Guide: DEM7 Benefits For People Living With Dementia
Benefits for People Living with Dementia
Who we are
Age Scotland is the Scottish charity for older people. We work to improve the lives of everyone over the age of 50 and promote their rights and interests.
Our vision is a Scotland which is the best place in the world to grow older.
Our mission is to inspire, involve and empower older people in Scotland, and influence others, so that people enjoy better later lives.
We have three strategic aims:
We help older people to be as well as they can be
We promote a positive view of ageing and later life
We tackle loneliness and isolation
How we can help
We know that growing older doesn’t come with a manual. Later life can bring changes and opportunities to your life and you may need to know about rights, organisations and services which are unfamiliar to you.
That’s why we provide free information and advice to help you on a range of topics including benefits and entitlements, social care, legal issues such as Power of Attorney, housing and much more. All of our guides are available to download for free from our website, or you can contact our helpline team to have copies posted to you for free.
Our helpline is a free, confidential phone service for older people, their carers and families in Scotland looking for information and advice.
Later life can bring times when you just need someone to talk to. Our friendship line is part of our wider helpline and older people can call us for a chat. We’re here to listen, provide friendship and offer support.
This information guide has been prepared by Age Scotland and contains general advice only. It should not be relied upon as a basis for any decision or action, nor used as a substitute for professional advice. Neither Age Scotland nor any of its subsidiary companies or charities accepts any liability arising from its use and it is the reader’s sole responsibility to ensure any information is up to date and accurate.
Please note that the inclusion of named agencies, websites, companies, products, services or publications in this information guide does not constitute a recommendation or endorsement by Age Scotland or any of its subsidiary companies or charities.
Introduction
There are benefits you may be entitled to as someone living with dementia. This guide provides information about these, and other help you may qualify for.
You may be able to get practical as well as financial support. There may also be help available for someone who supports you as an unpaid carer.
Benefit rates change from time to time, usually in April each year. The figures given in this guide apply from April 2025 to the end of March 2026.
For advice on which benefits you qualify for, call the Age Scotland helpline on 0800 12 44 222 and ask for a benefit check.
Our What is a Benefit Check? guide explains what the adviser will need to know.
You can also use our online benefits calculator at www.age.scot/benefitscalculator.
What is a Benefit Check?
Social Security Benefits
Pension Credit
Pension Credit is a benefit that can give you extra money if you are living on a low income and you and your partner have both reached State Pension age. It has two parts – Guarantee Credit and Savings Credit. You could be eligible for one part or both.
There is no limit to how much you can have in savings and capital to qualify for Guarantee Credit. However, if you have more than £10,000 in capital, the amount you get will be reduced.
You could be entitled to Guarantee Credit if your weekly income is less than £227.10 if you are single, or less than £346.60 combined for a couple. Guarantee Credit will top up your income to at least this amount. You may also be entitled to additional amounts depending on your situation.
Savings Credit is extra money if you reached your State Pension age before 6 April 2016 and have put aside some money for retirement, for example in a private pension or savings account.
To claim Pension Credit
Contact the Pension Service on 0800 99 1234 or visit www.gov.uk/pension-credit/how-to-claim.
For more information, contact our helpline for a free copy of our Pension Credit guide.
If you or your partner are working age, you may qualify for Universal Credit instead. Call the Age Scotland helpline on 0800 12 44 222 for more information.
Attendance Allowance and Pension Age Disability Payment
You may be able to claim one of these benefits if you have reached State Pension age and need help or supervision with daily tasks. You might need this help because of dementia or due to another illness or disability. You do not need to be receiving the help you need to qualify for either benefit.
Pension Age Disability Payment is gradually replacing Attendance Allowance for people living in Scotland. Call the Age Scotland helpline on 0800 12 44 222 to find out which benefit you should apply for.
Both benefits are non-means tested, so you can claim regardless of your income or savings. You must normally have needed care or supervision for 6 months before it can begin. For people who have been diagnosed as terminally ill, there is no qualifying period.
There are two rates depending on your care needs. However, people with a terminal illness are awarded the higher rate automatically. The amounts for each rate are reviewed every April. For 2025-26, the amounts are:
• £73.90 per week for the lower rate - if you have care needs during either the day or the night
• £110.40 per week for the higher rate - if you have care needs during both the day and the night
These payments are non-taxable. This means you will not have to declare the payments as income for tax purposes. If your claim is successful, you do not have to spend the money on care.
Explaining the help you need
The application form will ask about your ability to carry out different tasks. Think about any difficulties you have with each task when you don’t get help. The help you need could be physical help, guidance or supervision.
• Can you do it every time you need to?
• Can you do it as quickly as you could if you didn’t have your condition?
• Can you do it in the same way as someone who doesn’t have your condition?
• Does it cause you pain?
• Do you need to rest afterwards?
• Does it put you or someone else at risk?
• Do you need to use any special equipment to do it?
You should explain the difference that having help or supervision would make. It doesn’t matter if you get this help or not.
If you have good days and bad days, it is important to explain how difficult you would find each task on a bad day.
Examples of types of help
Be as specific as you can about the type of help you need. If you have difficulty thinking of examples, you could keep a diary for a few days or a week. You could also speak with someone close to you. They might have ideas and could help you with the form.
To get you started, we have provided examples of the help someone living with dementia might need. Everyone is different, so these may not apply to you.
Constant supervision: someone to stay with you, for example to make sure you don’t fall, have an accident at home or leave the house and become disorientated.
During the night: someone to help you with bathroom needs or to be there in case you wake up confused about where you are.
Using the toilet: help finding a toilet when you are somewhere unfamiliar, help using a toilet safely or help to check your clothing afterwards.
Looking after your appearance: reminders to wash, support to check water temperature or help to identify the contents of different containers in the bathroom.
Dressing or undressing: help to identify clothes that are clean and suitable for the occasion, reminders to change your clothes or help with laces, zips or buttons.
Eating and drinking: reminders about where food and drink is stored, help recognising types of food and drink, reminders to eat and drink, or help to cut up food on your plate. If you enjoy cooking, you may need support to read recipes, use kitchen equipment or check that food is still in date.
Taking medication: reminders about when and how to take medications. You may need help to tell which medication is which, or to read and understand instructions.
Communication: support to understand people you do not know, or help getting others to understand you. You might need help with answering the phone, reading letters or filling out forms.
Keeping safe in your home: help remembering to switch off the cooker or lock doors at night, or to use appliances safely. You might also need help dealing with unexpected visitors or phone calls.
Moving around: help to get around safely, either due to dementia or other conditions such as arthritis or sight loss. Describe any falls or stumbles you have had and if you needed medical help afterwards.
Keeping safe out and about: help to cross the road safely, find the right route or get on the right bus. You might need support to deal with your bank, pay bills or read signs.
• call the Attendance Allowance helpline on 0800 731 0122
• visit www.gov.uk/attendance-allowance
Call the Age Scotland helpline on 0800 12 44 222 to find out which benefit to apply for. You can ask us for a copy of our Attendance Allowance and Pension Age Disability Payment guide and where to find support with the application process.
If you are working age, you may qualify for Adult Disability Payment instead. Call the Age Scotland helpline on 0800 12 44 222 for more information.
Attendance Allowance and Pension Age Disability Payment
Other disability-related benefits
If you are receiving Adult Disability Payment
If you reach State Pension age while receiving Adult Disability Payment, you do not need to apply for Attendance Allowance or Pension Age Disability Payment. You can continue to receive Adult Disability Payment for as long as you still qualify.
This is particularly important if you currently get the mobility component of Adult Disability Payment because Attendance Allowance and Pension Age Disability Payment do not have a mobility component. If you make a claim for one of these benefits instead, you will no longer get a mobility amount.
If you are receiving Disability Living Allowance
As of spring 2025, anyone still receiving Disability Living Allowance will be transferred to a new benefit called Scottish Adult Disability Living Allowance. This will happen during 2025.
Your payments will stay the same, but the new benefit will be paid by Social Security Scotland instead of the Department for Work and Pensions. You will receive a letter when this is about to happen.
If you were born after 8 April 1948, you will have the option of applying for Adult Disability Payment after you have been transferred to Scottish Adult Disability Living Allowance.
You should get advice to find out which benefit will be best for you. Call the Age Scotland helpline on 0800 12 44 222 and ask for a benefit check.
Carer Support Payment
If you spend at least 35 hours a week caring for or supervising someone living with dementia, or any other condition, you could be entitled to Carer Support Payment. This is replacing Carer’s Allowance in Scotland.
The person you care for must be receiving one of these benefits:
• Attendance Allowance or Pension Age Disability Payment
• the middle or highest rate care component of Disability Living Allowance or Scottish Adult Disability Living Allowance, or
• the daily living component of Adult Disability Payment or Personal Independence Payment.
The 35 hours could be spent, for example, helping the person to wash and dress, keep to a routine or take medication on time.
For 2025/26, the weekly amount for Carer Support Payment is £83.30. If you get this amount or more in State Pension, you won’t receive an amount for Carer Support Payment. If your State Pension is less than £83.30 a week, Carer Support Payment could top up your income to this amount.
Even if you are not awarded a payment, you may have an underlying entitlement to Carer Support Payment. This entitles you to additional amounts from other benefits, such as Pension Credit.
If you are working age, you will only receive a payment if your weekly take-home pay is £196 or less. However, it may still be worth applying to see if you have an underlying entitlement.
If you get a Carer Support Payment amount, you will also be entitled to Carer’s Allowance Supplement. This is paid automatically two times a year. In 2025, each of these payments will be £293.50.
Claiming Carer Support Payment could reduce the income-related benefits of the person you care for. You should get advice about this before you claim.
To
claim Carer Support Payment
Contact Social Security Scotland on 0800 182 2222 or visit www.mygov.scot/carer-support-payment/how-to-apply.
Our Carer Support Payment guide and our Guide for Adult Carers in Scotland provide more information about support for unpaid carers. Call the Age Scotland helpline on 0800 12 44 222.
Carer Support Payment
A Guide for Adult Carers in Scotland
If you are an unpaid carer, you are also entitled to free practical and wellbeing support tailored to your needs. Contact your local council and ask for an Adult Carer Support Plan.
Help with rent and Council Tax
People with a severe mental impairment may be exempt from paying Council Tax. This can include people living with dementia. To get the exemption, you will need to ask a medical professional to complete and sign a form from your local council.
Other situations may also entitle you to a reduction, discount or exemption on your Council Tax. This includes help for people with low income and savings. You may also be able to get Housing Benefit to help with your rent.
If you get the Guarantee part of Pension Credit and live alone or with just your partner, you can claim Housing Benefit or Council Tax Reduction regardless of your savings or capital.
For more information, call the Age Scotland helpline on 0800 12 44 222 or see our Benefits Maze and Help with Council Tax guides.
Managing your benefits
Changes in circumstances
If your circumstances change, for example if you move house or go into hospital, you should tell the department that pays your benefit. If you do not let them know, you may be paid too much or not enough. If you are paid too much, you will need to pay this back and you might be charged interest. You could also be investigated for fraud.
Help to manage your benefits
Nobody has an automatic right to make or manage benefit claims on your behalf. If you want or need someone to help you manage your benefits, they need to get formal permission. There are different ways they can get this depending on the help you want or need.
Third party representatives
If you would like some help communicating with the benefits office, you can ask someone to be your representative. This is sometimes called a third-party representative. They will not be able to access your personal details or make any changes to your claim. They will only be able to find out information about the status of your claim, and to provide information on your behalf.
You can decide how long your named person has permission to do this. It could be an unlimited amount of time, until a certain date, or until a specific process is complete, such as your the application process or making a complaint.
Power of Attorney
A Power of Attorney is a legal document that allows someone (or more than one person) to make wellbeing and/or financial decisions on your behalf if you can no longer do this. It ensures your choices will be respected and your opinions still heard, even if you cannot express them yourself.
You need to set up a Power of Attorney while you are still able to make important decisions yourself. A solicitor will need to agree that you understand the decision to give someone else permission to manage your affairs.
For more information, see our Guide to Power of Attorney in Scotland or visit www.publicguardian-scotland.gov.uk.
A guide to Power of Attorney in Scotland
Appointees
If you have not set up a Power of Attorney but you can no longer manage your benefits yourself, someone can apply to become your appointee. This allows them to make and manage your benefit claims on your behalf. Your appointee could be someone you know, or a representative of an organisation, like the local council or a firm of solicitors.
The person you ask to become your appointee will need to contact the departments that pay your benefits.
• For benefits paid by Social Security Scotland, call 0800 182 2222 or use the option on the benefit application form
• For benefits paid by the Department for Work and Pensions, call the number on any letters about your benefit, or visit www. gov.uk/become-appointee-for-someone-claiming-benefits
• For benefits paid by the council, call the number on any letters about your benefit, or visit www.gov.uk/find-local-council
For more information, see our Help to Manage Your Money and Benefits guide.
Help to manage your money and benefits
Care and support at home
At some point, most people living with dementia will need support to live safely at home. If you are beginning to need support, you can contact your local council’s social work department and ask for an assessment of your care needs.
There is likely to be a waiting list for an assessment and to get help. You should tell the council if you are struggling to keep yourself safe, so they know your needs are urgent.
A social worker, occupational therapist or health professional will visit and talk with you about the help you need. They will also want to speak to anyone who has already been providing you with support.
You will be given a care plan that recommends the type of support you need to stay safe at home. This might include visits from carers, equipment or adaptations for your home, or support to get involved in social activities.
If the assessment finds that you need personal or nursing care, you should not need to pay for this. You can ask the council to arrange this care for you, or you can ask for a budget to arrange it yourself. You may need to pay for other services in your care plan, but you can also ask the council to arrange these for you.
For more information see our Care and Support at Home guides.
Useful contacts
Age Scotland helpline 0800 12 44 222
The Age Scotland helpline provides information, friendship and advice to older people, their relatives and carers.
You can also ask about our online and in-person training courses run by our dementia team. These aim to raise awareness of dementia, help people learn how to be more inclusive of people living with dementia, and better inform unpaid carers about their rights.
If you need an interpreter, call 0800 12 44 222 and simply state, the language you need e.g. Polish or Urdu. Stay on the line for a few minutes and the Age Scotland helpline will do the rest.
You can call us for a copy of our publications list. You can also read, download or order publications at www.age.scot/information
Alzheimer Scotland
Alzheimer Scotland campaigns for the rights of people with dementia and their families and provides an extensive range of support services.
Provides free and confidential advice on any issue relating to welfare, including benefits and the rights of people living with a health condition or disability.
0800 028 1456
www.cas.org.uk
How you can help
Our vision is a Scotland which is the best place in the world to grow older.
All the information we provide is free and impartial. It helps older people access their rights and entitlements and can be life changing.
We are also a lifeline for older people who are feeling lonely and isolated. You can help us to support older people who need us most. Together, we can make a difference.
Make a donation
No matter how small or large, donations make a massive difference and help us continue our important work.
Call 03330 15 14 60
Visit age.scot/donate
Complete the donation form and return by Freepost
Fundraise
Whether it’s having a bake sale or running a marathon, there are so many ways to raise vital funds to support our work. To find out more, call 0333 323 2400 or visit age.scot/fundraise.
Leave us a gift in your Will
By choosing to leave us a gift in your Will, your legacy will help us to continue being there for older people for generations to come. To find out more, call 0333 323 2400 or visit age.scot/legacy.
Please donate today
Complete the form and return by Freepost to RSBS-KEHC-GBBC, Age Scotland, Edinburgh, EH9 1PR
Your details
Title: Forename:
Address:
Postcode:
Surname:
City:
Date of birth:
By providing us with your telephone number and email address you are consenting to us contacting you via phone, text and email.
Email:
Home tel:
I WOULD LIKE TO DONATE
£75 £50 £25 Other (£) I wish to pay by (please tick):
MasterCard Visa CAF
CharityCard Cheque
Mobile tel:
Name on Card
Card No
Expiry date
Security code (payable to Age Scotland)
Signature Date
I prefer not to receive a thank you acknowledgement for this donation
I would like information about leaving a gift in my Will
I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE MY DONATION WORTH 25% MORE
I want Age Scotland** and its partner charities to treat all donations I have made for the four years prior to this year, and all donations I make from the date of this declaration until I notify you otherwise, as Gift Aid donations
I am a UK tax payer and understand that if I pay less income tax and/or capital gains tax than the amount of Gift Aid claimed on all my donations in that tax year it is my responsibility to pay any difference
Yes, I want Age Scotland** to claim Gift Aid on my donations I do not wish you to claim Gift Aid on my donations
Keeping in touch
Date
You can read Age Scotland’s privacy policy at . We will stay in contact by post unless you ask us not to We will never sell your data and we promise to keep your details safe and secure You can change your mind at any time by emailing us on contact@agescotland.org.uk or calling us on 0333 323 2400.
Age Scotland is the Scottish charity for older people. We work to improve the lives of everyone over the age of 50 so that they can love later life.
Our vision
is a Scotland which is the best place in the world to grow older.
Let’s keep in touch
Contact us:
Head office
0333 323 2400
Age Scotland helpline 0800 12 44 222
Email info@agescotland.org.uk
Visit our website www.agescotland.org.uk
Sign up to our newsletter
Our regular newsletters by email contain details of our campaigns, services and how you can support our work.
Sign up today at age.scot/roundup
Follow us on social media
Our social media channels are a great way to keep up to date with our work and issues that affect older people.
Age Scotland, part of the Age Network, is an independent charity dedicated to improving the later lives of everyone on the ageing journey, within a charitable company limited by guarantee and registered in Scotland. Registration Number: SC153343. Charity Number: SC010100. Registered Office: Causewayside House, 160 Causewayside, Edinburgh, EH9 1PR
We are grateful to the Scottish Government for part-funding this publication
