Attendance Allowance is a benefit that people who are over the State Pension age can claim from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).
It is for those who who need help with personal care or supervision because of a disability or physical or mental health condition.
Depending on the amount of care they require, claimants will get either £60 or £89.60 per week, paid as monthly instalments of £240 and £358.40 respectively.
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As reported by the Daily Record, the money does not need to be spent on a carer but rather can be used however a claimant wishes in order to meet their needs and stay independent in their own home.
Claiming Attendance Allowance does not impact any income received and is not means-tested, meaning that the amount you receive is not dependent on your income or savings, and is also tax-free.
Claimants who are successful may also be eligible to receive other benefits such as Pension Credit, Housing Benefit and a Council Tax Reduction.
New data from the DWP reveals that in February 2021 approximately 1.4 million people in the UK who were claiming the benefit, as well as 124,192 Scots.
Who can claim Attendance Allowance?
You can claim Attendance Allowance if you meet all of the following eligibility requirements:
are over State Pension age (if you haven't reached it, you may be eligible for Personal Independence Payment instead )
could benefit from help with personal care, such as getting washed or dressed, or supervision to keep you safe during the day or night
have any type of disability or illness, including sight or hearing impairments, or mental health issues such as dementia
have needed help for at least six months prior to making a claim (If you’re terminally ill you can make a claim straight away)
Help with filling in the Attendance Allowance claim form
Filling in the Attendance Allowance form can be challenging as there are questions that some claimants may find emotionally draining but there is help available through Citizens Advice or Age UK to those who do not wish to complete it alone.
It can take a while to fill out, so you may need to book an appointment if you wish to have help completing it.
It is important that you carefully look over the notes that come with the form before beginning to fill it in.
There is a handy checklist of things you will need to have with you when you fill the form in, for example:
your National Insurance number
your GP's details
a list of any medication you take
What you should write about on the form
The form will be used by the DWP to determine whether you should receive Attendance Allowance or not.
They will be looking to see:
what difficulties you have, or how much help you need
how often you have difficulties or need help
what sort of help you need
It is not mandatory for you to be receiving help at the present moment — what matters is whether you need it (for example, you might need to hold on to furniture to move around your home).
How to answer questions about personal tasks
Questions 27-43 on the form ask about your care needs with personal tasks.
It is crucial that you use the blank boxes to explain if you:
have difficulty or need someone to help you with personal tasks - for example washing, getting out of bed or getting dressed - at least three times during the day
have difficulty or need someone to supervise you throughout the day to make sure you stay safe - for example to stop you falling or to look after you if you have seizures or blackouts
have difficulty or need someone to help you with personal tasks repeatedly (two or more times) during the night or just once if it's for 20 minutes or more - for example if you need help getting out of bed, going to the toilet or changing the sheets if you have an accident
need someone to watch over you or supervise you during the night to make sure you're safe - they need to help you at least 3 times, or just once if it's for 20 minutes or more, for example in case you have a fit while you're asleep, or to stop you falling over if you have to get up
Keeping a diary
It is recommended that claimants fill out a diary of their needs for at least a week prior to when they complete the form.
Citizens Advice have a diary template that can be downloaded for free here.
This can help you determine what your 'care needs' are — the help you require to fulfil personal tasks.
These tasks do not include things like housework and gardening.
Personal tasks means things like:
getting in or out of bed
having a bath or shower
getting dressed
being reminded or encouraged to eat or drink
It is also recommended that you include any help that you may require throughout the night as well.
You should also include in the diary how often you need assistance.
If you get help to fill in the form from your nearest Citizens Advice or Age UK, remember to take your diary with you.
Tips for filling in the form
You should read all these tips before you start filling in your form.
Remember to write about the help you need or the difficulty you have
A key point to remember is that you don't currently need to be receiving help in order to be eligible for Attendance Allowance, and the only thing that matters is that you need it and can explain why on the form.
Write in the blank boxes
It is crucial that you give detailed information about the help or supervision that you require in the blank boxes between questions 27 and 43.
Don't expect the person making the decision to know about your condition
The person determining whether you are eligible to receive Attendance Allowance will not be a medical professional, and so you should not assume that they will be familiar with your condition.
Therefore, it is vital that you give as much detail about it as you can in the form, and explain why you need help.
Don't think that any detail is too small to include, for example you should tell them if doing the tasks:
is painful for you
takes you a long time
puts you or someone else in danger
makes you feel breathless
makes you unsteady
Use an extra sheet of paper if you need to.
Remember to say how many times you need help with tasks
One key thing to remember is that it is very important that you make clear exactly how often you need assistance for the 'care needs' questions.
You should also share how often you have difficulties — for example, if you need assistance or have trouble getting to and from the toilet, remember to write the total amount for the day.
It's fine to repeat yourself in different answers
Filling out the form, you may begin to feel like you are repeating yourself across different questions — this is fine.
If a detail is relevant to more than one question, you should note it down again.
For example if you have mobility problems and have difficulty getting to the toilet, you should explain this in Q28: 'Do you usually have difficulty or do you need help with your toilet needs?'.
You should also explain you have difficulty getting to the toilet in Q31: 'Do you usually have difficulty or do you need help with moving around indoors?'.
Mention the adaptations you use in the relevant question
You're asked to write down your adaptations and aids in Q25: 'Please list any aids or adaptations you use'. but you should also write about them in the relevant 'care needs' questions.
For example if you use a grab rail to get in and out of the shower you should also mention it in Q29: 'Do you usually have difficulty or do you need help with washing, bathing, showering or looking after your appearance?'.
Explain if you have good days and bad days
If your illness or disability means you have good and bad days try to explain how many of each you have in an average week.
Filling in the Citizens Advice diary template can help you do this. Explain what help you need on a good day and on a bad day.
Explain if certain tasks take you longer
If you can do some personal tasks on your own but they take you a long time, explain this on the form. It might help if you can compare how long it takes you to a friend or someone else you know who doesn't have your condition.
How do I claim Attendance Allowance?
Get a claim form by calling the Attendance Allowance helpline on 0800 731 0122 (textphone: 0800 731 0317), or you can download a claim form from the Gov.UK website here.
There are two versions of the form available for download - one to fill in online and another to print off and return by post.
