Attendance Allowance 2026/27: Rates and Who Gets It
Quick answer
Attendance Allowance is a benefit for people over State Pension age who need help with personal care because of an illness or disability. It pays GBP 76.70 or GBP 114.60 a week in 2026/27. It is not means-tested and not taxable, so your income and savings do not affect it, and you do not have to spend it on care.
Attendance Allowance rates and rules (2026/27)
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| Lower rate | GBP 76.70 a week (help needed during the day or at night) |
| Higher rate | GBP 114.60 a week (help needed both day and night, or you are terminally ill) |
| Who can claim | People over State Pension age who need help with personal care or supervision |
| Means-tested? | No - your income and savings do not affect it |
| Taxable? | No |
| Do you have to spend it on care? | No - you can use it however you like |
| How it is paid | Usually every 4 weeks |
| Scotland | Being replaced by a devolved benefit (Pension Age Disability Payment) - check mygov.scot |
Step by step
- 1
Check you qualify
You need to be over State Pension age and to have needed help with personal care or supervision for at least six months (unless you are terminally ill).
- 2
Get the claim form
Request the AA1 form from gov.uk or the Attendance Allowance helpline. Give yourself time - it asks for detail.
- 3
Describe your needs fully
Explain the help you need day and night, on your worst days as well as good ones. Underselling your needs is the most common reason for a low or refused award.
- 4
Send it off
Post the form. A decision follows, sometimes after a health professional gathers more information.
- 5
Check knock-on gains
Getting Attendance Allowance can increase your Pension Credit, Housing Benefit or Council Tax Reduction, so tell those offices once it is awarded.
Attendance Allowance is one of the most under-claimed benefits in the country, and the reason is a misunderstanding worth clearing up straight away: it is not means-tested. Your savings, your pension, your income, none of it counts. If you are over State Pension age and need help with personal care because of an illness or disability, you can claim GBP 76.70 or GBP 114.60 a week in 2026/27, tax-free, and spend it on whatever makes your life easier. Hundreds of millions of pounds go unclaimed every year by people who assume they have too much put by to qualify.
The rate depends on your needs, not your money. You get the lower rate if you need help during the day or at night, and the higher rate if you need help both day and night, or if you are terminally ill. There is no test of who actually provides the help, and you do not have to prove you spend the money on care.
The single biggest mistake on the form is underselling your needs, so describe your worst days honestly and in full. It is also worth claiming even if you get other support, because Attendance Allowance can increase your Pension Credit, Housing Benefit and Council Tax Reduction. If you are helping an older relative, our guides to Carer's Allowance and the Disabled Facilities Grant cover the other support around it, and Personal Finance on a Low Income puts it in context. This is general information, not financial advice; benefit rates and rules can change, so check gov.uk for your own situation.
Frequently asked questions
How much is Attendance Allowance in 2026?
For 2026/27 it pays GBP 76.70 a week at the lower rate and GBP 114.60 a week at the higher rate. You get the lower rate if you need help during the day or at night, and the higher rate if you need help both day and night or are terminally ill.
Who is eligible for Attendance Allowance?
You must be over State Pension age and need help with personal care or supervision because of a physical or mental health condition, and you must usually have needed that help for at least six months. You do not need to have someone actually providing the care to qualify.
Is Attendance Allowance means-tested?
No. Attendance Allowance is not means-tested and not taxable, so your income, savings and pension do not affect it. This is why so much of it goes unclaimed: people wrongly assume their savings rule them out.
Does Attendance Allowance affect other benefits?
It does not reduce other benefits, and it can actually increase them. Claiming it may unlock or raise Pension Credit, Housing Benefit and Council Tax Reduction, so it is worth claiming even if you already get other support.
Sources
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General information, not financial advice. Tax rules and figures can change; check the current position on gov.uk before acting.