Many families never apply for Attendance Allowance because they assume Mum or Dad won’t qualify. They have a bit put by, or a decent pension, so it can’t be for them. So, is Attendance Allowance means tested? No. Savings, income and the value of the house make no difference at all.
This guide explains who can claim, how much it’s worth in 2026 to 2027, what happens during a hospital stay, whether it can be backdated and how families use it to help pay for care at home. If your parent needs help to look after themselves, it’s well worth a look.
Key Takeaways
- Attendance Allowance is not means tested. Savings, income and property don’t affect it.
- It’s for people over State Pension age who need help looking after themselves, or supervision to stay safe, because of a disability or health condition.
- In 2026 to 2027 it’s worth £76.70 or £114.60 a week, depending on how much help someone needs. It’s tax-free.
- It can’t be backdated, so it’s worth claiming as soon as someone might qualify.
- It can be spent on anything, including care at home, and it can unlock extra help from other benefits.
Is Attendance Allowance means tested?
No. GOV.UK is clear that Attendance Allowance is not means-tested: what someone earns or has in savings won’t affect what they get. It doesn’t matter if your parent has savings over the council’s limit, owns their home outright or has a good private pension. If they meet the conditions, they can get it.
It also isn’t taxable, and it doesn’t reduce someone’s State Pension. It’s paid on top.
The one thing it does depend on is need. Attendance Allowance is based on the help someone needs because of a disability or health condition, not on their finances, and not on whether anyone is actually giving them that help at the moment. Someone who lives alone and struggles on their own can still qualify.
What is Attendance Allowance?
Attendance Allowance is a benefit from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) for people who have reached State Pension age and need help because of a physical disability, a mental disability or a health condition. To qualify, someone usually needs to:
- Be State Pension age or older. Younger people claim Personal Independence Payment (PIP) instead.
- Need help caring for themselves, such as washing, dressing, eating or using the toilet, or need someone to keep an eye on them to stay safe.
- Have needed that help for at least six months. There are faster rules for people nearing the end of life.
- Live in Great Britain, and have done for at least two of the last three years, with some exceptions.
Attendance Allowance isn’t for help getting around outside the home. It’s about personal care and supervision, during the day, the night or both.
How much is Attendance Allowance in 2026 to 2027?
There are two weekly rates. Which one your parent gets depends on how much help they need.
Rate | Who it’s for |
Lower rate: £76.70 a week | Frequent help or constant supervision during the day, or supervision at night |
Higher rate: £114.60 a week | Help or supervision throughout the day and the night, or a medical professional has said someone is nearing the end of life |
Rates are reviewed each April. Attendance Allowance is paid straight into a bank, building society or credit union account.
Can I claim Attendance Allowance for Mum or Dad?
Families often ask “can I claim Attendance Allowance?” on a parent’s behalf. The claim is in your parent’s name, but you can help them fill in the form. If they can’t manage their own affairs, someone with the legal right to act for them, such as an attorney under a lasting power of attorney, can make the claim on their behalf.
It’s worth looking into if your parent:
- Needs help or prompting with washing, dressing, meals, medicines or the toilet.
- Is unsteady on their feet and needs someone nearby to avoid a fall.
- Is living with dementia, and needs reminding, reassuring or keeping safe.
- Needs help in the night, such as getting to the toilet, or is unsafe if left alone after dark.
- Has been struggling for a while, even if they’ve been managing with help from family.
It’s the need for help that counts, not the diagnosis. Two people with the same condition can have very different needs.
How to claim Attendance Allowance
You can apply online through GOV.UK, or by post using the claim form. If you’d rather have a paper form sent out, call the Attendance Allowance helpline on 0800 731 0122, open weekdays from 8am to 6pm.
A few tips for the form:
- Describe a bad day, not a good one. Say what happens when things go wrong, not just when they go right.
- Be specific. How long does it take to get dressed? How often do they need help in the night? Have there been falls or near misses?
- Include the help family give. If you pop in every morning to help with medicines, say so.
- Add supporting evidence if you have it, such as letters from the GP, a hospital or an occupational therapist.
- Keep a copy of everything you send.
After sending the claim, you should get a text or letter within three weeks explaining when to expect a decision. If you disagree with the decision, you can ask the DWP to look at it again. This is called a mandatory reconsideration.
Can Attendance Allowance be backdated?
No, so don’t wait. If you apply online, the claim starts on the day you apply. If you phone for a paper form, the claim starts on the date of your call, as long as the form is returned within six weeks. If you print the form yourself, it starts when the DWP receives it.
That means every week of delay is a week of payments your parent can’t get back. If you think they might qualify, start the claim now. The worst that can happen is a “no”.
Attendance Allowance when in hospital
If your parent already gets Attendance Allowance and goes into hospital, payments stop once they’ve been there for 28 days. The day they go in and the day they come out don’t count. If they go back into hospital within 28 days of coming home, the stays are added together.
Payments start again from the day they leave hospital. Always tell the Attendance Allowance helpline when someone goes into hospital and when they come home, so payments are stopped and restarted correctly.
A hospital stay can also be a sign that someone’s needs have changed. If your parent needs more help when they come home than before, it may be worth asking whether they now qualify for the higher rate.
How Attendance Allowance can help pay for care at home
Attendance Allowance is your parent’s money, and there are no rules about how it’s spent. Many families put it towards the help that makes the biggest difference, such as:
- Care at home, from a daily pop-in to help with washing and dressing to a regular companionship visit. Our guide to what domiciliary care includes explains the options.
- Extra help around the house, such as cleaning, laundry or shopping.
- Equipment and adaptations that aren’t provided free, or a personal alarm.
- Taxis to appointments, or other costs that come with a health condition.
Getting Attendance Allowance can also mean extra Pension Credit, Housing Benefit or Council Tax Reduction, so check with whoever pays those once the award comes through.
How it fits with paying for care depends on who’s arranging it. If the council is paying towards your parent’s care, it will carry out a financial assessment, and it may count Attendance Allowance as income when working out what your parent pays. It should allow for extra costs that come with their disability. If your parent is paying for all of their own care, the council isn’t involved, and Attendance Allowance simply helps with the bills.
If you haven’t yet, it’s also worth asking the council for a care needs assessment. It’s free, whatever your parent’s savings, and it gives you a clear picture of what help they need. If the council ends up paying something towards care, you can usually take that money as a direct payment and choose your own home care agency.
How Caring with Dignity can help
Lots of the families we support use Attendance Allowance towards their care at home. Whether your parent is paying for their own care or has a direct payment from the council, you choose when visits happen, how long they last and what they include, and you can change that as needs change.
We offer a free care assessment, so you can see what help would make a difference before you commit to anything. If you’re still working out the money side, our guide to paying for care explains the options in plain English.
Attendance Allowance questions families ask us
Is Attendance Allowance taxable?
No. Attendance Allowance is a tax-free benefit, so it doesn’t need to go on a tax return and won’t push someone into a higher tax band.
Can you get Attendance Allowance with savings over £23,250?
Yes. Attendance Allowance is not means tested, so savings of any amount make no difference. £23,250 is the council’s upper savings limit for help with care costs, which is a separate thing.
Can you get Attendance Allowance for dementia?
Yes, if dementia means your parent needs help or supervision, for example reminders to eat or take medicines, or someone to keep them safe. Attendance Allowance and dementia often go together, but it’s the level of help needed that decides the claim, not the diagnosis itself.
Does my parent need a carer to claim?
No. Attendance Allowance is based on the help someone needs, not on the help they’re getting. People who live alone and manage with difficulty can still qualify.
What happens to Attendance Allowance if needs change?
If your parent needs more help than when they claimed, you can ask for the award to be looked at again, which could mean moving to the higher rate. You must also report changes such as a hospital stay or a move.
Weighing up how to pay for care, or who to choose?
Whether you’re waiting for a council assessment or arranging care yourself, our team can talk you through your options and arrange a free care assessment, so you stay in control of when visits happen and what they include. No pressure, just a friendly chat.
or email manager@caringwithdignity.co.uk
