Attendance Allowance

To qualify for Attendance Allowance:

You must be aged over 65 to apply for Attendance Allowance. It is a tax free benefit which is to help towards extra costs faced by sick or disabled people.

You may get Attendance Allowance if you experience difficulty when washing, dressing, getting to and using the toilet. Or you get breathless or feel pain, have difficulty with your mobility, you have fallen or stumble or something like this.

If you feel you may be entitled to Attendance Allowance or would like some further information about this, please call one of our Advisers who will be able to assist you on how to claim. We will help you with the application from start to finish. 

Disability Living Allowance

Disability Living Allowance is a tax free benefit for help towards extra costs you may face if you are sick or disabled. You must be under 65 when you apply.

You may be able to receive Disability Living Allowance if:

You have a physical or mental illness, experience severe discomfort when walking, need help with personal care i.e.. washing, dressing, eating and getting to and using the toilet.

It may also mean that you need someone to supervise you to make sure you avoid putting yourself or others in danger.

For example, you may need someone to keep an eye on your medical condition for you and help you with your medication. Other examples are you may have difficulty moving your arms and legs or have no control over them, or you get breathless and feel pain.

You could get either a care component or a mobility component of Disability Living Allowance, or both of these.

For information about the rates of Disability Living Allowance or for help with your application, please contact us so we can make you an appointment.

Carers Allowance

Carers Allowance is a benefit for people who are providing care for a person for at least 35 hours each week.

The person you are caring for must be getting one of the following benefits:

Disability Living Allowance, Attendance Allowance or Constant Attendance Allowance.

If the person you care for receives one of these benefits, you may be able to claim if:

You are aged 16 or over and not on a full time course of further education,

Provide care for at least 35 hours each week,

Do not earn more than £87.00 each week.

You might not get paid Carers Allowance if you are receiving one of the following benefits:

State Retirement Pension, Incapacity Benefit, Severe Disablement Allowance, a training allowance, Contribution-based Jobseekers Allowance, Maternity Allowance, Industrial Death Benefit, Widowed Mothers Allowance or Widowed Parents Allowance, Widows Pension or Bereavement Allowance and 'Unemployability' supplement paid with an industrial injuries Disablement Benefit or a War Disablement Benefit.

Before you claim for Carers Allowance you may wish to contact us for advice first, as the person you are caring for could lose some of their benefit entitlement when you claim.

Pension Credit

Pension Credit is an entitlement for people aged 60 and over.

It guarantees everyone aged 60 and over a contribution to their income to bring it up to at least:

£119.05 a week if you are single, or

£181.70 a week if you are a couple.

If you are claiming as a couple, only one of you need to be aged at least 60.  Your Pension Credit application must be in the name of the person who is aged at least 60.

If your income is more than the above rates, you may still be entitled to Pension Credit if you are disabled and in receipt of either Attendance Allowance or Disability Living Allowance (Care component middle or higher rates). Or if you are in receipt of Carers Allowance or have underlying entitlement to Carers Allowance.

Please call us for a financial assessment where we will advise you if you may have entitlement to Pension Credit.

People who are aged 65 and over who have savings, investments or other income such as a second pension could get extra entitlement as well. This is the savings element of Pension Credit. This could be up to:

£19.05 a week if you are single, or

£25.26 a week if you are a couple.

If you would like advice and assistance to claim, please contact us for an appointment.