Who can get attendance allowance?

To get attendance allowance, you must:

•    be over state pension age
•    have a disability or illness that means you need help
•    have needed help for at least six months

Attendance allowance isn’t just for those with physical disabilities.

It’s also designed to help people with:

•    mental health conditions
•    learning difficulties
•    sensory needs, including visual or hearing impairments

You may be able to get attendance allowance if you need help with personal care or supervision to keep you safe:

What is personal care?

You may qualify for attendance allowance if you need help:

• walking
• washing or bathing
• dressing and undressing
• eating and drinking
• going to the toilet
• communicating
• breathing
• because you have a visual impairment
• administering treatment or medication
• getting in and out of bed

Examples of personal care needs

Ron is blind and needs a visual guide to help him get around safely and prepare food.

Sharon has severe depression and needs prompting to take her medicine and to eat.

Billy has a learning difficulty and needs help managing money and washing himself properly.

What does supervision cover?

You will be considered as needing supervision if someone needs to check on you regularly to keep you or other people safe.

Examples of supervision needs

Beryl suffers with memory loss and is prone to leaving pans unattended if unsupervised.

Sam has epilepsy and is at risk of serious harm if she has a seizure and there’s nobody around.

John’s mental illness can make him violent towards others if his carer isn’t about to reassure him.

You don’t need an official diagnosis, but you must have needed help for at least six months. 

To qualify for attendance allowance, you need to have lived in England, Wales or Scotland for at least two out of the last three years.

There are exceptions for certain groups, including refugees.

If you’re not a UK citizen

Your immigration status must allow you to claim public funds.

Eligible statuses include:

• British or Irish citizenship
• settled or pre-settled status from the EU Settlement Scheme
• indefinite leave to remain
• refugee status or humanitarian protection

If you currently get any of the following benefits, you won’t be eligible for attendance allowance:

• personal independence payment (PIP)
• disability living allowance (DLA)
• adult disability payment (Scotland only)

If you apply for attendance allowance while you get DLA, the Department for Work and Pensions may reassess your DLA claim instead.