How to claim Attendance Allowance
There are 5 steps to take to apply for Attendance Allowance.
Before following these steps, please read our Attendance Allowance page to find out more about this government benefit.
Step 1: Check if you are eligible for 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
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.
Step 2: Make sure you have the right information to hand
You will need:
- your name, address and telephone number
- your date of birth
- your
National Insurance
National Insurance is a type of
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
The Government are the people who run the country. The Government decide how much tax people should pay and how things like the National Health Service (
NHS
The NHS is the National Health Service. The NHS gives free healthcare to everyone in the UK and includes things like your GP (doctors) surgery and hospitals.
) should work.
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.
.
. It is money that is taken out of the money you earn each month. You pay National Insurance so that you can get a pension when you are older.
number if you have one (you can find this on letters about tax, pensions and benefits) - your bank or building society account number and sort code
- your doctor’s name, address and phone number
- information about the health condition or disability which you need someone to help you with
Step 3: Get someone to help you if you want
If you want some help to apply for Attendance Allowance, you can:
- ask someone you trust to help you
- ask a local
organisation
An organisation are a group of people who work together.
who helps people with their benefits.
Step 4: Apply for Attendance Allowance
You can apply for Attendance Allowance online or by post.
The Government’s
website
A website is a page you can go to on the internet like Google or YouTube.
will only accept a limited number of online applications each week.
You cannot apply online if you are an appointee or have power of attorney, or if a medical professional has told you that you might have less than 12 months to live.
If you want to claim by post, you can download the Attendance Allowance form from the Government’s website, or contact the Attendance Allowance helpline and ask them to send you a form.
- Phone: 0800 731 0122
- Textphone: 0800 731 0317
- Relay UK: 18001 then 0800 731 0122 (Relay UK is for people who cannot hear or speak on the phone.) You can contact the Attendance Allowance helpline Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm.
If you download the form from the government’s website, you can:
- print the form out and fill it in with a black pen or
- fill in the form on your laptop or desktop computer and then print it out
You can not fill in the form on your mobile phone or tablet.
When you have filled in the form it is a good idea to take photos of the form, or to make a copy of it so you can see what you wrote.
When you have filled in the Attendance Allowance claim form, send it to:
Freepost
DWP Attendance Allowance
If you have been told by a medical professional that you might have less than 12 months to live, you must complete an Attendance Allowance claim form. You should also ask a doctor or medical professional for form SR1. They will either fill in the form and give it to you to send to the DWP, or they will send it direct to the DWP.
Step 5: Getting your Attendance Allowance decision
After you apply for 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 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 contact you in the next 3 weeks to let you know when they will decide if you can get Attendance Allowance.
When the DWP decide, they will let you know if your claim for Attendance Allowance has been successful and if so, which rate of the benefit you will receive. They will also let you know the date of your first payment.
If your claim for Attendance Allowance has been unsuccessful, the DWP will tell you why.
You can get Attendance Allowance more quickly if a medical professional has said you might have 12 months or less to live and you have applied under the ‘special rules’.
If your claim for Attendance Allowance is successful, you might be able to get extra Pension Credit, Housing Benefit or Council Tax Reduction. Check with the helpline or office dealing with your benefit. If someone looks after you for at least 35 hours per week, they might be able to claim Carers Allowance.
Unsuccessful Attendance Allowance applications
If your application for Attendance Allowance is unsuccessful or you are unhappy with the outcome, you should contact the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) within one month of the date of decision to request a
mandatory
Mandatory means that something must be done.
reconsideration.
You can ask for a mandatory reconsideration over the phone, but we recommend that you do it in writing, so you have a record of your request. If you need more time, contact the DWP and ask for an extension.
If your mandatory reconsideration is unsuccessful, you have one month from the date of the mandatory reconsideration decision letter to
appeal
To appeal means saying you want someone to think about a decision again.
the decision. The appeal will be looked at by an independent tribunal.
You can not ask for a mandatory reconsideration about some decisions. Your decision letter will tell you if this applies to you. If the decision about your benefit claim can not be reconsidered and you do not agree with it, you should go straight to the appeal stage.
You can apply for Attendance Allowance online or by post.
The Government’s website will only accept a limited number of online applications each week.
You cannot apply online if you are an appointee or have power of attorney, or if a medical professional has told you that you might have less than 12 months to live.
If you want to claim by post, you can download the Attendance Allowance form from the Government’s website, or contact the Attendance Allowance helpline and ask them to send you a form.
- Phone: 0800 731 0122
- Textphone: 0800 731 0317
- Relay UK: 18001 then 0800 731 0122 (Relay UK is for people who cannot hear or speak on the phone.) You can contact the Attendance Allowance helpline Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm.
If you download the form from the government’s website, you can:
- print the form out and fill it in with a black pen or
- fill in the form on your laptop or desktop computer and then print it out
You can not fill in the form on your mobile phone or tablet.
When you have filled in the form it is a good idea to take photos of the form, or to make a copy of it so you can see what you wrote.
When you have filled in the Attendance Allowance claim form, send it to:
Freepost
DWP Attendance Allowance
If you have been told by a medical professional that you might have less than 12 months to live, you must complete an Attendance Allowance claim form. You should also ask a doctor or medical professional for form SR1. They will either fill in the form and give it to you to send to the DWP, or they will send it direct to the DWP.
If you are an appointee, you must make your Attendance Allowance claim by post. You can download the Attendance Allowance form from the Government’s website, or contact the Attendance Allowance helpline and ask them to send you a form.
- Phone: 0800 731 0122
- Textphone: 0800 731 0317
- Relay UK: 18001 then 0800 731 0122 (Relay UK is for people who cannot hear or speak on the phone.) You can contact the Attendance Allowance helpline Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm.
If you have Power of Attorney, you must make your Attendance Allowance claim by post. You can download the Attendance Allowance form from the Government’s website, or contact the Attendance Allowance helpline and ask them to send you a form.
- Phone: 0800 731 0122
- Textphone: 0800 731 0317
- Relay UK: 18001 then 0800 731 0122 (Relay UK is for people who cannot hear or speak on the phone.) You can contact the Attendance Allowance helpline Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm.
If your application for Attendance Allowance is unsuccessful or you are unhappy with the outcome, you should contact the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) within one month of the date of decision to request a mandatory reconsideration.
You can ask for a mandatory reconsideration over the phone, but we recommend that you do it in writing, so you have a record of your request. If you need more time, contact the DWP and ask for an extension.
If your mandatory reconsideration is unsuccessful, you have one month from the date of the mandatory reconsideration decision letter to appeal the decision. The appeal will be looked at by an independent tribunal.
You can not ask for a mandatory reconsideration about some decisions. Your decision letter will tell you if this applies to you. If the decision about your benefit claim can not be reconsidered and you do not agree with it, you should go straight to the appeal stage.
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.