Attendance Allowance can provide up to £5,959.20 a year for eligible pensioners who need help with personal care
Pensioners across Britain could receive up to £5,959.20 a year through a single claim for a Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) benefit.
Attendance Allowance is available to people who have reached state pension age and have a qualifying physical or mental health condition that means they need help with personal care or supervision.
The benefit is intended to help with the additional costs associated with a disability or health condition.
Only one application is required to claim Attendance Allowance.
The amount someone receives depends on the level of care or supervision they need because of their condition.
Attendance Allowance rates increased by 3.8 per cent from April at the start of the current tax year.
The increase was based on the Consumer Prices Index inflation figure for September 2026.
The lower rate of Attendance Allowance is now £76.70 a week.
That is worth up to £3,988.40 over a year. The higher rate is £114.60 a week.
Eligible claimants receiving the higher rate can receive up to £5,959.20 over the course of a year.
People who need regular help or supervision during either the day or the night may qualify for the lower rate.
Those who need help or supervision both during the day and at night, or who have been diagnosed as nearing the end of their life, may qualify for the higher rate.
Mr Burnham has pledged to run a "cost of living Government", making major changes to the benefit unlikely in the near future.
If any changes are announced, they are most likely to be outlined during the Autumn Budget, which Chancellor John Healey is expected to deliver in late October or November.
Any reforms announced at that time would be unlikely to take effect before the start of the next tax year on April 6, 2027.
Attendance Allowance remains available to eligible pensioners under the current rules.
The benefit is available to eligible people living in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
People living in Scotland must instead apply for Pension Age Disability Payment, which provides the same weekly payment rates.
To qualify for Attendance Allowance, applicants must have reached state pension age.
They must also have a physical disability, mental disability or health condition serious enough to mean they need help caring for themselves or supervision to keep them safe.
In most cases, they must have needed that help for at least six months before making a claim.
The DWP does not publish a definitive list of qualifying medical conditions.
However, the department's system includes 56 main disabling conditions associated with Attendance Allowance claims.
These include arthritis, heart disease, respiratory conditions, dementia, multiple sclerosis, diabetes and malignant disease, although entitlement depends on the level of care needed rather than a diagnosis alone.
