Attendance Allowance pays £76.70 a week at the lower rate or £114.60 a week at the higher rate in 2026/27. It is a tax-free benefit for people over State Pension age who need help with personal care or supervision because of a physical or mental disability. It is not means-tested, so your income and savings do not matter, and claiming it does not affect your State Pension.

Attendance Allowance is paid by the Department for Work and Pensions to people in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. If you live in Scotland, you apply for Pension Age Disability Payment instead, which is paid at the same rates. The money is paid every four weeks into your bank account, and you can spend it on anything you choose, including help at home, transport or anything else that makes daily life easier.

Benefit rates and rules change, so check the GOV.UK pages linked at the end of this article before you act on the figures here. This article is general information, not personal advice.

What is Attendance Allowance?

Attendance Allowance is a non-contributory benefit, which means you do not need to have paid National Insurance contributions to claim it. It is for people who have reached State Pension age, which is currently 66, and who need help with personal care or supervision because of an illness or disability. The help can be with everyday tasks such as washing, dressing, eating, getting in and out of bed, or moving around the home, or it can be supervision to keep you safe, for example if you are at risk of falling or wandering.

You can claim Attendance Allowance even if nobody is actually helping you at the moment. What matters is that you need the help, not that someone is already giving it. You can also claim if you live alone, and you do not need to have a carer to qualify. Many people do not claim because they think of it as a benefit for people who are severely disabled, but it is also for people who need frequent help with ordinary daily tasks, or supervision through the night.

Attendance Allowance has no mobility component. It only covers help with personal care and supervision, not help with getting around outside the home. If you need help with mobility, that is covered by other benefits, such as Personal Independence Payment for people below State Pension age.

How much is Attendance Allowance in 2026/27?

Attendance Allowance is paid at two weekly rates. The lower rate is £76.70 a week and the higher rate is £114.60 a week, according to the GOV.UK benefit and pension rates publication for 2026/27. Over a year, the lower rate is worth £3,988.40 and the higher rate is worth £5,959.20.

The rates rose by 3.8% in April 2026. In 2025/26 the lower rate was £73.90 a week and the higher rate was £110.40 a week, so the increase is worth £2.80 a week at the lower rate and £4.20 a week at the higher rate. Rates are usually reviewed each April, so they may change again in April 2027.

The money is tax-free and it is paid every four weeks, so you receive 13 payments a year. It is not counted as income for most other benefits, and it does not reduce your State Pension. If you are paid Attendance Allowance, it can also increase the amount you get from other benefits, such as Pension Credit, Housing Benefit or a Council Tax reduction, and it may mean the person who cares for you can claim Carer's Allowance, which is £86.45 a week in 2026/27.

Who can claim Attendance Allowance?

To claim Attendance Allowance you must have reached State Pension age, which is currently 66. You must have a physical or mental disability that means you need help with personal care or supervision, and you must have needed that help for at least six months, unless you are terminally ill. You must also be in Great Britain when you claim, although there are some exceptions for people who live abroad or are serving in the armed forces.

Your income and savings are not taken into account, and it does not matter whether you are working or not. You can claim whether you own your home or rent, and whether you live alone or with family. You cannot get Attendance Allowance at the same time as Personal Independence Payment or the care component of Disability Living Allowance, because those benefits cover the same needs. If you already get one of those when you reach State Pension age, you normally stay on it rather than switching to Attendance Allowance.

If you live in a care home, you can usually only get Attendance Allowance if you pay for your care yourself. If your place is paid for by your local authority or the NHS, you generally cannot get it. If you go into hospital, your Attendance Allowance can be affected after 28 days, so it is worth telling the Department for Work and Pensions about any hospital stay.

Lower rate or higher rate?

Which rate you get depends on how much help you need. The lower rate of £76.70 a week is for people who need frequent help or constant supervision during the day or supervision at night. The higher rate of £114.60 a week is for people who need help or supervision throughout both the day and the night, or who are terminally ill.

Help during the day can include help with washing, bathing, dressing, eating, drinking, using the toilet, or taking medication. Help at night can include help getting to the toilet, help settling back to sleep, or supervision because you are confused or at risk of harm during the night. Supervision counts even if it is just someone being nearby in case you need them, and the help counts even if you only need it on some days rather than every day.

If a doctor or other health professional has said you might have 12 months or less to live, you can claim under the Special Rules for end of life. You will automatically get the higher rate, you do not have to meet the six-month qualifying period, and your claim is dealt with more quickly. Your doctor or health professional can complete a form, known as the SR1, to support the claim.

What counts as needing help?

Needing help does not only mean needing someone to do things for you. It also covers needing someone to remind you, encourage you, or watch over you while you do things yourself. For example, you may need someone to remind you to eat, to help you choose suitable clothes, to make sure you take the right medication, or to be there while you have a bath in case you fall.

Mental health conditions count in the same way as physical ones. If anxiety, confusion, memory problems or another mental health condition mean you need supervision to stay safe, or help with everyday tasks, that can qualify. The claim form asks about both physical and mental health needs, and you should describe all of them, including help you need at night and help you need when you go out.

When you fill in the form, describe your worst days as well as your better days, and explain what happens if you do not get help. Say how long tasks take you, whether you need to rest, and whether you have had falls or accidents. The Department for Work and Pensions decides the claim on the evidence in the form and any supporting information from your doctor or carers, so detail matters more than a diagnosis on its own.

How to claim Attendance Allowance

You claim Attendance Allowance by completing claim form AA1. You can get the form from GOV.UK, or you can telephone the Attendance Allowance helpline on 0800 731 0122 and ask for one to be sent to you. The helpline is open Monday to Friday from 8am to 6pm. You can also ask someone else to telephone on your behalf, or to help you fill in the form.

Fill in the form in as much detail as you can, and include supporting evidence if you have it, such as a letter from your doctor, a care plan, or a list of your medication. If you find the form difficult, Citizens Advice, Age UK and other local advice services can help you complete it for free. Once completed, the form is posted to the Department for Work and Pensions, and the department writes to you with its decision.

Attendance Allowance is usually paid from the date the Department for Work and Pensions receives your claim form. If your claim is made under the Special Rules for end of life, it is dealt with more quickly and you will get the higher rate. If your condition gets worse after you start getting Attendance Allowance, you can ask for your claim to be looked at again, and your rate may be increased.

Attendance Allowance and other benefits

Getting Attendance Allowance can increase other benefits. It can add a severe disability premium to Pension Credit, Housing Benefit or income-based Jobseeker's Allowance, and it can increase the help you get with Council Tax. It can also mean that the person who looks after you for at least 35 hours a week can claim Carer's Allowance, provided they meet the other rules for that benefit, including its earnings limit.

Attendance Allowance does not affect your State Pension, and it is not taken into account as income when most other benefits are worked out. If you already get Pension Credit, tell the Pension Service that you have been awarded Attendance Allowance, so that any extra amount can be added. If you are not sure whether you are getting everything you are entitled to, a benefits check from Citizens Advice or Age UK can help.

What if your claim is refused?

If your claim is refused, or you are given the lower rate when you think you should get the higher rate, you can ask for the decision to be looked at again. This is called mandatory reconsideration, and you normally have one month from the date of the decision letter to ask for it. You should explain why you disagree and provide any extra evidence that supports your claim, such as a letter from your doctor or a diary of the help you need.

If the decision is not changed after mandatory reconsideration, you can appeal to an independent tribunal. The Daily Byte has a separate explainer on how to appeal a benefit decision in the UK, which sets out the deadlines, the forms and the evidence that helps. Do not be put off by a refusal: many Attendance Allowance claims succeed on reconsideration or appeal, particularly where the first form did not describe the full extent of the help needed.

Attendance Allowance in Scotland

If you live in Scotland, you do not claim Attendance Allowance. You apply for Pension Age Disability Payment instead, which is run by Social Security Scotland. It is paid at exactly the same rates, £76.70 or £114.60 a week in 2026/27, and the rules about who can claim are very similar. If you already get Attendance Allowance and move to Scotland, your award moves with you, and Social Security Scotland will contact you about transferring to Pension Age Disability Payment.

Frequently asked questions

Is Attendance Allowance means-tested? No. Your income and savings are ignored completely. You can claim whether you are rich or poor, and whether you are working or retired.

Does Attendance Allowance affect my State Pension? No. Your State Pension is unaffected, and Attendance Allowance is not counted as income for most other benefits.

Can I get Attendance Allowance and Personal Independence Payment? No. You cannot get both at the same time, because they cover the same care needs. If you already get Personal Independence Payment when you reach State Pension age, you normally keep it.

Can I claim if nobody actually helps me? Yes. What matters is that you need help, not that someone is already giving it. Many people manage alone with difficulty, and that difficulty is exactly what the benefit is for.

How long does a claim take? The Department for Work and Pensions does not publish a fixed timescale for Attendance Allowance decisions. Claims made under the Special Rules for end of life are dealt with more quickly. You will receive a letter with the decision, and the payment is usually backdated to the date your claim form was received.

Do I need a medical assessment? Most Attendance Allowance claims are decided on the form and the supporting evidence, without a face-to-face assessment. The department may contact your doctor or ask for more information, but a medical examination is not usually required.

What if my condition gets worse? You can ask the Department for Work and Pensions to look at your claim again. If you get the lower rate and now need help both day and night, your rate may be increased to the higher rate.