Money you might be missingBenefits & entitlements
Attendance Allowance: up to £114.60 a week for older people who need help, whatever their income or savings
If you're over State Pension age and need help with washing, dressing, eating or staying safe, you could get £76.70 or £114.60 a week. It isn't means-tested, and you don't need a carer to claim.
Published 2 November 2026Last checked 2 November 2026England, Wales, Northern IrelandFrom Department for Work and Pensions
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What's happening
Attendance Allowance is a weekly payment for people over State Pension age who need help looking after themselves, or someone to keep an eye on them, because of an illness or disability. In 2026 to 2027 it's £76.70 or £114.60 a week. Your income and savings don't count, and getting it can unlock extra Pension Credit, Housing Benefit or Council Tax Reduction, and Carer's Allowance for someone who looks after you.
The question: Who can get Attendance Allowance in 2026 to 2027, how much is it, and how do you claim?
This applies to you if…
- You've reached State Pension age
- You have a physical or mental disability or a health condition (including problems with sight or hearing)
- Because of it, you need help looking after yourself, or someone to supervise you to keep you or others safe
- You've needed that help for at least 6 months (this wait doesn't apply if a doctor or nurse has said you may have 12 months or less to live)
- You live in England, Wales or Northern Ireland. In Scotland, the same help is called Pension Age Disability Payment
Not for you if…
- People under State Pension age, who would look at Personal Independence Payment (PIP) instead
- People already getting PIP, Disability Living Allowance or Adult Disability Payment
- People in a care home whose care is paid for by the local council (you can still claim if you pay all your care home costs yourself)
- People who only need help getting around outside, because it doesn't cover mobility needs
What it's worth
Lower rate if you need frequent help or constant supervision during the day, or supervision at night. Higher rate if you need help or supervision both day and night, or a medical professional has said you're nearing the end of life.
Tax year 2026 to 2027
What the weekly amounts add up to over a year
- Lower rate: £76.70 x 52 weeks = about £3,990 a year
- Higher rate: £114.60 x 52 weeks = about £5,960 a year
Roughly £3,990 to £5,960 a year, before any extra help it unlocks
Illustrative calc using the 2026 to 2027 weekly rates. Rates usually change each April.
How to do it
- 1
Read the eligibility page and think about a typical week, including bad days. The test is about the help you need, not the help you get now.
Takes about 10 minutes
- 2
Gather your details
You'll need your National Insurance number, your GP surgery's details, and the details of your condition. Add any hospital, hospice or care home details if they apply.
Takes about 15 minutes
- 3
- 4
Call the Attendance Allowance helpline on 0800 731 0122 (Relay UK: 18001 then 0800 731 0122), Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm. Your claim can start from the date of the call if you send the form back within 6 weeks.
- 5
Wait for the letter
Within 3 weeks of sending your claim you'll get a text or letter saying when to expect a decision. You'll only be asked to an assessment if it's unclear how your condition affects you.
- 6
Then check what else you could get
Once it's awarded, contact the office that deals with your Pension Credit, Housing Benefit or Council Tax Reduction, and tell anyone who cares for you about Carer's Allowance.
Deadline
No closing date
Your claim starts from the date you claim, so a delay can mean money missed. An online claim starts on the day you make it.
The catches
The form is long
It asks detailed questions about daily life. Describe what happens on a bad day and how long things take. A local Citizens Advice or Age UK can often help you fill it in for free.
Your claim starts when you apply
Your claim starts from the date you apply online, the date DWP gets your paper form, or the date you phoned for a form if it's back within 6 weeks.
Some care home residents can't get it
If the local council pays for your care home place, you usually can't get it. If you pay the full cost yourself, you can.
You must report changes
Tell DWP if your condition changes, you go into hospital or a care home, or you move. Moving from England or Wales to Scotland stops it after 13 weeks, and you'd claim the Scottish payment instead.
Your carer has a time limit
Under the Northern Ireland guidance, a carer needs to claim Carer's Allowance within 3 months of your Attendance Allowance decision, or they could lose out.
Illustrative example
Joan, 79, who struggles with dressing and has had falls
Joan lives alone in Wales on her State Pension and some savings. Arthritis makes it hard to dress and bathe, and she has had two falls in the past year. She has assumed her savings rule her out.
- Joan's savings don't matter, because Attendance Allowance isn't means-tested.
- She needs help in the day with dressing and bathing, which fits the lower rate.
- Her daughter helps her claim online, so the claim starts that day.
- If it's awarded, she checks with her council whether her Council Tax Reduction changes.
Joan could get £76.70 a week, about £3,990 a year.
Illustrative example. The decision depends on DWP's assessment of the help Joan needs.
What this means for…
- State Pension age or over: If you need help with daily care or supervision, you could get £76.70 or £114.60 a week, regardless of savings.
- Caring for someone: If the person you look after gets Attendance Allowance and you care for them at least 35 hours a week, you may be able to claim Carer's Allowance.
- Retired: Your pension income doesn't reduce Attendance Allowance, and it can add to Pension Credit through the severe disability addition.
Common misreadings
You might hear: You can't get it if you have savings or a good pension.
Actually: It isn't means-tested. What you earn or have saved doesn't affect it.
You might hear: You need someone caring for you before you can claim.
Actually: You don't need a carer. It's based on the help you need, even if no one is giving it yet.
You might hear: It's only for people who can't walk.
Actually: It doesn't cover mobility at all. It's about personal care and supervision, which can include conditions like dementia, sight loss or the risk of falls.
Where the UK nations differ
- England and Wales
- Claim Attendance Allowance from DWP, online or by phoning 0800 731 0122.
- Scotland
- Attendance Allowance has been replaced by Pension Age Disability Payment from Social Security Scotland. The rates are the same, £76.70 and £114.60 a week, and terminally ill people automatically get the higher rate.
- Northern Ireland
- Attendance Allowance is run by the Disability and Carers Service. The rates are the same. You can claim online on nidirect or ask for a form, and the date you ask can count as your claim date if you send it back within 6 weeks.
What you could do
are over State Pension age and have needed help with personal care or supervision for 6 months or more
Check the rules and claim online. It's free, and payments start from the date you claim.
look after an older relative who struggles day to day
or someone close to you has been told they may have 12 months or less to live
The detail
The rules
- Rates 2026 to 2027: lower £76.70 a week, higher £114.60 a week (2025 to 2026: £73.90 and £110.40).
- You must have reached State Pension age and needed help or supervision for at least 6 months, unless claiming under end-of-life rules.
- Not means-tested: earnings and savings don't affect it.
- Doesn't cover mobility needs.
- You can't get it at the same time as PIP, Disability Living Allowance or Adult Disability Payment.
- Residence: usually in Great Britain for at least 2 of the last 3 years and habitually resident in the UK, Ireland, Isle of Man or Channel Islands.
- End of life: if a medical professional says you might have 12 months or less to live, you get the higher rate. Someone else can claim for you, using form SR1.
- Pension Credit severe disability addition 2026 to 2027: £86.05 a week for a single person (other conditions apply).
- If you also get Constant Attendance Allowance, Attendance Allowance is reduced by that amount.
References
- GOV.UK: Attendance Allowance, What you'll get: Rates, not means-tested, link to extra Pension Credit, Housing Benefit and Council Tax Reduction
- GOV.UK: Attendance Allowance, How to claim: Online claim, helpline 0800 731 0122, start-date rules
- DWP: Benefit and pension rates 2026 to 2027: Confirmed weekly rates and the severe disability addition
Documents
- Attendance Allowance claim form — Print and post free to Freepost DWP Attendance Allowance
- Benefit and pension rates 2026 to 2027
Words explained
- Means-tested
- When a payment depends on your income and savings. Attendance Allowance isn't.
- Supervision
- Someone keeping an eye on you to stop you coming to harm, or harming others.
- State Pension age
- The earliest age you can get your State Pension. It is gradually rising from 66 to 67.
- Severe disability addition
- An extra amount of Pension Credit for some people who get a disability benefit like Attendance Allowance.
- Form SR1
- A form a doctor or nurse fills in to support a claim from someone who may be nearing the end of life.
In short
If you're over State Pension age and have needed help with personal care or someone to watch over you for six months, you could get £76.70 or £114.60 a week from Attendance Allowance. Savings and income don't count, you don't need a carer, and it can unlock other help. Claim online so payments start sooner.
Related dates
- 31 Mar Cold Weather Payment period endsChange · in 149 days
Sources
- Attendance Allowance: What you'll get, GOV.UK (2026-11-02)
- Attendance Allowance: Eligibility, GOV.UK (2026-11-02)
- Attendance Allowance: How to claim, GOV.UK (2026-11-02)
- Attendance Allowance: Claiming if you might have 12 months or less to live, GOV.UK (2026-11-02)
- Benefit and pension rates 2026 to 2027, DWP (2026-11-02)
- Pension Age Disability Payment, mygov.scot (2026-11-02)
- Attendance Allowance, nidirect (2026-11-02)
- Attendance Allowance overview, GOV.UK (2026-11-02)
This is guidance, not regulated financial advice. Check figures against the linked official source before you act. Written with AI assistance and checked against primary sources. How Kitty works. For free, impartial help, try MoneyHelper or Citizens Advice.