Attendance Allowance 2026 | Rates and eligibility

If you have reached State Pension age and have a disability or health condition that means you need someone to look after you, Attendance Allowance can help you to cover any extra costs you might face.

Attendance Allowance is a benefit paid at two different rates by the government, depending on the level of care you need due to your disability or health condition.

At a glance

• Who it’s for: Attendance Allowance supports people of State Pension age who have a physical or mental condition requiring help with personal care or supervision.
• Payment rates (2026/27): From April 2026, it pays £76.70 (lower rate) or £114.60 (higher rate) per week, depending on care needs.
• Eligibility rules: You must have needed help for at least six months (unless terminally ill), and eligibility is based on care needs – not income or savings.
• Additional support: It is tax-free and non-means tested, and receiving it can increase access to other benefits like Housing Benefit, Pension Credit, and Council Tax reductions.

Who is Attendance Allowance for?

Attendance Allowance is for people of State Pension age who have a disability that is physical and/or mental. Consequently they need help caring for themselves or need someone to supervise them to keep them safe.

Unless you are terminally ill, you must have needed help for at least six months.

Attendance Allowance rates 2026/27

Whether you get the lower or higher rate of Attendance Allowance depends on when and how often you need personal care or supervision because of a physical or mental disability:

• Lower Rate (£76.70 a week): You qualify if you need regular help or constant supervision either during the day or at night (but not both), or if you need someone with you while having kidney dialysis.
• Higher Rate (£114.60 a week): You qualify if you need regular help or supervision both during the day and at night, or if you are terminally ill (meaning a doctor has said you have 12 months or less to live, which skips the usual qualifying time).

Daytime vs Nighttime:

Nighttime needs usually mean regular or long periods of care or supervision during the night, or someone needing to stay awake often or for long periods to watch over you.

Daytime needs usually mean regular help with personal care tasks (like washing, dressing, eating, or using the toilet) or constant supervision to keep you and others safe.

What other benefits can I claim if I get Attendance Allowance?

Attendance Allowance is one of several benefits you may be entitled to if you receive home care. It is non-means tested, tax-free and if you are eligible for it, other benefits you are entitled to may increase.

You may be able to get Housing Benefit, a reduction in your Council Tax and extra Pension Credit.

Whether you can claim or not is based on the help you need, rather than your income or savings.

Although you are required to need care to be eligible, you do not need to have someone already caring for you to claim Attendance Allowance.

However, if you are awarded the benefit, it means that you have been assessed as needing some level of care from another person. Attendance Allowance can help with additional costs related to your care and support needs, including support at home. 

If you do already have someone caring for you, they may qualify for Carer’s Allowance.

You cannot claim Attendance Allowance if you already receive Personal Independence Payment (PIP) or Disability Living Allowance (DLA).

How do I qualify for Attendance Allowance?

To claim, the following eligibility criteria apply:

• You must have reached State Pension age
• You must have a physical and/or mental disability (including learning difficulties) that is severe enough that you need help and/or supervision
• You must have needed that help for at least six months (unless you are terminally ill)
• You must be in Great Britain and meet other residence and presence conditions

Your eligibility is not determined by a specific condition or diagnosis, but rather how your disability affects you. For example, you may have a physical disability which means you are unable to wash and dress yourself or use the toilet without assistance, meaning you need help with personal care.

If it is unclear how your condition affects you, you may need to attend an assessment where a health professional examines you and your needs. Where this is the case, you will be sent a letter to notify you.

What happens if you are terminally ill?

If you are terminally ill and you are not expected to live for more than 12 months, you can claim straight away.

You will automatically receive the higher rate of £114.60.

There is no qualifying period, meaning it does not matter how long you have had your illness for.

How do I claim Attendance Allowance?

If you live in England, Wales or Scotland you need to complete the Attendance Allowance claim form.

If you live in Northern Ireland, you can get more information here.

Although you must have needed help for at least six months, you can still apply for Attendance Allowance before that date, but you will not receive payments until six months have passed.

People who are terminally ill can claim straight away.

The form asks for information about your illness, how long you have had it for, what medicines or treatment you have been prescribed, and more.

If you live in Scotland, Attendance Allowance is being replaced by Pension Age Disability Benefit.

Next steps

• Check eligibility and assess care needs: See if you or a family member has reached State Pension age and has had a physical or mental disability or learning difficulty requiring personal care or supervision for at least six months. Eligibility is based only on how a condition affects daily life, not on income or savings. Write down the specific tasks you need help with.
• Review connected benefits: Check if a successful claim could start or increase your right to other financial help, like Pension Credit, Housing Benefit, or Council Tax reductions. Also, if someone already gives regular care, find out if they might qualify for Carer’s Allowance.
• Prepare and submit the claim form: Get and fill out the official Attendance Allowance claim form for England, Wales, or Scotland. You can start the application before the 6-month qualifying period ends or send it immediately if the applicant is terminally ill. Collect information about medical history, treatments, prescriptions, and how the condition affects daily routines to support the application.

FAQs