State pensioner £1,000 bill warning as experts warn 'you shouldn't have to pay'

State pensioner £1,000 bill warning as experts warn 'you shouldn't have to pay' You could needlessly be paying to access a DWP service Pensioners have been warned about a £1,000 bill that could be heading your way if you make a simple mistake. Benefits experts warn people often find the DWP rules 'difficult to navigate' and end up paying a large bill as a result. The team at financial support group Money Wellness, which often helps people with benefit claims, warns that older people could be needlessly paying for assistance with getting their claim in. Rebecca Lamb, from the group, said: "People shouldn’t feel they have to pay hundreds of pounds to get help accessing support they think they’re entitled to." This comes after MoneySavingExpert reported that some people have paid more than £1,000 to get help with putting in a claim for Attendance Allowance. This benefit is open to people of state pension age who have a disability or health condition meaning you need someone else's help to look after you. Sadly people are forking out hundreds of pounds to get support with filling in their application - when you can get the same help free of charge. Ms Lamb said she can see why people may struggle with the forms: "It's easy to see why someone might pay for help with a benefit claim. If you're faced with a complicated form, not sure what information you need to provide, or you're worried about getting it wrong, paying someone to take that worry away can feel like the easiest option." She said that you can get "free, impartial help" and so it's vital that people are signposted to this support. 'Many don't realise' The expert said people often don't understand the Attendance Allowance rules. She said: "It can be worth nearly £6,000 a year, but many people don't realise they could qualify or aren't confident about making a claim." Ms Lamb shared a rule of thumb to use here: "Generally, if you're over state pension age and have a physical or mental health condition or disability that means you need help looking after yourself or someone to supervise you, you could be entitled to Attendance Allowance. "Before paying for help, it’s worth checking what you could be entitled to. Use a free online benefits calculator – like the one on our website. It’ll help you identify any support you’re missing out on, including Attendance Allowance, and understand whether you could qualify." What are the qualifying rules for Attendance Allowance? You may qualify for Attendance Allowance if: - You have either a physical disability, a mental disability or a health condition - Your disability or health condition is severe enough that you need help caring for yourself or someone to supervise you, for your own or someone else's safety - You have needed that help for at least 6 months. Although you do need to have reached state pension age to be eligible, you don't actually need to be claiming your state pension to qualify. The state pension age is currently increasing, going up from 66 to 67 between April 2026 and April 2028. You can check your state pension age on the Government website. Ms Lamb said: "The important thing is that people don’t miss out because they find the process difficult. Getting help with a claim is absolutely fine, but people shouldn’t have to pay for that help without knowing that free support is available too." A DWP spokesperson said: "DWP is aware of the proliferation of claims management companies who charge a fee and would advise claimants to think very carefully before using such services. Free help, support, and advice on claiming Attendance Allowance is widely available, including on gov.uk, from DWP, and organisations such as Independent Age. There is no need for claimants to pay for advice and support." How much is Attendance Allowance? Attendance Allowance is paid at two weekly rates, depending on how much your condition affects you. The current rates are: - Lower rate - £76.70 - if you need frequent help or constant supervision during the day, or supervision at night - Higher rate - £114.60 - if you need help or supervision throughout both day and night. You can also get the higher rate if you are nearing the end of your life, and a medical professional has confirmed this. If you qualified for the higher rate, you would get £5,959.20 a year. Attendance Allowance is not means-tested, so any income or savings you have will not affect your entitlement. What support is available with applying for Attendance Allowance? If you have questions about the Attendance Allowance application process, you can get also call the Government's Attendance Allowance helpline on 0800 731 0122. This service is available Monday to Friday from 8am to 6pm. You can also get free help with your application from several charities. For example, you can call the Age UK helpline on 0800 678 1602. Lines are open 8am to 7pm every day. Citizens Advice can provide help over the phone or you can arrange an in-person appointment. They can take you through the application form, or check over your completed form, to make sure everything is correct.