I'm £4.8k better off after claiming benefits – it's like winning 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 previously being someone who enjoyed being out and about, she broke her hip in a fall on a freezing morning in December 2022, which greatly hindered her mobility.

It came after she contracted osteoporosis, a bone disease that can increase the risk of fractures, in early 2014.

Joy's fall in late 2022 led to the development of psoriasis, a skin condition that causes the skin to flake and peel, and required treatment by a caregiver twice a month – at a cost of £1,000.

She also needed help from family to wash her clothes and clean the apartment.

She was struggling with the cost of living and after speaking to a friend she realized she might be eligible for attendance allowance, and called Age UK the following February to see if she might be eligible.

The benefit is paid to people who are so severely disabled that they need someone to care for them.

But recent figures from experts at Policy in Practice and consumer website MoneySavingExpert show that more than 1.1 million UK households are eligible for the benefit but are not claiming it.

Joy spoke to an advisor at Age UK who helped with all the necessary paperwork for the application. About fourteen weeks later she received her first payment.

She now earns an extra £407 a month on the benefit, making her feel like she's “won the lottery”.

“I have to walk with a cane because I am disabled, but with the attendance allowance I could buy a walker,” she said.

“I was able to move to a ground floor apartment, which costs €60 more per month, and I can go outside.”

'When I got the letter telling me how much I had received I was absolutely shocked. I just couldn't believe I got the full amount.”

In addition to her attendance allowance of £407 per month, Joy will also receive a full new state pension of £203.85 per week and £540 housing benefit per month.

An advantage of the attendance allowance is that other benefits can also increase.

For example, Joy's Pension Credit Allowance went from £15 per week to £94 per week after she started claiming attendance allowance.

Pension Credit is available to people who have reached state pension age and are on a low income, with payments topped up to a minimum of £201.05 per week for a single pensioner and £306.85 for couples.

As well as being able to buy a walker and move into a ground floor flat, Joy has used the extra £407 a month to pay for a cleaner who comes to the flat once a week, and essential household appliances that keep her helped to make money. some independence back.

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

“My daughter used to do all my laundry, everything, but I'm back to doing my own laundry now.

“I was able to buy a washing machine, a tumble dryer and a sofa because it is a larger flat.

“It means I can live and not go into debt.”

Joy added that health benefits had left her tied up after she moved into her current flat and was waiting for a housing benefit application to be approved.

“I'm not going on holiday, (the extra money) it's just for living.

“But it means I don't have to think 'oh my god, where am I going to pay for this or that?'

What is an attendance allowance, who is eligible for it and how much is it worth?

The attendance allowance is a government benefit intended to cover the additional costs associated with having a disability.

You are eligible if you have reached state pension age (currently 66 years) and the following applies:

• you have a physical disability (including a sensory disability, for example blindness), an intellectual disability (including learning difficulties), or both
• your disability is so severe that you require assistance in caring for yourself or someone supervising you, for your own safety or that of someone else
• you need that help for at least six months

You should also:

• be in Britain when you claim
• have been in Britain for at least two of the last three years (this does not apply if you are a refugee or have humanitarian protection status)
• are ordinarily resident in the United Kingdom, Ireland, the Isle of Man or the Channel Islands
• are not subject to immigration control (unless you are a sponsored immigrant)
• not receiving disability allowance (DLA), personal independence allowance (PIP) or adult disability allowance (ADP)

If you have been told by a medical professional that you have twelve months or less to live, you may receive care benefits more quickly and at a higher rate.

Please note that you will not normally be eligible for care benefits if you live in a care home and your care is paid for by the local authority.

However, if you pay all the costs for the nursing home yourself, you can apply for the allowance.

The attendance allowance is paid weekly at two different rates depending on your circumstances.

• Lower rate of €68.10 – if you require regular assistance or constant supervision during the day, or supervision at night
• Higher rate of £101.75 – if you require round-the-clock assistance or supervision, or if a medical professional has said you may have 12 months or less to live

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

How to claim

You can apply for the attendance allowance directly by downloading and submitting an application form for the attendance allowance via the government website.

You can then send the form to Freepost DWP Attendance Allowance. You do not need a stamp or zip code.

You can also call the Healthcare Allowance Helpline on 0800 731 0122.

There is also the possibility that you can get help with the application process by contacting a charity such as Age UK.

You can also get help with your application through organizations such as Citizens Advice.

If you apply for attendance benefits and you are deemed eligible, you will be paid from the start of your application and cannot be claimed retroactively.

If you print and send 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).

Once you have registered, you will receive a text or letter within three weeks explaining how long it will take for the DWP to make a decision.

You will then receive a letter stating whether you are eligible. If you do so, the letter will tell you when you must make your first payment.

Do you have a money problem that needs to be solved? Get in touch by emailing money@the-sun.co.uk.

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