Applying for Attendance Allowance – Guide & Information

Attendance Allowance is a benefit from the Department for Work and  Pensions.

You can get Attendance Allowance if you:
• Have a disability and need someone to look after you
• Have reached State Pension age

When you reach State Pension age, you can get Attendance Allowance if you have a physical or mental disability and if your disability means you need support or supervision to care for yourself.

You must have needed this support or supervision for at least 6 months.
If your disability or health condition changes, you must let the appropriate authorities know.

This includes:

• The level of help or support youneed changes.
• Your health condition or disability changes
• You go into hospital.
• You go into a care home.
• You go into prison.
• Your name, address or bankdetails change.
• You no longer want to claim your benefit.
• Your doctors’ details change.

Contact the Attendance Allowance Helpline directly:

Telephone: 0800 731 0122
Textphone: 0800 731 0317

You can still claim Attendance Allowance if you do not get support
or supervision. If you are nearing the end of your life, the 6 month rule does not apply and You can claim Attendance Allowance straight away.

Nearing the end of your life means you might have less than 12 months to live. For more information, go to www.gov.uk/benefits-end-of-life

You must live in Great Britain when you make your claim and must have lived in Great Britain for at least 2 of the last 3 years. Sometimes you can claim outside of Great Britain, this could be if you or some of your family are in the armed forces.

It is important to note that if you live in a care home and your local council pays towards the costs, you cannot usually get Attendance Allowance, however, if you live in a care home and you pay all the costs, you can get
Attendance Allowance.

The Allowance is usually paid every 4 weeks, but in some circumstances, it is paid weekly. Any savings or investments you have do not affect your claim as it is not means tested.

There are two rates for the Attendance Allowance, a lower rate and a higher rate and what you receive, depends on how much help or support you need.

More information can be found at this link: https://www.gov.uk/attendance-allowance/what-youll-get

How to claim

You need to complete a form called AA1, all instructions for filling in can be found at the link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/attendance-allowance-claim-form

You can fill the form in on your computer or tablet then print it off, or you can print out a blank form and fill it in with a pen.

• Send your completed form to: Freepost DWP Attendance Allowance  You do not need a postcode or a stamp.
• To ask for a copy of the form by phone.
  Telephone: 0800 731 0122
  Textphone: 0800 731 0317
• If you cannot hear or speak on thephone, use Relay UK:
  18001 then 0800 731 0122

( Source: https://www.gov.uk/attendance-allowance )