Five benefits you can claim if you’re over State Pension age and have an illness that could boost income by up to £29k

PENSIONERS are entitled to thousands of pounds worth of free cash every month if they live with certain illnesses or conditions.

This extra support, which comes through benefits, can act as a vital lifeline to help with the additional costs of being disabled or ill.

1

These benefits are on top of the State Pension – those receiving the full flat rate State Pension get £221.20 a week, equal to £11, 501 a year.

Claiming extra benefits doesn’t impact your entitlement to the State Pension.

The charity Scope estimates that everyday life costs an extra £975 a month if you’re disabled, so it’s important to claim everything you’re entitled to.

Here is what is available..

Attendance Allowance – £5,208

This benefit is for people over State Pension age who have a disability severe enough to need someone to help look after them.

Unless you are terminally ill, you must have needed help for at least six months to qualify.

The Attendance Allowance has a higher and lower rate.

Those on the lower rate receive £72.65 per week, while those with more serious illnesses can get £108.55 per week. This works out as £434 a month or £5,208 a year.

Figures from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) showed that at the end of February 2024, some 1.7million older people were claiming Attendance Allowance.

The highest number of people claiming the benefit are those living with arthritis.

The 10 most common illnesses that lead people to claim Attendance Allowance are:

• Arthritis – 460,993
• Dementia – 167,366
• Heart Disease – 118,570
• Respiratory Conditions – 98,211
• Disease Of The Muscles, Bones or Joints – 81,914
• Cerebrovascular Disease -72,870
• Back Pain – 71,020
• Visual Disorders and Diseases – 49,677
• Parkinson’s – 42,695
• Neurological Conditions – 33,812

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

Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit – up to £11,502.40

You might get Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit if you became ill or are disabled because of an accident or disease either at work or on an approved employment training scheme or course.

The level of your disability will affect the amount of benefit you may get. This will be assessed by a medical advisor on a scale of 1% to 100%.

The payment ranges from £221.20 a week if you’re assessed as 100% on the scale, amounting to £11,502.40 a year.

If the advisor says the level is 20% you can expect around £44.30. You will need to be at least 14% to qualify for any of the benefit.

You need to work in England, Scotland or Wales to be eligible.

If you are claiming because of an accident, you need to show that you were employed and at work when the accident or event happened.

You can also claim if you were on an approved employment training scheme or course at the time.

If you’re claiming because of illness, you need to show that either your job or an approved employment training scheme or course caused your disease. The scheme covers more than 70 diseases.

To claim, you need to fill in and post a claim form which you can download and print from the gov.uk website.

Constant Attendance Allowance – up to £9,224.80

If you receive Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit or a or a War Disablement Pension and need daily care because of a disability, you are also able to apply for Constant Attendance Allowance (CAA).

You can’t receive both the Attendance Allowance and the Constance Attendance Allowance, so you will need to work out which is the most beneficial to your specific circumstances, including which additional benefits you may get with each.

There are four different weekly rates of Constant Attendance Allowance, as with the Attendance Allowance the amount you get depends on the extent of your disability and how much care you need.

At the highest ‘exceptional rate’ you’ll get £177.40 a week worth £9,224.80 a year.

At the next ‘intermediate rate’ you’ll get £133.05 a week working out as £6,918.60 a year.

Full day rate is £88.70 a week and the part day rate is £44.35 a week.

For further advice you can contact the Barnsley Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit Centre on 0800 121 8379.

Exceptionally Severe Disablement Allowance – £4,612.40

If you are assessed to be in the the exceptional or intermediate rate of the Constant Attendance Allowance and need permanent, constant care and attention, you can also claim the Exceptionally Severe Disablement Allowance.

This pays an extra £88.70 a week on top of the CAA rates working out as £4,612.40 a year.

Pension Credit disability premium – £4,238

Pension Credit is designed to top up the income of pensioners to £218.15 if you are single or to £332.95 if you have a partner.

However, even if your income is higher, you might still be eligible for pension credit if you have a disability.

In fact, you could get an extra £81.50 a week if you have a disability or claim any of the following:

• Attendance allowance
• The middle or highest rate from the care component of disability living allowance (DLA)
• The daily living component of personal independence payment (PIP)
• Armed forces independence payment
• The daily living component of adult disability payment (ADP) at the standard or enhanced rate.

Pension Credit now also unlocks the Winter Fuel Payment worth up to £300.

You can start your application for Pension Credit up to four months before you reach state pension age.

Applications can be made on the government website or by ringing the pension credit claim line on 0800 99 1234.