- England
- Wales
- Northern Ireland
Attendance Allowance
Non-means-tested DWP benefit for people over State Pension age in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland who need help with personal care because of a physical or mental disability.
Overview
Attendance Allowance is a non-means-tested benefit from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) for people who have reached State Pension age and who need help or supervision because of a physical disability, mental disability, or long-term health condition. It is paid at two weekly rates, with the lower rate for those who need frequent help or supervision during the day or at night, and the higher rate for those who need such help both during the day and at night, or who are terminally ill. Income, savings, and employment status do not affect entitlement, and the payment is tax-free. The benefit applies in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland; in Scotland, Attendance Allowance has been replaced for new claims by Pension Age Disability Payment administered by Social Security Scotland. Receiving Attendance Allowance can also increase the amount of other means-tested benefits such as Pension Credit or Housing Benefit, and it can enable a person caring for the claimant to qualify for Carer's Allowance. Eligibility and rate are determined by the DWP on the basis of the claimant's care and supervision needs. This page references figures and criteria from the primary GOV.UK source; the authoritative source for any individual award remains the DWP.
Applies in England, Wales, Northern Ireland. Administered by DWP. This page is general information; contact DWP for your individual circumstances.
How this page was verified
- Checked against 1 primary source from DWP and linked source records on this page.
- Last verified on .
- Reviewed by Due to You editorial review under the editorial policy and methodology.
How the amount is calculated
Attendance Allowance is deliberately simple compared to PIP. It's paid at one of two flat rates, based on whether your care needs are day-only or day-and-night. There is no mobility component, no means test, and no NI contribution requirement. It's a cash benefit for people over State Pension age who need help or supervision because of a physical or mental health condition — not for the help they actually receive, but for the needs they have.
The two rates
The lower rate is paid if you need frequent help or supervision throughout the day (or alternatively throughout the night). The higher rate is paid if you need help or supervision both during the day and during the night, or if you are terminally ill. Rates update every April in line with uprating.
The qualifying period
You must have needed the level of care or supervision you're claiming for throughout the last 6 months before the claim — unless you're terminally ill with a life expectancy of 6 months or less, in which case the Special Rules fast-track you to the higher rate with no qualifying period. The 6-month rule is strict: a claim made before the 6 months have elapsed will be rejected, but you can re-claim.
What "care" means for AA
DWP's definition includes help with bodily functions (washing, dressing, eating, toileting, taking medication), supervision to prevent substantial danger to yourself or others, and encouragement or prompting to do the things you would otherwise avoid. It's not limited to physical care — cognitive decline, anxiety, depression, and dementia-related supervision all count if they mean you need someone there.
The critical point: needs, not receipt of care
You qualify based on the care you need, not the care you actually receive. If you live alone and have learned to manage by doing without things (not cooking properly, not washing regularly, not taking medication on schedule), that's still a need DWP should consider — describe what would happen if there were no one to help or supervise, not what you've adapted to.
Effect on other benefits
AA is not means-tested. It doesn't count as income for Pension Credit, Housing Benefit, or Council Tax Reduction — in fact, receiving AA often increases those awards by triggering the severe disability premium. Receiving AA also makes a carer potentially eligible for Carer's Allowance. Apply for AA first, then review Pension Credit, Housing Benefit, and Council Tax Reduction to claim any premiums now triggered.
Scotland
From April 2025, Attendance Allowance in Scotland has been replaced by Pension Age Disability Payment — same rates and qualifying rules but a different process (no face-to-face assessment by default, longer-form application). Existing AA claimants in Scotland are being transferred automatically in phases; no action required. New Scottish claims go to Social Security Scotland.
For the step-by-step application walkthrough, see How to apply for Attendance Allowance.
Worked examples
Illustrative scenarios with plausible household compositions. Figures are rounded for readability; run the triage or a calculator for a personal estimate.
Mild-to-moderate dementia, lives alone
Margaret, 82, early-stage Alzheimer's, lives alone in a terraced house in Sheffield. Daughter visits daily to prompt medication and check shopping.
Daytime needs: prompting to take 4 daily medications (her daughter comes in at 8am), supervision preparing hot food (she has left the hob on twice in recent months), prompting to dress appropriately for the weather, help remembering appointments. Night-time: occasional wandering, but her daughter doesn't stay over.
Award: likely the lower rate — frequent daytime attention/supervision, no night-time attention from a carer. The care need exists at night but is not actually being attended to; AA scores based on reasonably required attention. A sensitively-written AA1 form could argue for night-time need (supervision to prevent substantial danger because of wandering risk) — worth making the case.
Once AA is awarded, Margaret's daughter should check whether Margaret is entitled to severe disability premium in Pension Credit (requires living alone or being treated as alone, plus no carer claiming Carer's Allowance for her). Council Tax Reduction should also be re-reviewed.
Severe arthritis, husband as daily carer
Eileen, 77, severe rheumatoid arthritis. Lives with her husband Brian, 79, who provides daily care including help with washing and dressing.
Daytime needs: help washing (around 30 minutes morning and evening), help dressing (about 15 minutes), help standing up from chairs, help cutting up food. Night-time: help turning over because of hip pain (wakes twice a night), help to the toilet at 2-3am.
Award: likely the higher rate — attention required both day and night, meeting the AA higher-rate test. £114.60 a week in 2026/27 rates.
Brian could then consider Carer's Allowance — he's almost certainly providing 35+ hours of care a week and is over State Pension age, so Carer's Allowance would be "underlying entitlement" only (not paid because State Pension overrides it) but still trigger the carer addition in Pension Credit if they claim.
Common mistakes that cost claimants money
Not applying at all
Attendance Allowance has one of the largest take-up gaps of any UK benefit — estimated at hundreds of thousands of pensioners who would qualify but have never claimed. The most common reason: people assume AA is means-tested and that their savings or occupational pension disqualify them. They don't. If you're over State Pension age and have care needs that have lasted 6 months, it's worth claiming.
Minimising the description of needs
The AA1 form asks how long various tasks take and how often you need help. People habitually under-describe — partly because it feels like complaining, partly because they've adapted and don't notice the adaptations. If it takes you 40 minutes to wash in the morning because of joint pain, that's what the form should say, not "I manage". If you use a carer-call alarm because of falls, that's a supervision need.
Describing a good day
The assessment is based on what you need on the majority of days — not your best day. If a typical day involves standing carefully, using aids, stopping frequently, or waiting for someone to help, describe that. Not the occasional day when things feel manageable.
Not mentioning night-time needs
The higher rate requires "frequent or prolonged attention" during the night — the classic example being help getting to the toilet, help turning over because of pain, or supervision because of confusion and risk of wandering. Many claimants don't mention any of this on the form because they don't think of it as "care". It is, and it's worth around £33 a week more in the higher rate.
Not re-checking Pension Credit and Council Tax Reduction afterwards
Receiving AA unlocks the severe disability premium in Pension Credit, Housing Benefit, and Council Tax Reduction if you live alone (or are treated as living alone). This is a separate £82 a week on Pension Credit. Not everyone who gets AA gets this — but if you're entitled, it needs to be claimed. Tell the Pension Service when AA is awarded, and separately tell your council.
What to have ready before you apply
- Your National Insurance number.
- Your GP's name and surgery address; consultant names if relevant.
- Medication list — names, doses, and what each is prescribed for.
- Dates of significant hospital admissions in the last year and the reason for each.
- A realistic description of how long basic tasks (washing, dressing, preparing food) actually take, on a typical day.
- Any care plan, occupational therapy assessment, or falls assessment paperwork.
- Names of people who help you — spouse, family, carer agency, neighbour — and what they do.
- A brief diary of night-time needs if they apply: wake-ups, help needed, time taken.
- Bank or building society account details for payment.
- If you're terminally ill: the DS1500 or SR1 form from your GP or consultant for Special Rules.
Rates
Eligibility criteria include
- RESIDENCEYou must have been in Great Britain for at least 2 of the last 3 years (this does not apply if you're a refugee or have humanitarian protection status). [GOV.UK]
- RESIDENCEYou must be habitually resident in the UK, Ireland, Isle of Man or the Channel Islands. [GOV.UK]
- HOUSING STATUSYou cannot usually get Attendance Allowance if you live in a care home and your care is paid for by your local authority. You can still claim if you pay for all your care home costs yourself. [GOV.UK]
- AGEYou must have reached State Pension age to be eligible. [GOV.UK]
- DISABILITYYou must have a physical disability (including sensory disability, e.g. blindness), a mental disability (including learning difficulties), or a health condition. [GOV.UK]
- DISABILITYYour disability or health condition must be severe enough that you need help caring for yourself or someone to supervise you, for your own or someone else's safety. [GOV.UK]
- OTHERYou must have needed that help for at least 6 months. [GOV.UK]
- RESIDENCEYou must be in Great Britain when you claim, with some exceptions such as members and family members of the armed forces. [GOV.UK]
- IMMIGRATIONYou must not be subject to immigration control (unless you're a sponsored immigrant). [GOV.UK]
- OTHERYou must not already be getting Disability Living Allowance (DLA), Personal Independence Payment (PIP), Adult Disability Payment (ADP), Scottish Adult Disability Living Allowance (SADLA) or Armed Forces Independence Payment (AFIP). [GOV.UK]