Attendance Allowance is a weekly benefit for older adults who have a long-term physical or mental disability that means they need extra help. This often includes people with dementia. It is paid directly to the person with the disability.
To qualify for Attendance Allowance, there are specific criteria that must be met, which include:
The person claiming must be over State Pension age (younger people may be eligible for Personal Independence Payment).
The person claiming must have a disability or physical or mental illness, this includes conditions such as dementia as well as sight or hearing impairments.
The person claiming could benefit from someone helping with personal care, including washing and dressing. They may also need supervision to keep you safe during the day or night.
In addition, the person claiming will have needed help for the past six months. In the case of terminally ill people, the person can make a claim straight away.
There are two rates of funding, depending on how much care the person needs:
The lower rate is £72.65 per week and is for people who need frequent help or constant supervision during the day or supervision at night.
The higher rate is £108.55 a week for people who need help or supervision throughout the day AND night, or those who are likely to have less than 12 months to live.
When a decision is made, it will include whether the benefit is awarded for a fixed amount of time or indefinitely. If it is for a fixed period of time, you will be told when it ends, and a new claim form will be sent to you before the current award ends.
To apply, you’ll need the following:
To apply for Attendance Allowance in England, Scotland or Wales, you will need to fill in the Attendance Allowance claim form.
The form should be posted to Freepost DWP Attendance Allowance – you do not need a stamp or postcode.
You cannot submit the form online.
If you would like a hard copy of the form or an alternative format (eg braille, large print or audio CD), contact the Attendance Allowance helpline on 0800 731 0122.
If you have any technical difficulties with the form, contact the helpdesk on 0800 169 0154 or email dwponline.helpdesk@dwp.gov.uk .
You will need to download a different Attendance Allowance application form in Northern Ireland.
It can be handed in at a Jobs and Benefits Office, or posted to:
Attendance Allowance
Disability and Carers Service
Mail Opening Unit
PO Box 42
Limavady
BT49 4AN
For any queries, call 0800 587 0912.
The main sections of the application form are the ‘Care needs’ sections – one for care needs during the day, and the other for care needs at night.
These cover what help the person needs with:
You will need to answer questions about each of these different areas. Where there is a box for adding additional information, include as much detail as you can about the person’s difficulties.
The section on eating, drinking or cutting up food is one of the most important sections that the assessors will focus on. You will need to make it clear if the person with dementia is unable to plan, purchase and prepare food and drink, especially if they are totally dependent on others for these processes.
When filling out the ‘Care needs’ sections:
People who have been told by a medical professional that they are unlikely to live for more than 12 months can apply for Attendance Allowance using ‘special rules’. This can speed up the process, so the benefit is paid sooner.
If the person qualifies under special rules, they will be eligible for the higher rate of payment.
As well as the Attendance Allowance application form, you will need to send in a form called SR1, which you can get from the GP, a nurse or a social worker. They will either fill the form out for you or give it to you to fill out.
An assessment is only needed to check eligibility if it’s unclear how a health condition or disability impacts the person applying. If required, they will be invited to an assessment by letter. During your assessment, a medical professional will examine you to determine how you’re impacted.
If an application is turned down, the letter will explain why. If the person is unhappy with the decision, they can request a ‘mandatory reconsideration’ within one month of the date on the decision letter.
They can challenge the claim by writing to the address on the decision letter, by phone, or by completing a Mandatory Reconsideration Request Form.
If the person lives in Northern Ireland, you can find out about appealing the decision on the Government services website.
It is best to contest the decision by letter or form so there is a written record of the points they have raised. Make a copy so you can re-send it if it goes missing or refer to it later if they need to.
If the mandatory reconsideration request is not submitted within a month, they can still apply, but they must have a good reason for the delay, eg a hospital admission or bereavement.
If mandatory reconsideration is unsuccessful, they can appeal to a tribunal where a judge will look at the case and decide if the decision is fair.
If the circumstances of the person receiving Attendance Allowance change, they must let the Department for Work and Pensions know by calling the helpline.
For example:
Attendance Allowance is not means-tested, which means it is not affected by the person’s income, savings, or any other benefits they receive.
Getting Attendance Allowance could actually mean they are entitled to further benefits, or an increase in some benefits, including Pension Credit, Housing Benefit and Council Tax Reduction.
If you care for someone who receives Attendance Allowance, you may be entitled to Carer’s Allowance.
You will not be entitled to Attendance Allowance if you are already receiving Personal Independence Payment (PIP).
In this video, Admiral Nurse Lindsay White provides an in-depth look at Attendance Allowance.
It includes a detailed walkthrough of the ‘Care needs’ section of the application form and the kind of information you should include if you are applying for someone with dementia.
Worried about the financial impact of a dementia diagnosis? From benefits to care costs, our Admiral Nurses can help you plan ahead and guide you through your options.
Serena shares how writing poetry has helped her to process her feelings since her dad’s dementia diagnosis. She now shares her poetry as a way to honour her dad and to encourage other people affected by dementia to share their own experiences.
George shares his experience of being thrust into the role of a young carer, and the emotional journey that has followed for his family.
Jane shares her experience of attending a Nationwide dementia clinic and the lasting positive impact it has had on her and her husband, Brian, who is living with dementia.
To speak to a specialist dementia Admiral Nurse about Attendance Allowance or any aspect of dementia, please call our free Dementia Helpline on 0800 888 6678 (Monday-Friday 9am-9pm, Saturday and Sunday 9am-5pm, every day except 25th December or email helpline@dementiauk.org.
If you prefer, you can book a phone or video appointment with a specialist dementia Admiral Nurse in our virtual clinics.
Attendance Allowance is a tax-free benefit and is also exempt from the Benefit Cap, meaning the person won’t have money taken away from any other benefits they may have.
The person may be entitled to ‘Council Tax Reduction’ assistance, even if they were already paying less. You can find out more by contacting your local council.
If the person phones to apply, it’s possible to have your payments backdated as long as it’s within six weeks. The date that your form needs to be back will be stamped on the form; however, if they download the form, payments will only be paid from the date that Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) receive your form.
Once the claim has been sent, a text message will be sent within 3 weeks to update the person on when to expect a decision. A letter will tell them of the outcome.
If you want to apply for Attendance Allowance on behalf of someone else who cannot, you will need the legal right to do so. The process to legally speak for someone else can take time, so it’s good to start as soon as possible so that the claim isn’t delayed.
