Attendance Allowance Guide

What Attendance Allowance is

Attendance Allowance is a tax-free benefit for people who have reached State Pension age and need help looking after themselves because of a physical or mental health condition. It is the older-person equivalent of the Personal Independence Payment, but it is simpler in one important way: it has no mobility component and just two rates. Crucially, it is not means-tested — your income, your pension and your savings make no difference to whether you can claim, and you do not have to have someone actually providing the care. What matters is the help you reasonably need, not the help you currently get.

Who can claim

To qualify you must be over State Pension age (currently 66), be in Great Britain, and have had care or supervision needs for at least six months — unless you are terminally ill, in which case the six-month rule is waived and you are fast-tracked to the higher rate. The "needs" the DWP looks at include help with bodily functions such as washing, dressing, eating, using the toilet and taking medication, as well as needing someone to keep an eye on you to avoid danger to yourself or others. Many people who have managed for years without claiming are entitled, because they underestimate how much routine help they actually rely on.

Lower rate vs higher rate

The distinction is about when you need help. If you need frequent help or supervision throughout the day, or repeated help during the night, you get the lower rate. If you need help during the day and the night — or you are terminally ill — you get the higher rate. "Night" generally means the period the rest of the household has gone to bed. Over a year the difference is substantial: the lower rate is worth about £3,843 and the higher rate about £5,741, money that can be spent however helps you most, from paying for a cleaner to covering taxis to medical appointments.

How it interacts with other benefits

One of the most valuable features of Attendance Allowance is its knock-on effect. Because it counts as a "qualifying benefit", receiving it can unlock extra amounts in Pension Credit, Housing Benefit and Council Tax Reduction, and it can mean a carer who looks after you becomes entitled to Carer's Allowance. It never reduces these benefits. This is why charities urge eligible pensioners to claim even if they feel they are "managing" — the gateway effect alone can be worth more than the allowance itself.

You apply using the AA1 form available on GOV.UK. For help completing it, which can make a real difference to the outcome, contact Citizens Advice or use the benefits checker at Turn2us.