Extra £218 for state pensioners with these conditions from April | Personal Finance | Finance

State pensioners with certain health conditions can get up to £218.40 extra per year from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) from April.

People of State Pension age who have care needs due to a health condition or disability can get help with living costs by claiming Attendance Allowance from the DWP. The benefit is paid at two rates, and the amount you can get depends on the level of care you need. Currently, the lower rate is worth £73.90 per week and is given to those who need frequent help or constant supervision during day or at night, and the higher rate is worth £110.40 per week and is given to those who need help or supervision throughout the day and night, or if a medical professional has said you’re nearing the end of life.

But these rates are due to rise from the start of the new tax year in April, giving eligible pensioners a payment boost of up to £218.40 per year.

Attendance Allowance is paid every four weeks, so claimants get 13 payments in total throughout the year from the DWP. Under the current rates, pensioners on the lower rate can get up to £3,842.80 per year, while those on the higher rate can get up to £5,740.80 per year.

But from April, the lower rate will increase from £73.90 per week to £76.70, giving claimants up to £3,988.40 annually, amounting to a boost of £145.60 per year.

Meanwhile, the higher rate will rise from £110.40 per week to £114.60 from April, amounting to £5,959.20 per year, giving claimants an extra £218.40 annually.

Attendance Allowance is paid to those who are eligible in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, but if you live in Scotland you will need to apply for Pension Age Disability Payment (PADP) instead which is paid at exactly the same rate.

To qualify for either Attendance Allowance or PADP you must have reached State Pension age AND all of the following apply:

• you have a physical disability, a mental disability, or a health condition
• your disability or health condition is severe enough for you to need help caring for yourself or someone to supervise you, for your own or someone else’s safety
• you have needed that help for at least six months

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While there isn’t a definitive list of health conditions that qualify for Attendance Allowance and PADP, the DWP does have a list of 56 main disabling conditions recorded on its Disability Living Allowance computer system.

If you have one of these conditions you may be likely to qualify for up to £5,740.80 worth of annual support, but it is important to note that this is not a checklist for qualifying for Attendance Allowance or PAPD, it is simply an overview of the type of conditions that are being supported. The conditions include: