What is Attendance Allowance?
Attendance Allowance is the name of a benefit that some people can get if they need someone to help them because of their disability.
The money is to help to pay for your care and support.
You can claim Attendance Allowance even if you do not have a paid carer.
Can I get Attendance Allowance?
You can get Attendance Allowance if you:
- live in the UK
- have lived in Scotland, England or Wales for at least 2 of the past 3 years
- are state
pension
A pension is money you get when you are older to pay for the things you need. You can pay money into your pension when you are working so there is more money for when you are older.
age or older - have a disability (this includes a
learning disability
A learning disability is to do with the way someone's brain works. It makes it harder for someone to learn, understand or do things.
) - need someone to help you
- have needed someone to help you for at least 6 months.
You can not get Attendance Allowance if you get:
- Disability Living Allowance (DLA)
- Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
- Adult Disability Payment (ADP).
If you live in a
care home
A care home is a place where people who need support live. There are staff there all the time.
and your
local authority
A local authority is also called a
council
A council is also called a local authority. They are a group of people who make decisions about some of the things in the area where you live. These include: schools,
social care
Social care means the services that give care and support to people who need it.
(support for people), parks and dustbin collection.
. They are a group of people who make decisions about some of the things in the area where you live like schools, social care (support for people), parks and dustbin collection.
pays for your care, you do not usually get Attendance Allowance.
If you live in a care home and pay all your care home costs, you can claim Attendance Allowance.
If a medical professional has said that you might have less than 12 months to live, you might be able to claim Attendance Allowance under ‘special rules’.
You can read the full eligibility criteria for Attendance Allowance on the Government’s website.
What checks are needed to get Attendance Allowance?
The Department for Work and Pensions
The Department for Work and Pensions is sometimes called the DWP. It is part of
the government
The Government are the people who run the country. The Government decide how much
tax
Tax is the money that pays for things like schools, hospitals and the police. There are different types of taxes like
income tax
Income tax is the money that is taken out of the money you earn every month. It helps to pay for things we all need like hospitals and schools.
,
VAT
VAT is also called Value Added Tax. VAT is the extra money you pay when you buy things. The money goes to the government to pay for things like schools and hospitals.
and
council tax
Council Tax is the money that people pay to the council. It helps to pay for things like social care (support for people), parks and dustbin collection.
.
people should pay and how things like the National Health Service (NHS) should work.
and manages payments and benefits like Universal Credit,
Personal Independence Payment
Personal Independence Payment (PIP) is the name of a benefit that some people with a disability or health condition get. The money is to pay for extra help you might need to look after yourself and to get around. Some people who used to get
Disability Living Allowance
Disability Living Allowance (DLA) is the name of a benefit that some people with a disability get. The money is to pay for extra help you might need to look after yourself and to get around. Disability Living Allowance is being replaced by a benefit called Personal
Independence
Independence means doing things on your own. Making your own choices.
Payment (PIP).
(DLA) now get PIP instead.
,
Employment
Employment means having a job.
and Support Allowance, and Income Support.
(DWP) will need to check how your disability or health condition affects the amount of help or support you need.
If they are not sure how your disability or health condition affects you from the information on your
application form
An application form is a form you have to fill in to try to get something.
, they might ask you to go for an
assessment
An assessment is a way of finding out what help a person needs. When you have an assessment, you might have to go to a meeting or fill in a form.
. If you need an assessment they will send you a letter with the details about your assessment.
Attendance Allowance is not means-tested. The amount of money you earn or have in savings will not affect what you get.
How much is Attendance Allowance?
There are 2 different rates of Attendance Allowance.
You will be paid the lower rate if you need a lot of help or looking after during the day, or if you need looking after at night.
You will be paid the higher rate if you need help or looking after during the day and night, or if a medical professional has said you might have less than 12 months to live.
From April 2024 - March 2025, the payments are:
- £72.65 per week for the lower rate
- £108.55 per week for the higher rate.
If you get Constant Attendance Allowance, your Attendance Allowance will be reduced by the amount of Constant Attendance Allowance you get.
How to apply for Attendance Allowance
It's easy to apply for Attendance Allowance.
To find out how to apply for Attendance Allowance, we have created a straightforward step-by-step digital guide to take you through the application process.
Questions and answers about Attendance Allowance
To get Attendance Allowance you must:
- live in the UK
- have lived in Scotland, England or Wales for at least 2 of the past 3 years
- be state pension age or older
- have a disability (this includes a learning disability)
- need someone to help you
- have needed someone to help you for at least 6 months.
You can not claim Attendance Allowance if you get:
- Disability Living Allowance (DLA)
- Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
- Adult Disability Payment (ADP).
If you live in a care home and your local authority pays for your care, you do not usually get Attendance Allowance. If you live in a care home and pay all your care home costs, you can claim Attendance Allowance.
If a medical professional has said that you might have less than 12 months to live, you might be able to claim Attendance Allowance under ‘special rules’.
You cannot get Attendance Allowance if you get Disability Living Allowance (DLA).
You cannot get Attendance Allowance if you get Personal Independence Payment (PIP).
If you get Constant Attendance Allowance and Attendance Allowance, your Attendance Allowance will be reduced by the amount of Constant Attendance Allowance you get.
If you live in a care home and your local authority pays for your care, you do not usually get Attendance Allowance. If you live in a care home and pay all your care home costs, you can claim Attendance Allowance if you meet all of the other eligibility criteria.
Yes, you do not need to have a carer to claim Attendance Allowance.
The information on this page is for
guidance
Guidance means being given clear instructions to be able to do something well.
only. Mencap hold no
responsibility
Responsibility is managing or being in charge of something.
for DWP processes, timescales, decisions, and service.