Attendance Allowance for people over pension age

If you're over the state pension age and have health problems, you could get Attendance Allowance to help you with living costs.

You can check your state pension age on the GOV.UK website.

If you need help living independently, Attendance Allowance can help you with the extra costs. You can get Attendance Allowance to help you live at home even if you're very disabled.

Attendance Allowance is paid at two different rates depending on the level of care that you need because of your disability.

You could get Attendance Allowance if you:

  • need help with personal care, for example washing, bathing or getting dressed
  • have problems seeing or hearing
  • need help with communicating
  • need someone to keep an eye on you in case of falls, seizures or dizzy spells
  • have mental health problems

These needs can be during the day or at night or both.

You could still get Attendance Allowance even if you:

  • don't have care or a carer
  • have savings
  • have earnings or a pension
  • haven't paid National Insurance contributions

What you can spend Attendance Allowance on

You don't need to spend Attendance Allowance on care services. You could use it to pay for:

  • a taxi to take you to appointments or to do shopping
  • someone to do your shopping including delivery costs
  • a cleaner
  • extra heating
  • a dog walker
  • a gardener
  • an internet connection

If you already get Disability Living Allowance (DLA) or Personal Independence (PIP)

If you were over 65 on 8 April 2013 and get Disability Living Allowance then you'll continue to receive it. You don't need to claim Attendance Allowance.

If you have been getting DLA since before 8 April 2013 and have since reached 65, you'll be invited to claim PIP. It is important to respond to this invite as you payments may stop.

If you start to get PIP before reaching state pension age then you will continue to receive PIP after this age. You will not need to claim Attendance Allowance.

Find more information about Attendance Allowance:

You might be able to get further information and advice from a local advice centre:

Local advice centres

If you need more guidance

If you need more guidance you can request a call back for yourself or you can request a call back for advice about another person.

 

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