- Attendance Allowance pays £76.70 a week (lower rate) or £114.60 a week (higher rate) in 2026/27, up from £73.90 and £110.40.15
- It is for people over State Pension age who need help or supervision because of a disability or health condition, and have needed it for at least 6 months. You do not need anyone to be caring for you.13
- It is not means-tested, so your income and savings do not matter, and it is tax-free.29
- It can also mean extra Pension Credit, Housing Benefit or Council Tax Reduction, and someone who cares for you may be able to get Carer's Allowance.1
How much is Attendance Allowance in 2026/27?
There are two rates. Which one you get depends on how much help or supervision you need, not on your diagnosis.2
| Lower rate: frequent help or constant supervision during the day, or supervision at night | £76.70 a week |
| Every 4 weeks / a year | £306.80 / £3,988.40 |
| Higher rate: help or supervision throughout both day and night, or nearing the end of life | £114.60 a week |
| Every 4 weeks / a year | £458.40 / £5,959.20 |
Attendance Allowance is paid weekly at these rates into a bank, building society or credit union account. If your needs change, you could move to a different rate, so tell DWP if things get harder.2
Who can get Attendance Allowance?
You can claim if you have reached State Pension age, you have a physical or mental disability or health condition, and you need help with personal care or supervision to stay safe, and have needed it for at least 6 months. You usually need to have been in Great Britain for at least 2 of the last 3 years.3
Personal care means things like washing, dressing, eating, using the toilet, taking medication or being supervised to stay safe. Attendance Allowance does not cover mobility needs on their own.1
What matters is the help you need, not whether you actually get it. Many people live alone and manage with difficulty, and can still qualify. You cannot usually get Attendance Allowance if you live in a care home and the local authority pays for your care.3
If you live in Scotland, you apply for Pension Age Disability Payment instead. If you are nearing the end of life, there is a faster way to claim and you get the higher rate.12
Is Attendance Allowance means-tested or taxed?
No. GOV.UK says what you earn or how much you have in savings will not affect what you get.2 It is also on HMRC's list of tax-free state benefits.9
It does not reduce your State Pension, and it is not counted as income when your Pension Credit is worked out. That is why it so often adds to other help rather than replacing it.
What does Attendance Allowance unlock?
Pension Credit: getting Attendance Allowance can add a severe disability amount of £86.05 a week to your Pension Credit.6 This usually applies only if no other adult normally lives with you (there are exceptions, for example for someone who also gets a disability benefit) and nobody gets Carer's Allowance or the Universal Credit carer element for looking after you.7
Housing Benefit and Council Tax Reduction: these can also go up when you get Attendance Allowance.1
Carer's Allowance for a carer: someone who cares for you for at least 35 hours a week and earns £204 a week or less after deductions may be able to claim Carer's Allowance of £86.45 a week.8 A carer who gets Carer's Allowance can also get a £48.15 carer amount in their own Pension Credit.6
Be aware of one trade-off: if someone is paid Carer's Allowance for looking after you, you normally lose the £86.05 severe disability amount in your own Pension Credit.7 It is worth working out which way round leaves the household better off before anyone claims.
Worked example: Attendance Allowance and Pension Credit together
Take a single pensioner who lives alone, gets the full new State Pension of £241.30 a week, has savings under £10,000 and no other income. Without Attendance Allowance, their State Pension is above the £238.00 guarantee level, so they get no Pension Credit. Then they are awarded the lower rate of Attendance Allowance.
| Pension Credit guarantee level (single) | £238.00 |
| Plus severe disability amount | £86.05 |
| New guarantee level | £324.05 |
| Less State Pension counted as income | -£241.30 |
| Pension Credit a week | £82.75 |
| Attendance Allowance a week (lower rate) | £76.70 |
| Extra income a week | £159.45 |
That is about £8,291 a year in total, and getting Pension Credit can also lead to a full Council Tax Reduction and other help. This only works if no one is paid Carer's Allowance for looking after them; if a carer claims, the £86.05 falls away and the Pension Credit here would stop.
What changes at age 80?
Nothing changes in Attendance Allowance at 80: the rates and the rules are the same at any age over State Pension age.5
Your State Pension gets a 25p a week age addition from 80, and if you have little or no basic State Pension you may be able to claim the over 80 pension. Our State Pension 2026/27 guide explains both.
How do I claim Attendance Allowance?
You can apply online or by post. To get a paper form, call the Attendance Allowance helpline on 0800 731 0122 (Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm).4
When the claim starts matters: an online claim starts on the day you apply, a postal claim when DWP receives the form, and if you phone for a form, your claim starts on the day you called as long as you return the form within 6 weeks.4 So ask for the form by phone if you need time to fill it in.
You should get a text or letter within 3 weeks telling you when to expect a decision.4 On the form, describe a typical day and night, including the help you need but do not get, any falls or near misses, and how long things take. If you disagree with the decision, you can ask for a mandatory reconsideration.
Once your award arrives, tell the Pension Service, your council and anyone who pays you Housing Benefit, so any extra help can be added.
- £76.70 a week (lower rate) or £114.60 a week (higher rate).5
- For people over State Pension age who have needed help or supervision for at least 6 months.3
- Not means-tested and tax-free.29
- Can add £86.05 a week to Pension Credit, and can increase Housing Benefit and Council Tax Reduction.61
- A carer may get Carer's Allowance of £86.45 a week (earnings limit £204 a week).8
- In Scotland, claim Pension Age Disability Payment instead.1