What is Attendance Allowance?

Attendance Allowance is a tax-free DWP benefit for people over State Pension age (66) who need help with personal care due to illness or disability. You can claim up to £5,959 per year (£114.60 per week at the higher rate). It's not means-tested, so your savings and income don't affect eligibility.

What are the Attendance Allowance rates?

There are two Attendance Allowance rates: Lower rate of £76.70 per week (£3,988/year) for frequent help during day OR supervision at night, and Higher rate of £114.60 per week (£5,959/year) for help or supervision throughout both day AND night. Rates are set by the DWP and reviewed annually.

What is the Attendance Allowance eligibility criteria?

To be eligible for Attendance Allowance you must: be State Pension age (66) or over, have needed help for at least 6 months (unless terminally ill), need help with personal care or supervision, and have been in the UK for at least 2 of the last 3 years. You cannot claim if receiving PIP or DLA.

How do I apply for Attendance Allowance?

You can apply for Attendance Allowance by completing form AA1 from the DWP, available online at GOV.UK or by phone on 0800 731 0122. Alternatively, our expert service helps you complete the Attendance Allowance application form correctly with a 95% success rate and no-win, no-fee guarantee.

Can I get help with my Attendance Allowance form?

Yes! Many people find the DWP Attendance Allowance form complex. Our service provides expert help completing your Attendance Allowance application form, ensuring all questions are answered correctly to maximize your chances of approval. We only charge £430 if your claim is successful.

What is the higher rate Attendance Allowance?

The higher rate Attendance Allowance is £114.60 per week (£5,959 per year). You qualify for the higher rate if you need help or supervision throughout both day and night, or if you're terminally ill (under Special Rules for Terminal Illness).

Can I claim Attendance Allowance and PIP together?

No, you cannot claim Attendance Allowance and PIP (Personal Independence Payment) at the same time. Attendance Allowance is for people over State Pension age, while PIP is for those under State Pension age. If you receive DLA, you may be able to switch to Attendance Allowance when you reach State Pension age.

Does Attendance Allowance affect Council Tax Reduction?

No, receiving Attendance Allowance does NOT affect your Council Tax Reduction. In fact, getting Attendance Allowance may help you qualify for additional Council Tax discounts, such as the Severe Mental Impairment exemption. Attendance Allowance is also disregarded when calculating Housing Benefit and Pension Credit.

Can I claim Pension Credit and Attendance Allowance?

Yes! You can claim both Pension Credit and Attendance Allowance. Getting Attendance Allowance may actually increase your Pension Credit payments through the Severe Disability Addition. This can add over £81 per week extra to your Pension Credit if you live alone and receive Attendance Allowance.

What is the DWP Attendance Allowance contact number?

The DWP Attendance Allowance helpline number is 0800 731 0122 (free from UK landlines and mobiles). Lines are open Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm. You can also contact our specialist service on 01702 655034 for expert help with your Attendance Allowance application.

Higher Rate Attendance Allowance: Do You Qualify?

2026-03-08 by Elder Care

Discover if you or a loved one qualifies for the higher rate Attendance Allowance. Elder Care helps you successfully claim what you're due.

Higher Rate Attendance Allowance: Who Qualifies?

Attendance Allowance is a vital benefit designed to help people aged 66 and over with extra costs if they need help with personal care or supervision due to a disability or illness. While any award is beneficial, many eligible individuals should rightly receive the higher rate of Attendance Allowance, which provides significantly more financial support.

At Elder Care, we specialise in helping individuals and their families navigate the often-challenging application process to ensure they receive the correct level of support. The higher rate is currently £114.60 per week, paid every four weeks, totalling £458.40 per payment, and £5,959.20 over a year. This can make a real difference to quality of life.

What's the Difference Between the Lower and Higher Rates?

The key distinction between the lower and higher rates of Attendance Allowance lies in the *frequency and timing* of the care or supervision needed.

The lower rate (£76.70 per week) is typically awarded if you need frequent care or supervision during the day *or* at night.
The higher rate (£114.60 per week) is for those who need frequent care or supervision both *day and night*, or if you need supervision at night to prevent danger to yourself or others.

It's important to understand that 'care' isn't just about physical assistance like washing or dressing. It also includes supervision for safety, prompting, and managing complex medication routines due to physical or mental health conditions.

Conditions That May Lead to Higher Rate Qualification

Many different conditions can lead to needing care both day and night. Here are some common examples, along with scenarios that often justify a higher rate award:

Dementia (e.g., Alzheimer's Disease, Vascular Dementia):
Day: Needing prompting to eat, drink, or use the toilet; getting lost or confused in familiar surroundings; needing constant supervision to prevent wandering or leaving the home unsupervised.
Night: Waking frequently, becoming disorientated, needing reassurance, supervision to prevent falls when trying to get out of bed, or requiring assistance with toileting during the night.

Parkinson's Disease:
Day: Significant mobility issues requiring help to move around, difficulty with personal care due to tremors or stiffness, needing assistance with meal preparation and eating.
Night: Difficulty turning in bed, needing help to get to the toilet, requiring assistance to adjust position due to discomfort, or help managing pain.

Severe Arthritis or Other Musculoskeletal Conditions:
Day: Chronic pain or stiffness severely limiting movement, needing physical help to stand, sit, dress, or bathe; requiring frequent rest periods and assistance with household tasks.
Night: Needing help to reposition in bed due to pain, struggling to get out of bed for comfort breaks, requiring pain medication dispensed and supervised during the night.

Frailty and Frequent Falls:
Day: Requiring prompting and supervision when moving around the home, needing assistance to stand up from a chair, help to prepare meals to prevent accidents.
Night: Needing supervision or physical assistance during night-time bathroom visits due to high fall risk, requiring help to get back into bed if a fall occurs.

Incontinence Issues:
Day: Needing assistance with changing incontinence pads or clothing, help with maintaining hygiene, prompting to use the toilet regularly.
Night: Requiring help to change soiled bedding or clothing, needing assistance to get to the toilet several times during the night, or needing supervision due to confusion related to toileting needs.

Complex Medication Management:
Day: Needing prompting and supervision for multiple medication doses throughout the day, ensuring correct dosage and timing, managing side effects.
Night: Requiring assistance to take scheduled night-time medication, or being woken up to administer medication for pain or other conditions.

The 'Day and Night' Criteria Explained

To qualify for the higher rate, your need for care or supervision must be significant during the day AND during the night. This doesn't mean you need continuous 24-hour care, but rather that you have substantial care needs that arise at various points throughout both periods.

'Day' typically refers to the period from approximately 7 am to 11 pm.

'Night' refers to the period from approximately 11 pm to 7 am.

Crucially, needing someone to merely 'be there' overnight 'just in case' is often not enough for the higher rate. The DWP looks for active care or supervision. However, if that 'being there' is due to a constant need for supervision to prevent a substantial danger to yourself or others, that can certainly qualify you for the higher rate, even if no active physical care is provided.

For example, someone with advanced dementia who repeatedly tries to leave the house at night, or who is prone to falling when disoriented, would likely meet the criteria for night-time supervision.

Why the Application Form is So Challenging

The Attendance Allowance claim form (AA1) is notorious for its length – often over 40 pages – and complexity. It's designed to gather incredibly detailed information about your care needs. Simply ticking boxes or providing brief answers often leads to a lower award, or even a rejection.

The DWP needs a clear, consistent, and comprehensive picture of how your condition affects you every single day and night. This includes:

Specific examples: Don't just say 'I need help dressing'. Explain *what kind* of help (e.g., 'I cannot raise my arms to put on a jumper and need assistance with both sleeves', or 'I need someone to choose my clothes as I get confused').
Frequency: How often does this help occur? Is it every time you dress? Several times a night?
Duration: How long does it take an individual to help you with a specific task?
Consequences of not getting help: What would happen if there wasn't someone there to assist or supervise? (e.g., 'I would fall and injure myself', 'I would go without food', 'I would take the wrong medication').
Impact on quality of life: How does the care need restrict your independence and daily activities?

Many applications fail to secure the higher rate because applicants struggle to articulate these details clearly and consistently across the entire lengthy form. It's not about exaggerating; it's about providing robust, factual evidence.

While an online application for Attendance Allowance has been introduced, it typically provides less opportunity to fully detail the depth and breadth of care needs compared to the paper form. We find that the structured detail required on the paper form, when completed correctly, offers a stronger foundation for a higher rate award.

Let Elder Care Help You Secure the Higher Rate

Successfully claiming the higher rate of Attendance Allowance can be an overwhelming task, particularly for older individuals and their family carers. At Elder Care, we have extensive experience in completing these complex forms, ensuring that every detail of your care needs, both day and night, is accurately and compellingly presented to the DWP.

Our service is designed to remove the stress and significantly increase your chances of a successful claim at the correct rate. We operate on a No-Win-No-Fee basis, meaning you only pay our success fee of £430 if your claim is awarded.

Don't miss out on the financial support you are entitled to.

Find out if you're eligible: Visit our free online Eligibility Check at /eligibility-check
Speak to our friendly team today: Call us on 01702 938110. We're here to help.

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