Updated for 2026/27 DWP rates

Attendance Allowance Checker

Attendance Allowance is a tax-free, non-means-tested benefit worth up to £114.60 a week for older people who need help or supervision because of illness or disability. Answer a few quick questions to find out whether your parent is likely to qualify, and at which rate. Free, anonymous, no sign-up. Built and reviewed by a UK care-sector professional.

England, Wales & Northern Ireland: Attendance Allowance applies across Great Britain and Northern Ireland for people over State Pension age. In Scotland it is being replaced by Pension Age Disability Payment, but the rates and rules are the same.

Answer the questions below about the person you care for. Pick the answer that best describes a typical bad day — Attendance Allowance is based on the help they reasonably need, not just the help they currently get.

1. Has the person reached State Pension age (66 or over)?

2. Are they terminally ill (a doctor would not be surprised if they died within 12 months)?

3. Have they needed this help or supervision for 6 months or more? — skip if terminally ill

4. Do they need frequent help or supervision during the day? — washing, dressing, eating, moving safely, taking medication, or watching over

5. Do they need help or supervision during the night? — repeated help, or someone awake to watch over them

0 of 5 answered

Important: This checker gives a guide only. It is not a benefits decision and cannot guarantee an award. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) decides every claim individually. To apply, call the Attendance Allowance helpline on 0800 731 0122 (textphone 0800 731 0317) or start online at GOV.UK.

Worked example: Margaret, 82, Greater Manchester

Margaret is 82 and has arthritis and the early stages of dementia. She needs help getting washed and dressed each morning, prompting to take her medication, and someone to keep an eye on her during the day because she leaves the cooker on. At night she is usually settled but her daughter checks on her once or twice.

Working through the checker: Margaret is over State Pension age (yes), is not terminally ill, has needed this help for over a year (yes), needs help and supervision during the day (yes), and needs some help at night (yes).

Result: "Likely eligible — higher rate, around £114.60 a week." Because Margaret reasonably needs help and supervision both day and night, she qualifies for the higher rate — about £5,959 a year, tax-free and non-means-tested. When she claims, her daughter should also check whether the award unlocks Pension Credit and a Council Tax Reduction.

What is Attendance Allowance?

Attendance Allowance is a benefit from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) for people over State Pension age who need help looking after themselves because of a physical or mental illness or disability. It is one of the most under-claimed benefits in the UK — hundreds of thousands of eligible older people never apply, often because they assume their savings rule them out. They don't. Attendance Allowance is not means-tested: it ignores income, savings and property entirely.

It is also tax-free, you can spend it on anything (it does not have to be spent on formal care), and your parent does not need to have a carer or be receiving any care to qualify — what matters is the help they reasonably need.

Who is eligible?

To qualify, your parent must:

Have reached State Pension age (currently 66). Younger adults should claim Personal Independence Payment (PIP) instead.
Have a physical disability, mental disability, or illness that means they need help with personal care or supervision to stay safe.
Have needed that help for at least 6 months (waived if terminally ill — see below).
Be in Great Britain when they claim, and habitually resident in the UK.

The two rates (2026/27)

Rate	Weekly amount	When it applies
Lower rate	£76.70	Frequent help or supervision during the day, or repeated help at night
Higher rate	£114.60	Help or supervision needed both day and night, or terminally ill

These are the rates from April 2026, sourced from the DWP 2026/27 benefit rates. Attendance Allowance is usually paid every four weeks.

The day and night rule explained

The rate depends on when help is needed:

Day needs mean frequent help with personal tasks (washing, dressing, eating, moving about indoors, using the toilet, taking medicine) or continual supervision to avoid danger to themselves or others.
Night needs mean repeated help during the night, or someone needing to be awake for a prolonged period to watch over them.

If your parent needs help with either day or night, they get the lower rate. If they need help with both, they get the higher rate. Crucially, the test is the help they reasonably require — not the help they actually receive. If your parent struggles alone because no one is there to help, that still counts.

Special Rules for end of life

If your parent is terminally ill and a doctor would not be surprised if they died within the next 12 months, they can claim under the Special Rules. The six-month qualifying period is waived, the claim is fast-tracked, and they are automatically awarded the higher rate. A doctor or nurse completes form SR1 to support the claim.

Care home and hospital rules

Hospital: payments usually stop after 28 days as an inpatient, then restart on discharge.
Council-funded care home: Attendance Allowance stops four weeks after your parent moves into a care home that the local authority pays for.
Self-funding care home: if your parent pays their own fees in full, Attendance Allowance continues. This is frequently missed — keep claiming.

What it can unlock

This is the part families most often overlook. Being awarded Attendance Allowance can act as a "passport" that opens up — or increases — other support:

Pension Credit — an Attendance Allowance award can add a severe disability addition, sometimes worth more than £80 a week.
Housing Benefit and Council Tax Reduction — can increase for the same reason.
Carer's Allowance — a family member who cares for your parent 35+ hours a week may be able to claim once Attendance Allowance is in place (see our Carer's Allowance Checker).

How to claim

Request form AA1 from the Attendance Allowance helpline on 0800 731 0122, or apply online at GOV.UK.
Describe a bad day, not a good one. Explain everything your parent struggles with, including help they need but don't currently get.
Give detail: how long tasks take, how often help is needed, what happens if no one helps, and any falls, accidents or distress.
Keep a copy of the completed form. The date you contact DWP can set the start date for payments, so don't delay.
For free help completing the form, contact Age UK or your local Citizens Advice.

How this checker works (methodology)

This checker applies the published DWP eligibility rules to five short questions:

If your parent is terminally ill, the Special Rules apply: the six-month test is skipped and the result is the higher rate.
Otherwise, your parent must have reached State Pension age and have needed help for 6 months or more. If either is missing, the result is "may not qualify yet".
If those gateways are met, the rate is decided by the day/night rule: help needed both day and night → higher rate; help needed in one of day or night → lower rate; neither → unlikely to qualify.
The output is deliberately probabilistic ("likely eligible"). Only the DWP can make an actual award after assessing the full claim form.

What's NOT included in this checker

A guaranteed decision. Only the DWP can award Attendance Allowance, after reviewing the detailed claim form.
Under-66s. People below State Pension age should use Personal Independence Payment (PIP), or Adult Disability Payment in Scotland.
The exact passported amounts. How much extra Pension Credit or Council Tax Reduction an award unlocks depends on your parent's full circumstances.
Care cost planning. If your parent is facing care fees, use our Care Home Cost Calculator to understand the means test.

Why trust this checker

The eligibility rules, rates and care-home/hospital conditions in this tool are mapped directly to current DWP guidance on GOV.UK, all linked inline above so you can verify them. The 2026/27 figures (£76.70 lower rate, £114.60 higher rate) are the rates that apply from April 2026.

The checker is reviewed by Hinesh Patel, owner-operator of Birkdale Village Care Home, with over a decade of UK care-sector experience helping residents and families access the benefits they are entitled to. The tool is updated whenever DWP rates or rules change.

Frequently asked questions

Is Attendance Allowance means-tested?

No. Attendance Allowance is not means-tested. Your parent's income, savings and property are irrelevant — there is no upper limit. It is also tax-free and does not count as income for most other benefits. In fact, claiming it can increase entitlement to Pension Credit, Housing Benefit and Council Tax Reduction.

How much is Attendance Allowance in 2026/27?

There are two rates from April 2026: the lower rate of £76.70 per week (for someone who needs frequent help or supervision during the day, or repeated help at night) and the higher rate of £114.60 per week (for someone who needs help or supervision both day and night, or who is terminally ill). It is usually paid every four weeks.

What is the difference between the lower and higher rate?

The lower rate (£76.70/week) is for people who need frequent help or supervision during the day OR repeated help at night. The higher rate (£114.60/week) is for people who need help or supervision during both the day AND the night, or who are terminally ill. The decision is based on the help your parent reasonably needs, not on the help they currently receive.

Does my parent have to be over a certain age?

Yes. Attendance Allowance is only for people who have reached State Pension age (currently 66). People under State Pension age who have care or mobility needs should look at Personal Independence Payment (PIP) instead, or Adult Disability Payment in Scotland.

How long do care needs have to have lasted?

Normally your parent must have needed help or supervision for at least six months before Attendance Allowance is paid. The exception is the Special Rules for end of life: if your parent is terminally ill and not expected to live more than 12 months, the six-month rule is waived and they are paid the higher rate automatically.

What happens to Attendance Allowance in hospital or a care home?

Attendance Allowance usually stops after your parent has been in hospital for 28 days. It also stops four weeks after they move into a care home that is funded by the local authority. However, if your parent pays for their own care home fees in full (self-funding), Attendance Allowance continues — so always keep claiming if your parent is self-funding.

Can claiming Attendance Allowance unlock other benefits?

Yes — this is one of the most overlooked points. Being awarded Attendance Allowance can trigger or increase Pension Credit, Housing Benefit and Council Tax Reduction, because it adds a "severe disability" element to the calculation. It can also help a family carer qualify for Carer's Allowance. It is well worth claiming even if your parent's income seems comfortable.

How do I apply for Attendance Allowance?

Request the claim form (form AA1) from the Attendance Allowance helpline on 0800 731 0122, or download and apply via GOV.UK. The form is long and asks for detail about daily needs — describe a bad day, not a good one, and explain the help your parent reasonably needs even if no one currently provides it.

Reviewed by Hinesh Patel, with over a decade of experience in the UK care sector.

Last reviewed: June 2026 · Next review due: June 2027

Last updated: June 2026. Sources: Attendance Allowance (gov.uk); Attendance Allowance rates 2026/27 (gov.uk); How to claim Attendance Allowance (gov.uk).