Disability benefits for older people: how does the UK Attendance Allowance system really work?

Publication type

ISER Working Paper Series

Series Number

2010-02

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ISER Working Paper Series

Author

Publication date

January 25, 2010

Abstract:

We analyse FRS survey data on the relationship between disability and receipt of the Attendance Allowance (AA) disability benefit by older people. Despite being non-means-tested, we find that AA is implicitly income-targeted and strongly targeted on those with care needs. We focus particularly on the receipt of higher-rate benefit, intended for those in need of day-and-night care, finding that, in practice, higher-rate payments are negatively related to age and income, in addition to care needs. The allocation of higher-rate AA awards strongly favours people with physical rather than cognitive disabilities.

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working paper

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