Money guide
Attendance Allowance: the most-missed benefit in Britain
If you're over 66 and you need help with day-to-day things, there is a tax-free payment of up to £114.60 a week that ignores your income and your savings entirely. An estimated 1.1 million people who would qualify have never claimed it.
If you're reading this on behalf of a parent — this is the one to check.
What it pays
- Lower rate — £76.70 a week (about £3,988 a year): you need help during the day or during the night.
- Higher rate — £114.60 a week (about £5,959 a year): you need help during the day and the night, or you're terminally ill.
It's paid every four weeks, it's tax-free, and there are no rules about what you spend it on.
Why so many people don't claim
"I've got savings and a pension"
Irrelevant. Attendance Allowance is not means-tested at all. You could have £100,000 in the bank and still qualify.
"I'm not disabled"
You don't need a diagnosis or a wheelchair. It's about the help you need — with washing, dressing, using the toilet, eating, taking medication, or someone keeping an eye on you so you don't come to harm.
"I manage on my own"
This is the big one. The test is whether you need help, not whether you get it. People who struggle through alone, slowly and unsafely, still qualify. Managing badly is not the same as not needing help.
"It'll reduce my other benefits"
It does the opposite. An award can increase Pension Credit, Housing Benefit and Council Tax Reduction, and it may let a family member claim Carer's Allowance.
See what each rate pays →Weekly, 4-weekly and yearly totals, plus what the award unlocks.How to claim
Request a form on 0800 731 0122 or download it from gov.uk. It's long — around 30 pages — and that puts people off, which is precisely why so much goes unclaimed.
Two pieces of advice from people who do this for a living:
- Describe your worst days, not your best. People instinctively downplay. Describe what happens when things are difficult, because that's what the form is asking about.
- Get help filling it in. Age UK and Citizens Advice do this free, all the time, and they know what the assessors are looking for. It makes a real difference.
If you're refused
Ask for a mandatory reconsideration, then appeal. A significant proportion of refusals are overturned. A no at the first attempt is genuinely not the end of it.
Quick answers
How much is Attendance Allowance in 2026/27?
£76.70 a week at the lower rate and £114.60 a week at the higher rate — up to about £5,959 a year. It is tax-free and not means-tested.
Does Attendance Allowance affect my other benefits?
It never reduces them. It can increase Pension Credit, Housing Benefit and Council Tax Reduction, and may allow a carer to claim Carer’s Allowance.
Do savings affect Attendance Allowance?
No. Income and savings are ignored completely — you can have a private pension and money in the bank and still qualify.
Do I need a diagnosis to claim?
No. It is based on the help you need with personal care or supervision to stay safe, not on a specific condition.
Written in plain English by mytakehome.money. General information, not financial advice — check anything important at gov.uk or with a qualified adviser.