Attendance Allowance

Attendance Allowance is paid by the DWP to people aged 67 or over who need help with personal care or supervision. The lower rate (£76.70/week in 2026/27) is for those needing day or night help; the higher rate (£114.60/week) is for those needing help both day and night, or who are terminally ill. It is not means-tested and does not depend on having paid National Insurance. Claims are made on form AA1A (by post or by phone on 0800 731 0122). There is no mobility component, unlike PIP.

What it means in practice. You do not have to be receiving any help to qualify — you only have to need it. Someone living alone with nobody to assist them is judged on the help they reasonably require, not the help they actually get. The test is about attention with bodily functions (washing, dressing, eating, using the toilet, taking medication) or supervision needed to keep you safe. There is normally a six-month qualifying period before payment starts, which is waived under the special rules for people who are terminally ill.

A worked example. Doreen is 81 and lives alone with worsening arthritis and early dementia. Her daughter visits twice a day to help her wash and to prompt her medication, and Doreen is unsteady on the stairs at night and has fallen twice. Because she needs help during the day and supervision at night, she qualifies for the higher rate. Her award then makes her eligible for a severe disability addition within Pension Credit, and lets her daughter claim Carer's Allowance.

Common pitfalls. The commonest mistake is underestimating your needs on the form — describe your worst days, not your best, and say how long tasks take and what goes wrong when nobody is there. The second is assuming savings disqualify you: they do not, because Attendance Allowance is not means-tested and is not counted as income for other benefits. The third is not realising how much else the award unlocks — Pension Credit, Council Tax Reduction, and Housing Benefit can all increase once it is in payment.

How it relates to other terms. Attendance Allowance takes over from Personal Independence Payment once you reach State Pension age, though an existing PIP award continues rather than being converted. It sits alongside a care needs assessment from the council, which is about services rather than cash, and the money you receive is treated as income in the council financial assessment for care charges. If you are refused, you must request a Mandatory Reconsideration before appealing to the First-tier Tribunal (Social Entitlement Chamber).

What to do next. Read our Attendance Allowance guide before completing form AA1A, then check whether the award opens the door to Pension Credit. If a family member is providing the care, our guide to support for carers explains what they can claim in their own right.