Attendance Allowance
Attendance Allowance helps with extra costs if you are State Pension Age or older and have a disability or health condition severe enough that you need someone to help look after you. It is not a means-tested benefit, so you may be eligible if you need this help and support.
If you live in Scotland, you need to apply for Pension Age Disability Payment instead of Attendance Allowance.
Example: Joan is 74 and not as mobile as she used to be. She needs some help dressing herself in the morning and getting in and out of bed. After speaking to her neighbour and checking online, she discovered she’d be eligible for Attendance Allowance. She rang Citizens Advice, who helped with her application forms. She’s now getting an extra £74.60 a week, which she can spend to help make her life easier.
Apply for Attendance Allowance
If you want to apply by post, you can download the form and get the address here.
You may also find these accompanying notes to help you with some of the questions in the claim form helpful.
Support and help with your application
If you think you might be eligible for Attendance Allowance but need some help, the following organisations offer free, trusted support:
- Independent Age – call 0800 319 6789 or visit Independent Age
- Citizens Advice – call 0800 144 8848 or visit Citizens Advice or Citizens Advice Scotland or AdviceLink Cymru
- Your GP or local community hub — ask your surgery or local council what support is available near you
If you live in Scotland, you need to apply for Pension Age Disability Payment instead of Attendance Allowance. If you live in Northern Ireland, there’s a different way to claim.
Example: Michael suffered from arthritis and found it hard to use the computer. Then he got a call from a claims management company offering to sort out his Attendance Allowance application. A few months later, he started receiving some extra money from DWP. He was happy for a few weeks, but after speaking to his friends, he realised he could have claimed himself or got free help and support from Independent Age to complete it. He would have received all of the money he was due, instead of just some of it. He now regrets using the company and wishes he’d got free help instead.
You can also call the official Attendance Allowance helpline (0800 731 0122) for assistance.
The following video will walk you through step-by-step on how to apply for Attendance Allowance online.
The content of the examples in this webpage is for illustrative purposes only.