean the flat once a week.

“My daughter was doing it before – all my washing, everything, but I’m now back (doing) my own washing.

“I have been able to buy a washing machine, a tumble dryer, a couch because it’s a bigger flat.

“It means I’m able to live and not able to go into debt.”

Joy added the Attendance Allowance had tied her over after she moved into her current flat and was waiting for a Housing Benefit application to be approved.

“I don’t get to go on holiday, (the extra money) it’s just to live.

“But it means I don’t have to think ‘oh my god, where am I going to pay for this or that’.”

What is Attendance Allowance, who is eligible and how much is it worth?

Attendance Allowance is a Government benefit designed to cover extra costs associated with having a disability.

You are eligible if you’ve reached state pension age, currently 66, and the following apply:

• you have a physical disability (including sensory disability, for example blindness), a mental disability (including learning difficulties), or both
• your disability is severe enough for you to need help caring for yourself or someone to supervise you, for your own or someone else’s safety
• you have needed that help for at least six months

You must also:

• be in Great Britain when you claim
• have been in Great Britain for at least two of the last three years (this does not apply if you’re a refugee or have humanitarian protection status)
• be habitually resident in the UK, Ireland, Isle of Man or the Channel Islands
• not be subject to immigration control (unless you’re a sponsored immigrant)
• not be receiving Disability Living Allowance (DLA), Personal Independence Payment (PIP) or Adult Disability Payment (ADP)

If you have been told by a medical professional that you have 12 months or less to live, you can start receiving Attendance Allowance faster and at a higher rate.

Bear in mind, you won’t normally be eligible for Attendance Allowance if you live in a care home and your care is paid for by your local authority.

However, if you pay for all care home costs yourself, you can apply for the benefit.

Attendance Allowance is paid weekly at two different rates, depending on your circumstances.

• Lower rate of £68.10 – if you need frequent help or constant supervision during the day, or supervision at night
• Higher rate of £101.75 – if you need help or supervision throughout both day and night, or a medical professional has said you might have 12 months or less to live

For example, Joy receives the higher rate because of her Osteoporosis, her broken hip and other health conditions such as diabetes.

How to claim

You can apply for Attendance Allowance direct by downloading and submitting an Attendance Allowance claim form off of the Government’s website.

You can then send the form to Freepost DWP Attendance Allowance. You will not need a stamp or postcode.

Alternatively, you can call the Attendance Allowance helpline on 0800 731 0122.

There’s also the option that you can get help with the application process by contacting a charity like Age UK.

You could also get help with the application through organisations like Citizens Advice.

If you apply for Attendance Allowance and it’s deemed you qualify, you will be paid from the start of your claim, and it can’t be backdated.

If you print and post the form, your claim will start on the day the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) receives it.

If you call the helpline to request a form, your claim will start on the date of your call (if you return the form within six weeks).

After you’ve applied, you’ll get a text or letter within three weeks that explains how long it will take for the DWP to reach a decision.

You’ll then get a letter explaining whether you qualify. If you do, the letter will tell you when you are due your first payment.

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This post first appeared on thesun.co.uk