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Benefits and financial support

By Ruth Donnelly, retired district nurse · Reviewed April 2026

There is more help available than most people claim, partly because the system is a maze and partly because older people are often reluctant to ask. Money that goes unclaimed every year would make a real difference to the families entitled to it. Here are the main things to look at.

For the older person

Attendance Allowance is the big one and the most missed. It’s for people over State Pension age who need help with personal care or supervision because of illness or disability. It is not means-tested — savings and income don’t matter — and you don’t have to actually be receiving any care to qualify. There are two rates depending on whether help is needed in the day, at night, or both.

Pension Credit tops up the income of older people on a low income, and it acts as a gateway to other help such as housing costs and, in some cases, a free TV licence. Many who’d qualify never apply.

Look too at help with rates or council tax, the Winter Fuel support, and a Blue Badge for parking if mobility is limited.

For you, the carer

Carer’s Allowance is the main benefit for carers who look after someone for a substantial number of hours a week, where that person gets a qualifying disability benefit. There are rules about how much you can earn alongside it, so check carefully — and be aware it can affect the other person’s benefits in some cases, which is exactly the sort of thing a benefits adviser will untangle for you.

Help with the cost of care itself

A care needs assessment is the route to council- or Trust-arranged care, and a financial assessment (means test) decides how much, if anything, you contribute. In some situations — where needs are mainly down to health rather than social care — care may be fully funded through NHS Continuing Healthcare. It’s worth asking about, as it’s often overlooked.