Attendance Allowance: £76.70 or £114.60 a week for over-pension-age care needs

Attendance Allowance is a weekly payment for people over State Pension age who need help with personal care or supervision because of illness or disability. It is not means-tested, it is tax-free, and you do not need to have anyone actually helping you to qualify. Many people who would get it never apply, often because the form looks daunting. This guide explains the rates, who tends to qualify and how to approach the application.

The two rates

Over a year the lower rate is worth £3,988 and the higher rate £5,959. It is usually paid every four weeks into a bank account.

Who qualifies

You must:

• Be State Pension age or over (66, rising to 67 between 2026 and 2028).
• Have a physical or mental condition that means you need help with personal care, such as washing, dressing, eating, using the toilet or taking medication, or need someone to keep an eye on you for safety.
• Have needed that help for at least six months, unless you are terminally ill, in which case the claim is fast-tracked.
• Normally live in Great Britain. Northern Ireland has an equivalent scheme.

The test is what help you need, not what help you receive. A person who struggles alone at home with nobody to assist still qualifies if the need is there. Conditions commonly behind successful claims include arthritis, dementia, heart disease, chronic lung conditions, Parkinson's, stroke, sight or hearing loss, diabetes with complications, and mental health conditions. There is no list of qualifying conditions; it is the effect on daily life that counts.

You cannot claim Attendance Allowance if you already receive Personal Independence Payment or Disability Living Allowance for care. Those continue instead.

It does not affect your other income

Attendance Allowance is ignored as income for tax and for means-tested benefits. Receiving it does not reduce your State Pension, private pension, Pension Credit, Housing Benefit or Council Tax Reduction.

In fact it often increases them. A Guarantee Credit claim can include a severe disability addition once Attendance Allowance is in payment, if you live alone (or only with another person who also qualifies) and nobody receives Carer's Allowance for looking after you. This addition can be worth more than £80 a week on top of the Attendance Allowance itself. Tell the Pension Service and your council as soon as your award starts.

Getting through the form

The claim form is long and asks in detail about a typical day and night. Approach it like this:

• Describe your worst days, not your best. If your condition varies, say how often the bad days come.
• Cover every activity: getting out of bed, washing, dressing, cooking, eating, medication, moving around indoors, using the toilet, going to bed, and safety at night.
• Say what happens without help, for example falls, missed medication, being unable to prepare a hot meal.
• Include supervision needs such as confusion, wandering or risk of falls.
• Attach or list supporting evidence: prescription lists, hospital letters, care plans.

Citizens Advice, Age UK and many local carers' organisations help people complete the form free of charge. Online claiming is available in most areas, and a paper form can be requested by phone.

What to do next

• If you are over State Pension age and daily tasks are a struggle, apply. There is no cost and no effect on your savings or pension.
• Ask a charity adviser to check the form before you send it.
• Once awarded, contact the Pension Service and your council to have Pension Credit and Council Tax Reduction reassessed.
• If refused, ask for a mandatory reconsideration within one month; a large share of appeals succeed.
• Details and the claim form are at gov.uk.