More than 1.7 million pensioners over State Pension age in Great Britain receive the disability benefit. Attendance Allowance could be worth up to £5,959 in the new tax year starting April 2026
More than 1.7 million people over the State Pension age across Great Britain, including 155,000 in Scotland, currently receive up to £1,362 each month across two separate payments provided by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and Social Security Scotland.
Attendance Allowance and Pension Age Disability Payment (PADP) are paid independently of the State Pension. These can offer additional financial support for older people with a disability, long-term illness, or physical or mental health condition.
Attendance Allowance and PADP are not means-tested and are currently worth either £73.90 for the lower rate or £110.40 for the higher rate each week. As the benefit is usually paid every four weeks, this amounts to either £295.60 or £441.60 every payment period.
Pensioners could add up to £5,740 to their current income to help with the extra costs through either of the disability benefits. However, this could rise to £5,959 from April 2026.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves confirmed during the Autumn Budget that the New and Basic State Pension will rise by 4.8 per cent from April while Attendance Allowance payments will increase 3.8 per cent. The Scottish Government will set out the proposed new payment rates for the 2026/27 financial year at the Budget on January 13, reports the Daily Record.
It’s unlikely PADP will be paid at a lower rate than Attendance Allowance to prevent a two-tier benefits system in the UK. The proposed uprating of Attendance Allowance would see the lower rate increase from £73.90 per week to £76.70, and the higher rate rise from £110.40 per week to £114.60.
Currently, the full New State Pension is valued at £230.25 per week, which equates to £921 over a typical four-week payment period. This amounts to an annual sum of £11,973 for the 2025/26 financial year. Next year, this will increase to £241.30 per week or £965.20 every four weeks.
When combined with the increased higher award for Attendance Allowance or PADP (£458.40), someone on the full New State Pension could receive £1,423.60 each month from next April – although these would be separate payments.
It’s crucial to note that not all of the 4.1 million people on the New State Pension receive the full amount as it is tied to National Insurance Contributions. The full Basic State Pension is currently worth £176.45 per week, or £705.80 every four weeks. The annual payments are worth £9,175.40 over the 2025/26 financial year.
From April, payments will rise to £184.90 per week, or £739.65 every four weeks. To check your own future State Pension payments, use the online forecasting tool on GOV.UK.
Scottish pensioners can no longer claim Attendance Allowance and need to apply for Pension Age Disability Payment from Social Security Scotland. This benefit will replace Attendance Allowance for all existing claimants with a Scottish postcode by the end of December.
The amount one receives for Attendance Allowance or PADP is contingent on the level of support required. These benefits are intended to assist individuals of State Pension age with daily living costs due to their condition, thereby enabling them to maintain independence in their own homes for longer.
Neither Attendance Allowance nor PADP includes a mobility component.
