Over a million UK residents are set to receive up to £1,362 in Government payments each month from April. This is due to a 1.7 percent increase in Attendance Allowance for pensioners, and a 4.1 percent rise in the new and Basic State Pensions.
As reported by the Daily Record, both the lower and higher rates of Attendance Allowance will increase from this date. The non-means tested weekly benefit currently stands at £72.65 for the lower rate and £108.55 for the higher rate.
These amounts will increase to £73.90 and £110.40 respectively. As the benefit is typically paid every four weeks, this equates to either £290.60 (rising to £295.60) or £434.20 (rising to £441.60) per pay period.
Over a year, this means pensioners could add up to £5,740 to their 2025/26 income. This money is intended to assist with the additional costs of living independently at home with a disability, long-term illness, or physical or mental health condition.
Additionally, from April, those on the full new State Pension will see their payments increase by £9.05 per week from £221.20 to £230.25. Typically paid every four weeks, this amounts to £921.
The increase will result in annual payments rising by £473.60 from £11,502 to £11,973 over the 2025/26 financial year. However, it’s crucial to understand that not all of the 4.1 million individuals on the new State Pension receive the full amount, as it is tied to your National Insurance contributions.
Those on the full basic State Pension will see weekly payments increase by £6.95 per week from £169.50 to £176.45, or £705.80 every four-week payment period. Annual payments will rise by £361.40 from £8,814 to £9,175.40 over the 2025/26 financial year. To check your own future State Pension payments, use the online forecasting tool on GOV.UK here.
Health conditions supported by Attendance Allowance
The main health conditions covered by Attendance Allowance include:
- Arthritis
- Spondylosis
- Back pain
- Disease of the muscles, bones or joints
- Trauma to limbs
- Visual disorders and diseases
- Hearing disorders
- Heart disease
- Respiratory disorders and diseases
- Asthma
- Cystic fibrosis
- Cerebrovascular disease
- Peripheral vascular disease
- Epilepsy
- Neurological diseases
- Multiple sclerosis
- Parkinson’s disease
- Motor neurone disease
- Chronic pain syndromes
- Diabetes mellitus
- Metabolic disease
- Traumatic paraplegia/tetraplegia
- Major trauma other than traumatic paraplegia/tetraplegia
- Learning difficulties
- Psychosis
- Psychoneurosis
- Personality disorder
- Dementia
- Behavioural disorder
- Alcohol and drug abuse
- Hyperkinetic syndrome
- Renal disorders
- Inflammatory bowel disease
- Bowel and stomach disease
- Blood disorders
- Haemophilia
- Multi system disorders
- Multiple allergy syndrome
- Skin disease
- Malignant disease
- Severely mentally impaired
- Double amputee
- Deaf/blind
- Haemodialysis
- Frailty
- Total parenteral nutrition
- AIDs
- Infectious diseases.
If you need extra support during the day or night due to a long-term illness, disability or health condition, you should check out the official eligibility guidance for Attendance Allowance on the GOV.UK website here.