Martin Lewis’ ‘really important’ warning as pensioner gets £3,500 for much-needed ‘extra help’

Martin Lewis is advising elderly individuals to verify whether they are eligible to apply for Attendance Allowance, as it has the potential to yield a considerable sum of money annually.

Research conducted by the organizations Money Saving Expert and Policy in Practice have found that as many as 1.1 million individuals may not be receiving the assistance that they require.

During an episode of The Martin Lewis Money Show on ITV, he emphasized how crucial it is.

The financial reporter clarified that Attendance Allowance is a benefit that individuals of state pension age can receive to help them pay for expenses associated with needing assistance, even if they are not currently receiving any aid.

In order to be eligible for the Attendance Allowance scheme, the individual must have reached the age required for receiving the state pension, have a disability that affects them physically or mentally, and have required assistance or monitoring with everyday tasks for six consecutive months.

In the blog post, the speaker emphasized a description given by Lord Denning, the Master of the Rolls, in 1981. Even though the definition might be perceived as outdated, it still serves as common guidance. Lord Denning stated that a person is considered to have a disability if they require assistance with breathing, hearing, vision, eating, drinking, mobility, resting, getting in or out of bed, getting dressed or undressed, and bodily waste elimination.

He expressed, "I require your assistance in promoting this to individuals who have not yet made a claim."

According to Mr. Lewis, it is typical for individuals who have Parkinson's, dementia, or a life-threatening medical condition to be eligible for the payment. Additionally, those who have Power of Attorney can submit an application on their behalf.

Attendance Allowance: How Much?

At the moment, people can get a payment called the Attendance Allowance that starts at £68.10 every week or about £3,540 each year. To be able to receive this amount, the person applying must need support often or someone to watch over them all day or at night.

If a person requires constant assistance or monitoring during both daytime and nighttime or if a medical expert has predicted their life expectancy to be a year or less, they can receive a higher weekly payment of £101.75, which is approximately £5,291 a year.

If you qualify for Attendance Allowance, you should apply without delay since it is not possible to receive retroactive payments.

While it is an option to fill out the form on the internet, Mr. Lewis recommends that individuals contact the governmental department by phone because the request will have a date that corresponds to the day of the conversation.

He suggested: "Request the form by making a call. Once you call up to request the form, it will be sent to you for you to fill out an application. The benefit of calling up for the form is that you will receive payment from the day you made the request."

If you manage to successfully obtain the form from Gov.uk and submit it, payment will be processed based on the date of submission. However, it's important to note that there may be a delay of up to eight weeks.

Martin Lewis advised individuals to request a claim form instead of retrieving it online.

Someone named Maggie, who is not a part of the show, wrote in to share that they had watched Mr. Lewis discuss Attendance Allowance previously and afterward decided to apply for it.

She described, "As a retired person with limitations, I rely on assistance from my relatives and acquaintances."

Maggie discovered that she qualified for a reduced fee of slightly over £68 every seven days. By opting to request the form over the phone rather than obtaining it from the internet, she received an additional payment of £400 that covered a period prior to her request.

Maggie expressed her relief by saying that she can finally receive the additional assistance she requires.

Claim Attendance Allowance In 3 Easy Steps

There's a way for individuals to secure Attendance Allowance. They can either print and hand over the claim form they obtained from Gov.uk, or they can reach out to the helpline to obtain the form. The helpline operates from Monday to Friday, during the hours of 8am and 6pm.

The contact information for the helpline is:

You can tune in to ITVX to catch the Martin Lewis Money Show Live.