Martin Lewis says pensioners can get £109 extra per week (Image: ITVX)
Money expert Martin Lewis is urging state pensioners to get an extra £109 a week if they have one of four or more conditions.
Returning on The Martin Lewis Money Show Live on ITV1 and ITVX, the financial guru urged pensioners who are ‘ill or disabled’ to make sure they are getting an underclaimed benefit called .
The benefit could give you up to £108.55 per week and it’s not means-tested.
That means that regardless of how much income you have, how much you have in savings or what else you own, you will still be eligible for the full benefit worth up to about £4,000 a year in cash payments from the .
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Martin told his ITV viewers: “This is for disabled or ill people of age, we need to collectively work together to spread word on this one.
“Most importantly, is not means tested, they do not look at your means or how much money you’ve got.
“You’re either entitled to it or not entitled to it regardless of finances.
“It is for those who need help with daily living. Both mental and physical conditions.
“For those who are already on Personal Independence Payments or Disability Living Allowance, you get more, you can’t have both, you don’t wanna claim this. This is for everyone else.
“So let’s look at the amounts. If you need help during the day or in the night, but not both, is the lower rate £73 a week so just under £4,000 a year.
“If you need help during the day and at night, that’s the higher rate, £109 a week, just under £6,000 a year.
“Now to be eligible for , you must have needed help for six consecutive months.
“This is crucially important. You must have NEEDED help, not have got help. There are many people out there who need help but haven’t got help, which is why is there.
“So it is about the need, not the actuality of what happens.”
Martin then explained that to be eligible, there is a test precedent in law which defines the kind of help that is likely to warrant claiming the benefit and result in you being paid the money.
He added: “What defines help? Well the first one is help with daily living, and a famous old judge… in 1981 defined this and it still fits for today.
“This is help with bodily functions including breathing, hearing, seeing, eating, drinking, walking, sitting, sleeping, getting in or out of bed, dressing, undressing, eliminating waste products and the like.
“All of which an ordinary person who is not suffering from any disabilities does for himself.
“That is the definition of help which is needed.
“You can see the broad range of people who this would impact.”
Martin then listed four conditions which would be likely to qualify, adding: “This is common for people with Parkinson’s, or physical disabilities, dementia or terminal illness and more.
“You can apply on someone else’s behalf as long as they are capable of understanding or you can sign it for them if you have Power of Attorney.”