The short answer
- £76.70 a week if you need help during the day or at night.
- £114.60 a week if you need help during the day and at night, or you are terminally ill.
- Your income and savings make no difference, and you can spend it however you like.
- It can add £86.05 a week to Pension Credit and help your carer get Carer’s Allowance.
How much it is
| Rate | A week | Every 4 weeks | A year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lower: day or night | £76.70 | £306.80 | £3,988.40 |
| Higher: day and night, or terminally ill | £114.60 | £458.40 | £5,959.20 |
It is usually paid every four weeks into a bank account. The rates match the two daily living rates of PIP, and they rise every April. Attendance Allowance has no mobility part, so difficulties with walking alone do not qualify unless they mean you need help with care or supervision.
Who can get it
- You have reached State Pension age.
- You have a physical or mental disability or illness, including sight or hearing loss, dementia or a learning disability.
- You need help with personal care, or someone to watch over you to keep you safe.
- You have needed that help for at least six months, unless you are terminally ill.
- You normally live in England, Wales or Northern Ireland. Scotland has Pension Age Disability Payment instead.
If you already get PIP or Disability Living Allowance when you reach State Pension age, you keep it instead of moving to Attendance Allowance.
Help during the day
The day condition is met if, throughout the day, you need:
- frequent help with bodily functions, such as washing, dressing, eating, using the toilet or taking medication; or
- continual supervision to avoid substantial danger to yourself or others, for example because of falls or confusion.
“Frequent” means several times through the day, not just once in the morning. It is about the help you reasonably need, even if you manage alone because nobody is there. If you struggle to dress, take a long time, or fall in the shower, explain that.
Help at night
The night condition is met if, at night, you need:
- help with bodily functions two or more times, or once for 20 minutes or more; or
- another person to be awake for long periods, or frequently, to watch over you.
- Day
- Frequent help or continual supervision
- Or night
- Repeated or prolonged help, or watching over
- A week
- £76.70
- Day and night
- Both conditions met
- Or
- Terminally ill
- A week
- £114.60
Meeting the night condition as well as the day condition adds £37.90 a week, or £1,970.80 a year.
Terminal illness: the special rules
If a doctor or nurse thinks you may have 12 months or less to live, you can claim under the special rules. You get the higher rate straight away, with no six-month wait and no need to describe your care needs. Ask your doctor or specialist nurse for an SR1 form, which they send to the Department for Work and Pensions.
Someone else can claim on your behalf without you knowing the prognosis. Claims under the special rules are usually dealt with within a few weeks.
The boost to Pension Credit
Attendance Allowance is ignored as income for Pension Credit. Better still, if you live alone and nobody gets Carer’s Allowance for looking after you, it adds a severe disability addition of £86.05 a week to the amount Pension Credit tops you up to. A single person’s guarantee rises from £238.00 to £324.05.
- Pension Credit beforeIncome is above £238£0.00
- Guarantee with the severe disability addition£324.05
- Pension Credit after£324.05 − £241.30£82.75
- Attendance Allowance£114.60
Getting Pension Credit, even a small amount, also opens the door to full Housing Benefit, Council Tax Reduction, a free TV licence at 75 or over, and Cold Weather Payments. The Pension Credit calculator works out your award.
Attendance Allowance and your carer
Anyone who looks after you for at least 35 hours a week can claim Carer’s Allowance of £86.45 a week once you get Attendance Allowance, if they earn £204 a week or less after deductions. They also get National Insurance credits towards their own State Pension.
Think before your carer claims
If you get the severe disability addition in Pension Credit, it stops when someone is paid Carer’s Allowance for looking after you. The household could be worse off. If your carer is over State Pension age, they may only get underlying entitlement, which still adds a carer addition of £48.15 to their own Pension Credit. The Carer’s Allowance calculator helps check.
How to claim
- Step 1Get the form
Call the Attendance Allowance helpline or download the AA1 form.
- Step 2Fill it in and post it
If you request the form by phone, your claim can be backdated to that date.
- Step 3A possible check
The DWP may contact your GP or arrange a visit, though most claims are decided on paper.
- Step 4Decision
Usually within a couple of months. Payments are backdated to the claim date.
Attendance Allowance cannot be backdated before your claim, so start as soon as you think you qualify.
Filling in the form
- Describe a typical day and a bad day, from getting up to going to bed, and through the night.
- Say how long each task takes, how often you need help, and what happens if you try alone.
- Mention falls, near misses, forgetting medication, and any times you have been unsafe.
- Include letters from your GP, nurse, occupational therapist or a care plan.
- Ask a family member or friend to complete the statement section.
Free help with the form
Age UK, Citizens Advice and many local councils will help you complete the form, often at home.
Hospitals and care homes
Attendance Allowance stops after 28 days in an NHS hospital. It also stops after 28 days in a care home if the council pays any of the fees. If you pay your care home fees in full yourself, you keep it. Short stays are linked together if they are no more than 28 days apart, so tell the Department for Work and Pensions about every stay.
Decisions, reviews and challenges
Awards are usually indefinite, though some are for a fixed period. If your needs increase, for example you now need help at night, ask for the higher rate. If you are refused, ask for a mandatory reconsideration within one month, then appeal to a tribunal if needed.
Common myths
| Myth | The truth |
|---|---|
| My savings are too high | Attendance Allowance is not means-tested |
| I need a carer already | It is about the help you need, not what you get |
| It will reduce my State Pension | It does not affect it |
| I must spend it on care | You can spend it on anything |
| I cannot walk far, so I qualify | There is no mobility part; it is about personal care |
Conditions that often qualify
Attendance Allowance is based on the help you need, not on a diagnosis, but it is often awarded to people living with:
- arthritis, osteoporosis or other conditions that make washing and dressing difficult;
- dementia, Alzheimer’s disease or other memory problems that mean someone has to keep an eye on you;
- Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis or the effects of a stroke;
- heart or lung conditions such as heart failure or COPD that leave you breathless and tired;
- sight or hearing loss that makes it unsafe to cook, bathe or take medication alone;
- depression, anxiety or other mental health conditions where you need prompting to eat, wash or take medication;
- incontinence, or needing help to get to and use the toilet.
Many people have several conditions that together mean they need help. Describe all of them, and how they combine, rather than focusing on one.
Why claims are refused
- Describing a good day. Many people play down their difficulties out of pride. Describe what usually happens.
- Leaving out what you cannot do safely. If you manage to bathe alone but have fallen, say so.
- Not mentioning the night. Getting up to use the toilet, needing help to turn over, or being confused at night can mean the higher rate.
- Not enough evidence. A short letter from your GP or a care plan can make a big difference.
- Claiming too early. Unless you are terminally ill, the help must have been needed for six months.
Council Tax help
Attendance Allowance can help with Council Tax in more than one way. If you have a severe mental impairment, such as advanced dementia, and get Attendance Allowance, you can be disregarded for Council Tax. If you live alone, the bill may then be cut to nothing, or by 25% if one other adult lives with you.
If your home has been adapted for a disability, for example with an extra bathroom or room for a wheelchair, you may also get the Disabled Band Reduction, which charges you as if your home were one band lower. Ask your council about both.
Dementia and memory problems
People with dementia often qualify because they need someone to keep an eye on them to stay safe, to prompt them to eat, wash and take medication, and to help at night if they are confused or wander. You do not need to have physical difficulties.
If the person you care for cannot manage their own claim, you can fill in the form for them and sign it, or apply to become their appointee so you can deal with the Department for Work and Pensions on their behalf.
Living or travelling abroad
You can usually keep getting Attendance Allowance during a temporary absence abroad of up to 13 weeks, or 26 weeks if you are going for medical treatment. Tell the Department for Work and Pensions before you go. If you move abroad permanently, you may be able to keep it in some European countries, depending on your circumstances.