Attendance Allowance Eligibility Checker
Attendance Allowance helps with the extra costs of a disability or illness once you are over State Pension age. It is not means-tested, and it is based on the help you need, not the help you actually get. Answer the questions below to see whether you are likely to qualify and which rate your needs point to.
- ✓For people over State Pension age who need help with personal care or supervision to stay safe.
- ✓Two rates in 2026/27: lower £76.70/week, higher £114.60/week.
- ✓Lower rate = needs by day OR night; higher rate = needs by day AND night.
- ✓You normally need to have had the needs for 6 months (waived if terminally ill).
- ✓Savings, income, working and living alone do not affect it.
Get instant help right now
A Citizens Advice appointment can take weeks. Our free assistant is available 24/7 with no appointment, giving you clear, step-by-step answers about your exact situation, what to do next, and the deadlines that matter.
Need to take action? It can draft a ready-to-send formal letter for you (optional, from £4.99).
England, Scotland, Wales & Northern Ireland.
Check if you qualify
Answer honestly about your worst days. There is no obligation to claim, and nothing you enter is stored.
A guide only, not a benefit decision. Attendance Allowance is not means-tested and is based on the help you need, not the help you get. Rates shown are for 2026/27. In Scotland this benefit is now Pension Age Disability Payment. This tool does not store anything you enter.
The Claim Companion walks you through it step by step, works out the points you should score, and prepares your document ready to send.
How the two rates work
Attendance Allowance looks at whether you need help during the day, during the night, or both:
- ✓Day needs: frequent help with personal care (washing, dressing, eating, the toilet, medication) throughout the day, OR continual supervision to avoid substantial danger to yourself or others.
- ✓Night needs: prolonged or repeated help during the night, OR someone needing to be awake to watch over you.
- ✓Lower rate (£76.70/week): you have day needs OR night needs.
- ✓Higher rate (£114.60/week): you have day needs AND night needs, or you are terminally ill.
If the checker says you may qualify
Next steps:
- ✓Read the full guide for how to claim, the AA1 form, and what evidence helps.
- ✓Describe your needs on your worst days, with real examples and how long things take.
- ✓If you are in Scotland, you now apply for Pension Age Disability Payment instead.
- ✓If you are refused, you can challenge the decision, around 60 to 70% of appeals succeed at tribunal.
Get instant help right now
A Citizens Advice appointment can take weeks. Our free assistant is available 24/7 with no appointment, giving you clear, step-by-step answers about your exact situation, what to do next, and the deadlines that matter.
Need to take action? It can draft a ready-to-send formal letter for you (optional, from £4.99).
England, Scotland, Wales & Northern Ireland.
Frequently asked questions
Who can get Attendance Allowance?
People over State Pension age who have a physical or mental disability or illness severe enough that they need help with personal care or supervision to stay safe. It is not means-tested, so income and savings do not matter, and it does not depend on having a carer.
Which rate of Attendance Allowance will I get?
The lower rate (£76.70/week in 2026/27) is for people who need help or supervision either during the day or during the night. The higher rate (£114.60/week) is for people who need help both day and night, or who are terminally ill.
Do I need to have been ill for 6 months?
Usually yes, you must have needed the help for at least 6 months before Attendance Allowance is paid. You can claim before the 6 months is up, and payment starts once you reach that point. The 6-month rule is waived if you are terminally ill, when you get the higher rate straight away.
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