Overview
- DWP materials highlight 48 health conditions that can qualify for Attendance Allowance, including visual disorders such as macular degeneration, glaucoma and severe myopia.
- As of August 2024, 50,993 people receive the benefit for a visual disorder, within a caseload of more than 1.6 million pensioners across Great Britain.
- Awards are £73.90 or £110.40 per week, paid every four weeks as roughly £295.60 or £441.60, and the benefit is tax-free and not means-tested.
- The allowance covers care and supervision needs rather than mobility and can increase entitlement to Pension Credit, Housing Benefit and Council Tax reductions.
- Claims can be made by post or via the DWP helpline, people already on PIP or DLA are not eligible, and Scotland provides a separate Pension Age Disability Payment.