DWP may pay older people an extra £441.60 a month
Pensioners could boost their annual income by up to £5,740 through a support scheme designed for older people who have a disability, long-term illness, or physical or mental health condition. The Attendance Allowance, or Pension Age Disability Payment (PADP) in Scotland, is paid separately from the State Pension.
Neither Attendance Allowance nor PADP are means-tested and can provide either £73.90 for the lower rate or £110.40 for the higher rate each week. As these benefits are typically paid every four weeks, this equates to either £295.60 or £441.60 per payment period – some £5,470 a year.
The full New State Pension is currently valued at £230.25 per week, which amounts to £921 every four weeks. Over the 2025/26 financial year, annual payments are worth £11,973. However, it’s crucial to note that not all of the 4.1 million people on the New State Pension receive the full amount as it is tied to National Insurance Contributions.
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The full Basic State Pension is now valued at £176.45 per week, or £705.80 every four-week payment period. Over the 2025/26 financial year, annual payments are worth £9,175.40. The amount someone receives for Attendance Allowance or PADP depends on the level of support required. These benefits aim to assist people of State Pension age with daily living expenses due to their condition, potentially helping them maintain independence in their own home for longer.
There is no mobility component attached to Attendance Allowance or PADP. The following conditions, sourced from the DWP’s Attendance Allowance computer system, are also supported by PADP, as reported by the Daily Record.
However this is not a checklist for claiming Attendance Allowance or PADP. It’s merely intended to give an idea of the types of conditions that are being supported.
If you require additional assistance during the day or night due to a long-term illness, disability or health condition, you should consult the official eligibility guidance for Attendance Allowance on the GOV.UK website here.
The main health conditions providing support to older people across Great Britain include:
- Arthritis
- Spondylosis
- Back Pain
- Disease Of The Muscles, Bones or Joints
- Trauma to Limbs
- Visual Disorders and Diseases
- Hearing Disorders
- Heart Disease
- Respiratory Disorders and Diseases
- Asthma
- Cystic Fibrosis
- Cerebrovascular Disease
- Peripheral vascular Disease
- Epilepsy
- Neurological Diseases
- Multiple Sclerosis
- Parkinson’s Disease
- Motor Neurone Disease
- Chronic Pain Syndromes
- Diabetes Mellitus
- Metabolic Disease
- Traumatic Paraplegia/Tetraplegia
- Major Trauma Other than Traumatic Paraplegia/Tetraplegia
- Learning Difficulties
- Psychosis
- Psychoneurosis
- Personality Disorder
- Dementia
- Behavioural Disorder
- Alcohol and Drug Abuse
- Hyperkinetic Syndrome
- Renal Disorders
- Inflammatory Bowel Disease
- Bowel and Stomach Disease
- Blood Disorders
- Haemophilia
- Multi System Disorders
- Multiple Allergy Syndrome
- Skin Disease
- Malignant Disease
- Severe mental impairment
- Double Amputee
- Deaf/Blind
- Haemodialysis
- Frailty
- Total Parenteral Nutrition
- AIDS
- Infectious diseases: Viral disease – Coronavirus covid-19