DWP encourages older people to check entitlement for health benefit worth up to £92 each week

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is encouraging older people with a physical or mental health condition, or a disability, to check if they are entitled to claim a benefit worth either £61.85 or £92.40 every week.Attendance Allowance is a tax-free benefit designed to support people of State Pension age with daily living expenses and can also help them stay independent in their own home for longer.

The benefit currently provides payments of either £247.40 or £369.60 every four-week pay period to some 1.4 million people across Great Britain, including more than 123,000 living in Scotland.New claims for Attendance Allowance could also qualify for the £150 Disability Cost of Living Payment due to be made this summer by the UK Government to help households with the increased cost of living.

No qualifying period has been announced yet, so the sooner a new claim is submitted the greater the likelihood that it will meet the eligibility requirements.Earlier this week, Labour MP Stephen Kinnock asked DWP what steps it is taking to “ensure those eligible for Attendance Allowance are receiving it”.

In a written response, Pensions Minister Laura Trott MP, responded: “The department does not hold information on the number of people eligible for Attendance Allowance and not claiming, as it is not possible to accurately estimate what care needs will arise from an illness or disability in each individual. “Information on the availability of Attendance Allowance is already widely available, including online on GOV.UK; from places such as Libraries and Doctors Surgeries; directly from Health Care Professionals who might be supporting those with care needs; and from a range of groups and charities who provide advice and support to