How to claim Attendance Allowance

Attendance Allowance is a tax-free benefit for people living in England, Wales and Northern Ireland that gives you extra money if you need help with your daily activities due to a disability or long-term health condition or if you are terminally ill and have reached State Pension age. In Scotland it has been replaced by the Pension Age Disability Payment.

The payment is paid every four weeks and can be worth up to nearly £6,000 a year. It has two rates: lower and higher. The amount you get in 2025/26 depends on the care you need – not the level of care you’re currently getting. So even if you don’t get support from a carer now, you might still be entitled to this benefit.

• The lower rate is £73.90 a week. It’s for you if you need help or supervision during the day or night.
• The higher rate is £110.40 a week. It’s for you if you need help or supervision during the day and night.
• If you’re terminally ill and a doctor has said you have less than 12 months to live, you’ll automatically get the higher rate and will be paid weekly in advance.

You can’t usually get Attendance Allowance if you live in a care home and the local authority is paying for your care.

But you can still claim Attendance Allowance if you live in a care home and are paying for it yourself.

Many people don’t realise that you don't need to already be receiving help or care to make a claim for the payment. What's important is that you need help due to the severity of your condition. This means you find some everyday tasks difficult or impossible without help – it could be getting into a bath, going up or down stairs, getting into or out of bed or dressing yourself.

As part of your application you'll need to provide supporting information that you could have benefitted from this help for at least six months. You don’t need to wait six months gathering this and you don’t need to have had a diagnosis. Instead you’ll need to describe your situation in the past six months showing that you have consistently needed help.

• You need to be of State Pension age. You can check your State Pension ageOpens in a new window on GOV.UK.
• You need to live in England, Wales or Northern Ireland. If you live in Scotland, you should apply for the Pension Age Disability Payment instead.
• Your finances are not taken into account. If your condition means you qualify for help, you’ll get it regardless of your income or savings.
• You need to have a physical or mental illness or disability that means you need ‘help’ or ‘supervision’ with daily activities. There’s no official list of qualifying conditions – but arthritis, poor mobility or blindness, are some of the conditions likely to be accepted.
• You can’t already be receiving the Disability Living Allowance (DLA) or the Personal Independence Payment (PIP). 

Attendance Allowance is tax-free and not means-tested. This means how much income you may get from a private or State Pension, employment, savings or investments does not matter. No matter what level of savings or investments you have - they will not affect the amount you might get.

If you have power of attorney or are an appointee for someone, you will need to apply by post.

To apply by post you will need to either download and print a form or contact the Attendance Allowance helpline to request a claim pack be posted to you.

If you contact the helpline and apply within six weeks, the date you contacted the helpline will be treated as the date from which the Attendance Allowance will be paid.

If you live in England or Wales, you can find details of how to claim online or by postOpens in a new window on GOV.UK.

If you live in Northern Ireland, the claim process is slightly different. You can find details of how to claim online or by postOpens in a new window on nidirect. 

The application process can feel daunting especially if it’s your first time claiming a benefit or if your illness or disability makes it even more difficult for you to complete administrative tasks. It is perfectly understandable if you’d prefer someone to help you apply.  That’s why you are allowed to get someone to apply for Attendance Allowance for you.

This might be:

• a family member
• a friend
• someone else who helps you, such as a carer or support worker.

Citizens Advice has some detailed guidance on how to complete your form, and you can also talk to one of their advisers on the phone. Find out more on Citizens Advice if you live in EnglandOpens in a new window or Citizens Advice if you live in WalesOpens in a new window

If you live in England or Wales, you can also call the Independent Age helplineOpens in a new window on 0800 319 6789 (Monday to Friday, 8.30am to 5.30pm) for help if you have difficulties making a claim, such as reading forms or understanding complex information.

If you live in Northern Ireland, you can contact AdviceNI for benefits helpOpens in a new window

You might need to have an assessment to check your eligibility if it’s unclear how your disability or health condition affects you. This is why it’s important to add as much detail to your application form as you can.

If you do need an assessment, you’ll get a letter saying why and where you must go. During the assessment, a medical professional will need to examine you.

Working out what benefits you’re entitled to can be tricky. Find out where to get free expert advice online, face-to-face or over the phone. See our guide Where can I get help and advice about benefits?

If your health improves or gets worse, or your need for help due to your disability changes, you should let the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) know. This is so they can change how much money you receive to the level of help you need.

If you don’t report it, you might miss out on extra money you’re entitled to. Or you could be paid too much and may need to repay the overpaid benefits plus a £50 fine.

You can find out more about reporting a change in circumstances in our guide Help managing your money if you receive benefits.

If you’re unhappy with a decision about your benefits by the DWP, Social Security Scotland or HMRC, it’s important to follow the right process – see our guide How to appeal a benefits decision.

If you already had a claim for the Pension Age Disability Payment in Scotland, you’ll need to ensure you report that you’re changing address to Social Security Scotland when you move. The DWP will then move your benefit to Attendance Allowance without you having to do anything.

If you’re around or above retirement age, there are a number of benefits you might be able to claim.

On top of your State Pension, you might be entitled to extra money to help with your heating in winter, free transport passes and other benefits.  Visit our Benefits in retirement guide to see an overview of some of the key areas of help that you could get.