This is not medical, legal, or financial advice. Big on Health is a UK review site. For health worries, speak to your GP, pharmacist, or NHS 111. For questions about support, speak to your council or a carers’ advice service.

Attendance Allowance is a weekly benefit for people over State Pension age who need help looking after themselves because of a disability or health condition. This page summarises official guidance we read on 7 Oct 2026.

Scotland and Northern Ireland are covered further down.

What Attendance Allowance is

GOV.UK says Attendance Allowance “helps with extra costs if you have a disability or health condition severe enough that you need someone to help look after you.” It does not cover mobility needs.

• It is not means-tested. GOV.UK says what you earn or how much you have in savings will not affect what you get.
• Your parent does not need a carer to claim. GOV.UK says you do not have to have someone caring for you in order to claim.

Who can get it

GOV.UK says your parent can get Attendance Allowance if they have reached State Pension age and:

• they have a physical disability (including sensory disability, such as blindness), a mental disability (including learning difficulties), or a health condition
• it is severe enough that they need help caring for themselves, or someone to supervise them for their own or someone else’s safety
• they have needed that help for at least 6 months

There are also residence rules, and it cannot be paid alongside Disability Living Allowance, Personal Independence Payment or Adult Disability Payment.

Care homes: GOV.UK says you cannot usually get Attendance Allowance if your care home place is paid for by the local authority, but you can still claim if you pay all your care home costs yourself.

How much it is

It is paid weekly at 2 rates, depending on the help needed. As shown on GOV.UK when we read it on 7 Oct 2026:

• Lower rate: £76.70 a week, for frequent help or constant supervision during the day, or supervision at night.
• Higher rate: £114.60 a week, for help or supervision throughout both day and night, or where a medical professional has said the person is nearing the end of life.

GOV.UK also says getting Attendance Allowance could mean extra Pension Credit, Housing Benefit or Council Tax Reduction, and that a carer could get Carer’s Allowance if your parent has substantial caring needs.

If someone is nearing the end of life

GOV.UK says that if a doctor or medical professional has said someone might have 12 months or less to live, they may get Attendance Allowance more quickly and at the higher rate. A medical professional fills in form SR1, and there is no face-to-face assessment.

How to claim

Your parent can apply online or by post, using the printable claim form on GOV.UK. They will need:

• their National Insurance number, address and contact details
• details of the disability or health condition they need extra help for
• details of their GP surgery or medical centre

GOV.UK says a text or letter should arrive within 3 weeks explaining when to expect a decision. An online claim starts on the date it is made, and a posted form on the date DWP receives it.

If you help a parent with paperwork long term, see lasting power of attorney for a parent.

Using it towards care at home

Attendance Allowance is paid to your parent. Many families put it towards help at home. See Paying for private care at home in the UK, and if you are the main carer, ask the council for a carer’s assessment. When it is time to arrange help, see Finding a private carer in the UK.

Scotland and Northern Ireland

In Scotland, mygov.scot says Pension Age Disability Payment is replacing Attendance Allowance. It is not means-tested. People in Scotland who already get Attendance Allowance do not need to apply, because Social Security Scotland moves them across. GOV.UK says anyone getting Attendance Allowance who moves from England or Wales to Scotland must tell DWP and make a new claim for Pension Age Disability Payment.

In Northern Ireland, see nidirect: Attendance Allowance.

Questions to talk through as a family

• What help does Mum or Dad need now, day and night, and for how long has that been true?
• Would extra weekly money make paid help at home possible?

Sources

• GOV.UK: Attendance Allowance: Overview. Read 7 Oct 2026.
• GOV.UK: Attendance Allowance: What you’ll get. Read 7 Oct 2026.
• GOV.UK: Attendance Allowance: Eligibility. Read 7 Oct 2026.
• GOV.UK: Attendance Allowance: How to claim. Read 7 Oct 2026.
• GOV.UK: Claiming Attendance Allowance if you’re nearing the end of life. Read 7 Oct 2026.
• mygov.scot: Pension Age Disability Payment. Read 7 Oct 2026.
• nidirect: Attendance Allowance. Read 7 Oct 2026.

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