Overview

• Official figures show nearly 1.7 million people were receiving Attendance Allowance as of August 2024.
• Visual disorders are explicitly included on the list of eligible conditions, with 50,993 claimants recorded for sight-related issues.
• Payments are tax-free, not means-tested and paid every four weeks at £295.60 or £441.60, and the benefit has no mobility component.
• Awards can increase entitlement to Extra Pension Credit, Housing Benefit Reduction and Council Tax Reduction, and they do not affect the State Pension or the Benefit Cap.
• Applications can be made online or by post, applicants should have their National Insurance and GP details ready, terminal illness claims are fast-tracked, and people in Scotland must apply for Pension Age Disability Payment instead.