Common mistakes when applying for Attendance Allowance 2026

Attendance Allowance provides extra financial support for people of State Pension age or over who need help or supervision because of a disability or health condition. The application form requires detailed information about how the condition affects the applicant, but around 60% of applications are rejected, so understanding common mistakes helps provide a clear, accurate picture of the support needed.

At a glance

• Eligibility basics: Attendance Allowance provides tax-free extra financial support for people who have reached State Pension age, live with a physical or mental disability, and need personal care or supervision for at least six months.
• Non-means-tested support: The benefit is independent of personal income, savings, or capital, so an applicant’s financial standing does not affect eligibility.
• Weekly rates: Payments are issued in two tiers depending on the level of care required.
• Complete the form carefully: It’s important to take your time and read the notes carefully so you understand what information you need to provide.

What is Attendance Allowance?

If you are over State Pension age and have a disability or health condition that means you need support from another person, you may be eligible for Attendance Allowance. This benefit is designed to help with the extra costs you face as a result of your condition.

Attendance Allowance is paid by the government at two different rates, depending on how much care or supervision you require. It is available to people over State Pension age who have either a physical or mental disability and therefore need help looking after themselves or need to be supervised to stay safe.

How do I qualify?

• Be living with an illness or disability.
• Require care from another person due to this disability.
• Have needed the above care for at least six months.
• Be State Pension age or over.

Attendance Allowance isn’t means tested. This means that how much money you have in savings or income won’t affect your eligibility for the benefit.

What are the Attendance Allowance rates for 2026/27?

There are two different rates of Attendance Allowance. The rate you will receive will depend on the level of support you need.

From April 2026, the weekly rates for Attendance Allowance are:

Lower rate	Higher rate
£76.70	£114.60

If you’re already receiving Attendance Allowance but something has changed since you originally applied, you’ll need to report this to ensure you’re receiving the rate you’re entitled to.

Common Attendance Allowance mistakes and how to avoid them

Receiving Attendance Allowance can make a huge difference financially to those who are eligible, but there are a few issues with the benefit.  

• High rates of rejection – it’s estimated that around 60% of applications are rejected.
• A complicated application form.
• Needing to have required support for at least 6 months before you can apply.

While every case is different, we’ve covered some key tips for overcoming the most common issues and pitfalls when applying for Attendance Allowance.

Keep a diary in the weeks before applying

As part of your application, you’ll be required to include details of which areas of everyday life you need help with due to your disability. This will cover everything from getting out of bed in the morning to communicating with others.

Sometimes it can be difficult to remember everything, but keeping a diary will allow you to document each part of your day. This will ensure you’ll be able to provide an accurate insight into your everyday life and include as much information as possible to support your application.

Age UK provides a helpful weekly diary template to help you keep track of your requirements, day and night.

Read the notes

When you come to apply for Attendance Allowance, you’ll be provided with notes on how to complete the application form. If you’re going to print your own application form, the notes are available online here. If you request a claim form to be sent by post, the notes should be sent along with this or you can access them online too.

These notes provide guidance for how to complete each section of the form including:

• What information you should have before beginning your application – for example, your NI number, the name and address of your GP/GP surgery and details of your current medication.
• Information about who is eligible for Attendance Allowance.
• Definition of terms included in the form.
• A breakdown of what information is required for each question.
• Any supporting evidence you need to send along with your application.

The notes cover a lot of information, so you shouldn’t skim them. But if you read them closely, you’ll know exactly what details to include and be less likely to miss anything important. Take your time, and ask for help if something isn’t clear.

Include enough information

Leaving out relevant information can make it harder for the decision-maker to understand your care needs. In your application form, you need to give a complete picture of the help and support you need (not what you currently receive) so that the decision maker can accurately assess your requirements.

The Attendance Allowance form will ask you a range of questions based on different aspects of your life and wellbeing.

This includes questions related to:

• Who you are and whether somebody is helping you to complete the form.
• Your illness and/or disability.
• Medical assistance you’ve received in the last year, including appointments with your GP, any specialist you’ve seen, etc.
• Any non-medical care you’re receiving.
• Any health tests you’ve recently had.
• Your living situation – including any aids or adaptations you have, any care you currently receive or would benefit from, and anything you find difficult.

When completing your form:

• Don’t worry about repetition. Don’t leave information out just because you’ve already mentioned it in a previous section. It’s important to highlight every aspect of your day-to-day life and where you would benefit from support.
• Don’t expect the decision maker to have a prior understanding of your disability or illness. Explain how your condition affects you in everyday life rather than assuming the person assessing your claim will already understand its impact.
• Be honest if every day isn’t exactly the same. Having days which are ‘better’ or ‘worse’ is a normal part of living with a health condition, and being transparent about the impacts this has on good and bad days will allow the person assessing your form to see how your life is being affected.

Get help to complete the form

It is possible to get help when applying for Attendance Allowance. This can help to ensure you don’t miss any key components.

With such a complicated application form, it can be challenging to get your head around everything you need to include.

There are a couple of different options for this:

• Using the support of an adviser from a charity such as Citizens Advice who will be able to guide you through the form.
• Have a family member or friend help you to complete the form.

If you’ll be completing the form on behalf of another person:

• Answer questions in first person (as though the person is filling out the form themselves) and have them sign it at the end.
• If the person isn’t able to sign the form, you’ll need to have the legal right to complete it on their behalf.

A statement from someone who knows you

At the end of the Attendance Allowance application form is a section called ‘statement from someone who knows you’. Completing the section is optional, but it can really help your application.

As the name suggests, this section provides the opportunity for somebody who knows you to provide an account of how your illness or disability affects you. If possible, ask a GP or other healthcare professional you’ve seen recently to do this for you. If this isn’t an option, you could ask a carer if you have one, or a close family member or friend.

It’s important that the person who completes this section gives a full and accurate description of your day-to-day needs that supports the information that you’ve given throughout your application.

Don’t worry about your income or savings

Many people don’t apply for Attendance Allowance at all because they think they have too much money to be eligible. However this isn’t the case.

Attendance Allowance isn’t awarded based on income, savings, or any other capital you may have. All that matters is that you are state pension age or over and need extra support due to a disability or illness.

How do I apply for Attendance Allowance?

The easiest way to apply for Attendance Allowance is on the government website. Here you can download a copy of the application form and either complete it online, or print out and complete it by hand.

If you don’t have access to a printer, you can call the helpline to request a form be sent to you in the post.

Attendance Allowance helpline:

Telephone: 0800 731 0122

Textphone: 0800 731 0317

Once complete, send the form to:

Freepost DWP Attendance Allowance

You don’t need a postcode or a stamp.

Please note that the application form must be sent by post and won’t be accepted if sent via email. For more detailed advice on completing the Attendance Allowance application form, Age UK offers a useful step-by-step guide.

Next steps

• Track daily care needs: Use a weekly diary template (such as the one provided by Age UK) in the weeks before applying to record every instance when you need help, day and night.
• Review guidance notes thoroughly: Read the official DWP notes with the AA1 application form and answer every question fully. Do not skip sections or downplay symptoms.
• Seek application assistance: Get help from a family member, carer, or charity adviser (such as Citizens Advice) to complete the forms accurately. Request a supporting statement from a healthcare professional who knows the applicant’s daily needs.

FAQs