If you live in the UK and are caring for someone who has reached state pension age and has a disability, they may be eligible for Attendance Allowance. This is a non-means tested benefit that could add up to £5,644.60 a year to your loved ones bank account.
This guide is designed to help you understand if you or a loved one are eligible for Attendance Allowance and if so, provides expert tips for a successful application.
What is Attendance Allowance?
Attendance Allowance is a non-means tested tax-free payment available to older people living with a long-term illness or disability, designed to help with the costs of washing, eating or dressing.
What is the criteria for receiving Attendance Allowance?
In order to be eligible for Attendance Allowance, a person must:
- Be over the state pension age
- Have the right to reside in the UK
- Have been living in the UK for at least 104 weeks of the last 156 weeks
- Need help with washing, eating or dressing, due to a long-term illness or disability
- Have had these needs for at least six months and expect to still have these needs for at least six more months
Current Attendance Allowance rates
Attendance Allowance is awarded at two different rates, depending on the frequency of care needed.
For the 2026/27 tax year:
- The lower rate is £76.70 per week for frequent help or constant supervision during the day, or supervision at night
- The higher rate is £114.60 a week, and this is for help and supervision throughout both the day and night, or for the terminally ill.
Day-time conditions
These may be met by those requiring physical or verbal assistance, prompting and needing encouragement in daily living activities including eating and drinking, using the toilet, washing and dressing, taking medication and communicating, for example. It could be that the care recipient is visually impaired, and needs someone to read letters to them. They may qualify if they need continuous supervision to reduce the risk of harm to themselves or others; however, it does not have to be constant supervision, for example a break of an hour would not affect eligibility. They may also qualify if they need someone to be with them when receiving renal dialysis.
Night-time conditions
Include:
- Needing attention for at least one spell of 20 minutes OR repeatedly, for example, two or more shorter spells for toilet assistance, getting in and out of bed, moving around in bed or settling back to sleep.
- Someone is needed to stay awake and ‘watch over’ the care recipient for a prolonged 20 minute period or at regular intervals (at least three times), to reduce the risk of danger, for example, having a fall.
How to claim Attendance Allowance
Attendance Allowance is not means-tested, nor do you need a diagnosis from a medical professional to claim it.
If you live in England you can:
- Download the Attendance Allowance claim form from Gov.UK and fill it in
- Call the Attendance Allowance helpline on 0800 731 0122 and ask for a physical form to be sent to you
- The form can be posted back for free once completed
When filling out the form, be very clear about how the illness or disability affects the care recipient’s life and attach any supporting information, such as GP letters, care plans, or prescription lists.
What happens next?
Once the form is submitted the Department of Work & Pensions may be in contact for more information or arrange a visit from a doctor. To get the most out of this visit, we recommend writing down all of the things you think the doctor needs to know about.
Tips for completing the Attendance Allowance form
Before you fill out the Attendance Allowance form it is a good idea to make sure that everything needed is to hand. This includes the care recipient’s:
- National Insurance number
- GP’s name and surgery address
- Details of any current medication
- Details of any other medical professionals consulted about illness or disability in the past 12 months
- Hospital record number (if there is one)
- Name, address and dates of stay in a hospital, care home or similar place
We would advise that you consider every aspect of daily life which you or your loved one require assistance with. You may even want to make a note in writing over a period of a month to capture this information so that you don’t forget to add it into the form in the relevant section.
The application for Attendance Allowance is currently 32 pages long and can be tedious. We know trusted Care Experts that can support you with your Attendance Allowance application, helping you save time and energy. Speak to us and we can help sign-post you to one.
Backdating your Attendance Allowance claim
To backdate your claim, call the Attendance Allowance helpline on 0800 731 0122 to request the form, and it will be stamped. If the form is returned within six weeks and the claim is successful, the award will start from the date the helpline was called.
If the claim form is downloaded, if the claim is successful, the award will start from the date the form is received.
Reporting a change in circumstances
You must contact the Attendance Allowance helpline straight away if your circumstances change as this may affect the amount you receive.
You may have to repay the money if you:
- Did not report a change straight away
- Gave wrong information
- Were overpaid by mistake
Switching from lower rate to higher rate Attendance Allowance
If you or a loved one are currently claiming the lower rate, but have care needs throughout the day and night for at least the last 6 months, you may be eligible for the higher rate of Attendance Allowance.
If so, you will need to complete a claims form again. We recommend that you call the Attendance Allowance helpline on 0800 731 0122 to request an application form.
Attendance Allowance and other benefits
Attendance Allowance is not means tested or taxable so, the person you care for could still make a claim for pension credit if they meet the eligibility criteria.
If you are awarded Attendance Allowance and you have a carer, they may be entitled to claim Carer’s Allowance – see our guide.
You or your loved one may also be eligible for a reduction on their council tax.
You or your loved one cannot apply for Attendance Allowance if you already receive Personal Independence Payment (PIP) or Disability Living Allowance (DLA).
Interaction with different benefits can get complicated – again, see our advice on who is best positioned to help you.
Can you fast-track the application process?
To claim Attendance Allowance, usually someone must have an illness/disability for at least 6 months prior to claiming, and be expected to still have these needs for at least 6 months more.
However, if someone has a short life expectancy, then the qualifying period does not apply and Attendance Allowance can be claimed immediately.
Can you claim Attendance Allowance if you live in a care home?
For anyone living in a care home, where care is paid for by their Local Authority, it’s unlikely they will be able to claim Attendance Allowance. But Attendance Allowance can be claimed by those self-funding their care home costs.
Challenging a decision about Attendance Allowance
If you’ve submitted an application and do not agree with the decision that has been made, there is an option to ask for it to be reviewed again – it’s a process called ‘mandatory reconsideration’.
The criteria is that the request for a ‘mandatory reconsideration’ has to be made within one month of receiving the decision.
However, it is worth noting that a review does not necessarily guarantee a result of a better outcome: a person could be awarded a lower rate, or a decision of no entitlement at all. Speak to us if you have any questions on this.
To challenge a decision, get in touch with the Department of Work and Pensions.
You will get a ‘mandatory reconsideration notice’ telling you whether or not they’ve changed the decision, and explaining the reasons for that decision, including the evidence it was based on.
Harold Stephens
Harold Stephens is a local, later life financial and legal planning specialist with a special interest in long-term care provision and tax efficient funding options. If you, or your loved one, are at the point of care need and are currently making important care funding decision then get in touch now for an initial chat with one of our specialist advisers by calling 0117 3636 212 or emailing office@haroldstephens.co.uk.
We will also be putting on some in person events throughout October and November in the local area covering the topic of care funding decisions and related later life financial and legal planning. Event details are updated regularly here: https://www.haroldstephens.co.uk/events/
