Attendance Allowance

What is it?

Attendance Allowance is tax-free cash help towards extra costs faced by disabled people. You can get it if:

• you have a physical or mental disability (or both);
• your disability is severe enough for you to need help with personal care; and
• you are aged 65 or older when you make your claim.

Is it for me?

To qualify for Attendance Allowance, you must:

• be aged 65 or over; and
• have needed help with personal care because of your disability for at least 6 months.

You may get Attendance Allowance even if you are not currently getting the help you need.

'Help with personal care' means that you need help with things like:

• washing (and getting in or out of the bath or shower);
• dressing;
• eating;
• getting to and using the toilet (or a pad, commode, bedpan or bottle); or
• communicating your needs.

What are the benefit rates?

There are two rates of Attendance Allowance.

• help with personal care or supervision frequently throughout the day only;
• help with personal care or supervision during the night only; or
• someone with you when you are on dialysis.
  

Attendance Allowance lower rate is £47.10

Higher rate
You may be able to get this if you need help with personal care or supervision throughout the day and also during the night.

Attendance Allowance higher rate is £70.35

What do I need to do next?

You can get a claim form:

• by phoning the Benefit Enquiry Line on 0800 88 22 00. People with speech or hearing problems using a textphone can dial 0800 24 33 55
• from advice centres like Citizens Advice Bureaus; or
• from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) website. You should look at the section for ‘disabled people and carers’.

You can claim Attendance Allowance on-line. The on-line service is available at www.dwp.gov.uk. You should look at the section for ‘disabled people and carers’. Or, go to www.direct.gov.uk/disability.

What else you need to know

If you receive Attendance Allowance and move to another country in the European Economic Area or Switzerland, you may continue to receive it under certain circumstances.

Taking disability benefits to other European countries

If you are already living in another European Economic Area country or Switzerland, you may be able to claim Attendance Allowance under certain circumstances.

Claiming disability benefits if you live in another European country