Over one million households miss out on benefits worth up to £5,306 a year – check if you qualify NOW

OVER one million households are missing out on benefits worth up to £5,307 a year, according to new research.

Around 1.1million pension-age households are missing out on £5.2billion of attendance allowance per year, Policy in Practice reports.

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An award of attendance allowance can be worth up to £5,306 per year.

For a single pensioner in receipt of pension credit, which is currently worth £10,454 a year, attendance allowance would increase their income by 51%.

Attendance allowance helps with extra costs if you have a disability severe enough that you need someone to help look after you.

It’s paid at two different rates and how much you get depends on the level of care that you need because of your disability.

You can get attendance allowance as long as you’ve reached state pension age (66) and the following applies:

• You have a physical or mental disability or both
• Your disability is severe enough for you to need help caring for yourself
• You have needed that help for at least six months (unless you’re terminally ill)

There are 56 categories of medical conditions you can claim with, including heart disease, Parkinson’s disease and diabetes.

You are also entitled if a medical professional has said you might have 12 months or less to live.

The lower rate is worth £68.10 a week or £3,551 a year, while the higher rate comes in at £101.75 a week or £5,306 as year.

If you receive the lower rate, you are entitled to frequent help or constant supervision during the day, or supervision at night.

On the higher rate, you will get help or supervision throughout the day and night.

To apply, you’ll need to download the attendance allowance form on the Gov.UK website and then send it by post.

It should be sent to the following address: Attendance Allowance Unit, Mail Handling Site A, Wolverhampton WV98 2AD.

If you’re unable to print the form yourself, you can call the attendance allowance helpline on 0800 731 0122 and ask for a copy to be sent to you.

Payments will rise in April

Benefit payments will rise by 6.7% from April, in line with the consumer price index (CPI) level of inflation for September 2023.

But remember, the exact amount your payments will rise by will depend on the type of benefits you’re on as well as your financial circumstances.

The higher and lower rate of attendance allowance will rise on April 8.

The higher rate will rise from £101.75 to £108.55, while the lower rate will also go up from £68.10 to £72.65.

We’ve previously listed all the new benefit rates ahead of the April 2024 rise.

This post first appeared on thesun.co.uk