People who have reached State Pension age and meet certain criteria may be able to claim £76.70 a week or more from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). This benefit, known as Attendance Allowance, is not means-tested, meaning your earnings or savings do not affect eligibility.
What is Attendance Allowance?
Attendance Allowance is a weekly payment designed to help individuals of State Pension age (66 or 67, depending on birth date) with extra costs arising from a disability or health condition severe enough to require care from another person. The DWP pays two rates: £76.70 or £114.60 per week, depending on the level of care needed.
Eligibility Criteria
To qualify, you must meet two key conditions:
- The disability or health condition must be serious enough that you require assistance looking after yourself, or supervision to ensure your or someone else's safety.
- You must have required that level of care for at least six months.
The lower rate of £76.70 is for those who need frequent help or constant supervision during the day, or supervision at night. The higher rate of £114.60 is for individuals who need help or supervision both day and night, or those who are terminally ill.
Why Claim Without Delay?
Given the high cost of care, it is vital to claim promptly. Payments are not backdated; they start from the date of application if successful. MoneySavingExpert.com (MSE) calls Attendance Allowance "one of the most underclaimed benefits," noting that up to 1.1 million people miss out on as much as £5.2 billion annually.
Additional Benefits
The allowance is tax-free and does not affect your tax status. You do not need to be receiving the State Pension to apply. Receiving Attendance Allowance can also unlock other benefits such as Pension Credit, Housing Benefit, or Council Tax Reduction, helping with cost-of-living pressures.
How to Apply
You can apply online or by post. If applying for someone else as an appointee, you or a deputy with power of attorney must complete a paper form and post it. Certain benefits, including Disability Living Allowance (DLA), Personal Independence Payment (PIP), Adult Disability Payment (ADP), Scottish Adult Disability Living Allowance (SADLA), and Armed Forces Independence Payment (AFIP), may disqualify you. In Scotland, Attendance Allowance has been replaced by the Pension Age Disability Payment.
For full eligibility details, visit the UK Government website.
