Thousands suffering from arthritis could be eligible for £441 a month, check if you can claim

Attendance Allowance, a benefit distributed by the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) to people over 66, is already supporting nearly 400,000 state pensioners suffering from arthritis in the UK.

Sadly, the debilitating condition affects around 10 million Brits. Causing pain and inflammation in joints, it can affect all age groups but is most common in people aged 40 and over.

DWP believes that thousands of state pensioners are living with it and don’t realise they are eligible for extra financial support.

Attendance Allowance can come up to £441 a month at its highest rate. Recipients will also be entitled to the disability cost of living payment of £150 coming later this year.

Meanwhile, you could be eligible for £691 per month if you suffer from one of these mental health conditions.

Here is how much you can get in Attendance Allowance

DWP believes that ​​Attendance Allowance is a significantly under-claimed benefit.

Although its most-claimed ground is arthritis, with over 400,000 sufferers being supported by the DWP, millions of people may be living with it without realising they are entitled to financial help.

Attendance Allowance is paid at two rates - a lower and a higher one - and depends on just how much help the applicant required.

It is not means-tested and doesn’t impact other benefits received. There are no rules for how the money should be spent.

The lower rate applies to people who need help during the day or at night and is currently £68.10 per week.

The higher rate can be granted to those who need help during both the day and at night and suffer from a terminal illness. It amounts to £101.75 per week.

For Brits who need it most, the payment can be worth up to £441, equating to a sizeable £5,291 a year.

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Attendance Allowance eligibility criteria

According to the NHS, arthritis may be affecting around 10 million people in the UK.

To claim Attendance Allowance based on the condition a person must be or over the state pension age - currently 66 - and have been in the UK for the last two years.

They must also be a resident of the UK, Ireland, the Isle of Man, or the Channel Islands and can’t be subject to immigration control.

Your disability or illness should require support or supervision and you have to have difficulties with smaller, personal tasks due to pain.

Brits don’t need a diagnosis for their condition to apply, but help must have been needed for the past six months unless an applicant has less than 12 months to live.

Attendance Allowance can’t be combined with Personal Independence Payment (PIP), Adult Disability Payment (ADP), or the care component of Disability Living Allowance (DLA).

To claim, fill out a form clearly outlining the help you need on a daily basis. For more info call the helpline on 0800 731 0122.

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Sources used:

- Express: 'State pensioners with arthritis could be eligible for benefit worth up to £5,300 a year'