Government moves to ban fees for pensioners’ Attendance Allowance claims

The Government plans to stop claims management firms charging pensioners to submit Attendance Allowance applications, after a sharp rise in claims handled by such firms. Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden said some companies target vulnerable older people with large fees, and that in some cases claims have been submitted without the applicant’s knowledge.

A new code of conduct will bar fees for submitting claims, with ministers prepared to change the law if firms do not comply. Applications made through claims management firms rose fivefold in the past year, from a few hundred to thousands. Attendance Allowance pays £76.70 or £114.60 a week, depending on the level of care needed, and the Government is also funding an advertising campaign about free benefits advice.