Claimants of Attendance Allowance have been urged to read up on the rules to make sure their payments do not suddenly stop.
People are required to report certain changes in their circumstances or risk losing out on their benefits.
Guidance on the gov.uk states: “You could be taken to court or have to pay a penalty if you give wrong information or do not report a change in your circumstances.”
These changes needs to be reported to the DWP straight away:
- The level of help you need or your condition changes – you’ll need to provide details like if the amount of times you need help each day has changed
- You go into hospital or a care home – you’ll need to provide the address, the dates you’ve been there for, and how your stay is paid for
- A medical professional has said you might have 12 months or less to live
- You plan to leave the country for more than 4 weeks
- You go into prison
- You change your name, address or bank details
- You want to stop receiving your benefit
- Your doctor’s details change
- Your immigration status changes, if you’re not a British citizen.
If a claimant needs more help with their illness or condition, they should also consider reporting this to the DWP, as this could increase the payments.
This could include help with personal care such as getting dressed or eating and drinking, or help with staying safe.
It’s also worth reporting if you experience more difficulty in carrying out a task, such as is takes longer or is more painful.
You can report a change by calling the Attendance Allowance helpline on 0800 731 0122, Monday to Friday from 8am to 6pm.
Full details about how to report a change are available onn the gov.uk website here.
Benefit payments increased 6.7 percent in April. Under the new rates, Attendance Allowance now has a lower rate of £72.65 a week and a higher rate of £108.55.
The standard allowance for Universal Credit is now:
Single claimants
- Under 25: £311.68
- 25 or over: £393.45
Couple claimants
- Joint claimants both under 25: £489.23
- Joint claimants, one or both 25 or over: £617.60
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