YES I KNOW ANOTHER THREAD! Winter Fuel Allowance!

[CrispsnDips]

With this being cut and Pensioners suffering, can someone tell me if all Pensioners qualify for Attendance Allowance? As far as I know, they all can, and this tops up their State Pension…which, ultimately, might mean a more comfortable existence

They can only apply for it if they have an underlying medical condition that causes them additional costs eg paying for taxis if unable to trace public transport, needing specific equipment etc

Thanks, that makes sense…

It is very under claimed imo.
But yes you have to be able to evidence specific difficulties more than you might expect just for being older. Not everyone would qualify.

It's for anyone over state pension age who needs extra care through illness or disability.

If you're already getting pip when you reach pension age you keep getting it but you can't make a new claim once you're a pensioner, you claim attendance allowance instead.

You can't claim attendance allowance if you're already getting pip from before you hit state pension age.

AA isn’t universal when you are older. DM got it at 95! If you are a fit pensioner, of course you don’t lie to get it. Probably some do but you should have limitations on what you can physically do.

That is not how you quality for it. You have to have frequent care or supervision needs either throughout the day, the night or both. There is no mobility component so they don't consider mobility needs outside the home so needing taxis would be irrelevant.

I think AA is paid to a person who needs to be attended upon in some way. There doesn't need to be another person in the household. At least, there used not to be. It is paid because of need. It is not means tested. It doesn't depend on contributions having been made. A millionaire might qualify for AA, but might not bother to make a claim. Forgive me if anything I have written here is out of date.

This is the best guidance I've seen for filling in the form.

"Attendance Allowance" can be misleading as you don't necessarily need an actual person in "attendance".