Attendance Allowance is one of the most under-claimed benefits in the UK. It provides up to £114.60 per week in tax-free income for people aged 65 and over who need help with personal care -- yet hundreds of thousands of eligible people never apply.
For families navigating care home costs, the question comes up often: can you still claim Attendance Allowance if your relative lives in a care home? The answer is not a simple yes or no. It depends on who is paying the fees.
This guide explains the rules clearly, including when you can claim, when it stops, how it interacts with council funding, and what steps to take. All figures are based on 2026/27 rates.
What Is Attendance Allowance?
Attendance Allowance (AA) is a weekly benefit paid by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to people who have reached State Pension age (currently 66) and need help with personal care because of a physical or mental disability. You do not need to have someone actually providing the care -- the benefit is based on what help you need, not what help you receive.
Key facts:
- Lower rate: £76.70 per week -- if you need help during the day or during the night
- Higher rate: £114.60 per week -- if you need help both day and night, or you are terminally ill
- Tax-free -- it does not count as taxable income
- Not means-tested -- your savings, property and income do not affect eligibility
- No carer required -- you do not need someone caring for you to qualify
Attendance Allowance is intended to help cover the extra costs of disability, whether that means help with washing, dressing, eating, getting around safely, or supervision to avoid danger. Most people in care homes would qualify for the higher rate, given the level of support they receive around the clock.
Can You Claim Attendance Allowance in a Care Home?
This is where the rules become important. Whether you can claim -- and keep -- Attendance Allowance in a care home depends entirely on who is paying for your care.
Self-Funders: Yes, You Can Claim
If you are paying your own care home fees (a self-funder), you can claim Attendance Allowance and keep it in full. There is no restriction. The benefit is yours to use however you wish -- most people put it towards their fees.
At the higher rate, that is £114.60 per week or roughly £5,959 per year. Over a typical 2.5-year care home stay, that adds up to more than £14,800. It will not cover the full cost of a care home -- fees in England average over £1,300 per week -- but it is a significant contribution that no self-funder should miss out on.
If your relative is self-funding in a care home and not already claiming Attendance Allowance, apply immediately. There is no good reason not to.
Council-Funded Residents: AA Stops After 28 Days
If the local authority is paying for your care home place -- either in full or in part -- Attendance Allowance stops 28 days after the council funding begins. This applies whether the council pays all of the fees or just a contribution towards them.
The logic is that if the state is already funding your care, Attendance Allowance (which is designed to help with the costs of care) is no longer payable.
You must notify the DWP when council funding starts. If you continue receiving Attendance Allowance after the 28-day period, you will be asked to repay the overpayment.
NHS Continuing Healthcare Funded: AA Stops
If your care is funded through NHS Continuing Healthcare (CHC), Attendance Allowance also stops. CHC covers 100% of care costs based on health needs, so the benefit is no longer applicable. If a CHC application has been rejected and you believe the decision was wrong, you can appeal the rejection -- but whilst CHC is in place, AA will not be paid.
The 28-Day Rule Explained
The 28-day rule is the mechanism that governs when Attendance Allowance stops for council-funded residents. Here is how it works in practice:
- Day 1: Your relative enters a care home with local authority funding (full or partial).
- Days 1-28: Attendance Allowance continues to be paid as normal. No action is needed during this period, though you should notify the DWP promptly.
- Day 29 onwards: Attendance Allowance stops. The DWP will end payments from the 29th day.
If someone enters a care home as a self-funder and later becomes council-funded (because their savings have dropped below the £23,250 threshold), the 28-day clock starts from the date council funding begins -- not from the date they first entered the care home.
What About Temporary and Respite Stays?
The 28-day rule only applies to permanent local-authority-funded placements. If your relative goes into a care home for a short respite stay, Attendance Allowance continues.
However, there is a linking rule: if someone has multiple short stays that add up to 28 days or more within any 28-day period, the stays are linked together and treated as a single continuous stay. In that case, Attendance Allowance would stop.
For example, if your relative has a 2-week respite stay, comes home for a week, and then goes back for another 2-week stay, those 28 days would be linked and the benefit could stop. In practice, most respite stays are short enough that this does not apply -- but it is worth being aware of if your relative uses respite care frequently.
How Attendance Allowance Interacts With the Means Test
When a local authority carries out a financial assessment to determine how much a resident should contribute towards their care home fees, Attendance Allowance is counted as income. However, there is an important detail.
Every care home resident is entitled to keep a Personal Expenses Allowance (PEA) of £31.80 per week. This is money for personal spending -- toiletries, clothing, haircuts, newspapers, small treats. The PEA is deducted before the rest of your income is assessed.
So if someone receives the higher rate of Attendance Allowance (£114.60 per week), the calculation works like this:
- Attendance Allowance: £114.60
- Minus PEA: -£31.80
- Amount counted in means test: £82.80 per week
The PEA applies to your total income, not just Attendance Allowance. But the effect is the same: you always keep at least £31.80 per week for personal use, regardless of your financial situation.
For a detailed breakdown of how the full means test works -- including capital thresholds, tariff income and property disregards -- see our care home funding eligibility guide.
How to Claim Attendance Allowance
The Application Process
Attendance Allowance is claimed using form AA1, which you can get by:
- Calling the Attendance Allowance helpline: 0800 731 0122 (Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm)
- Downloading it from Gov.uk
- Requesting it from your local Citizens Advice or Age UK
The form asks about the help you need with personal care, supervision, and any risks related to your condition. It does not require a medical examination in most cases, though the DWP may contact your GP or consultant for supporting evidence.
What Evidence Helps
The stronger your application, the more likely it is to be awarded at the higher rate. Include or mention:
- A list of all medical conditions and how they affect daily life
- Details of all medication and how it is managed
- A description of a typical day, covering what help is needed and when
- Information about falls, confusion, wandering or any risks requiring supervision
- Supporting letters from a GP, consultant or care home manager (if available)
- Care plans from the care home, if already resident
Be specific rather than vague. "Needs help with washing" is weaker than "Cannot wash independently due to severe arthritis in both hands and shoulders; requires full assistance with bathing, hair washing and dressing every morning. Cannot be left unsupervised in the bath due to fall risk."
How Long Does It Take?
A typical claim takes 6 to 8 weeks from the date you submit the form. In some cases it may be quicker; complex cases can take longer.
Backdating: Attendance Allowance can be backdated to the date the claim form was requested -- not the date it was completed and returned. This means you should call the helpline to request the form as soon as possible, even if it takes a few weeks to fill it in. The DWP logs the date of your call.
For people who are terminally ill (not expected to live longer than 12 months), there is a fast-track process called the Special Rules for End of Life (SREL). Claims are processed within days rather than weeks, and the higher rate is automatically awarded.
Common Scenarios
"Mum is self-funding -- should she claim?"
Yes, always. If your mother is paying her own care home fees, she is entitled to Attendance Allowance on top. At the higher rate, that is £114.60 per week -- over £5,900 per year. There is no reason not to claim. It is not means-tested, so it does not matter how much savings she has.
"Dad is council-funded -- what happens to his AA?"
His Attendance Allowance will stop 28 days after the local authority begins funding his place. You need to notify the DWP. Once it stops, his only protected personal money is the Personal Expenses Allowance of £31.80 per week.
"Mum was getting AA at home and is now moving into a care home"
It depends on who pays. If she is moving in as a self-funder, her Attendance Allowance continues with no change. If the council is funding her placement, AA stops after 28 days. Either way, notify the DWP of the change of address and circumstances.
"Can Dad claim AA during a two-week respite stay?"
Yes. The 28-day rule applies to permanent placements only. A short respite stay does not affect Attendance Allowance, provided the total days in care within any 28-day period do not reach 28 (the linking rule). A two-week respite stay is fine.
"Mum's savings are running out -- she'll need council funding soon"
This is a critical transition. While she is still self-funding, she should be claiming Attendance Allowance. Once her savings drop below £23,250 and the council begins contributing to her fees, Attendance Allowance will stop after 28 days. The council should carry out a financial reassessment at that point. For more on what happens when savings run low, including whether the family home is at risk, plan ahead.
Practical Tips
Claim Before Entering a Care Home
If possible, submit the Attendance Allowance claim before your relative moves into a care home. This means:
- The benefit is in payment sooner
- If they start as a self-funder, AA is already running
- If they later become council-funded, they will have received AA during the initial self-funding period
- Backdating applies from the date the form was requested, so call early
Always Claim the Higher Rate
Most people in care homes need help both during the day and at night. This qualifies them for the higher rate (£114.60 per week) rather than the lower rate (£76.70 per week). When filling in the form, describe night-time needs clearly -- turning in bed, using the toilet, confusion, wandering, medication during the night. Care home residents almost always meet the higher-rate criteria.
Appeal If Refused
If Attendance Allowance is refused or awarded at the lower rate when you believe the higher rate is appropriate, you can request a mandatory reconsideration. If that is unsuccessful, you can appeal to a tribunal. Success rates at tribunal are reasonably high for Attendance Allowance appeals, particularly when the written description of care needs on the original form was too brief. Seek help from Age UK (0800 678 1602) or Citizens Advice if you need support with the appeal.
Keep the DWP Informed
Any change in circumstances must be reported to the DWP. This includes:
- Moving into a care home
- Changes in who is paying for the care (self-funding to council-funded, or vice versa)
- Changes in health or care needs
- Hospital admissions (separate 28-day rule applies)
Failure to report changes can result in overpayments that must be repaid.
What Attendance Allowance Will Not Do
It is important to be realistic about what Attendance Allowance covers. At the higher rate of £114.60 per week, it provides around £5,959 per year. The average care home in England costs over £67,000 per year for residential care and significantly more for nursing or dementia care.
Attendance Allowance will not pay for a care home placement on its own. It is a contribution -- a meaningful one for self-funders -- but it is one piece of a larger funding picture. For the full picture, including NHS Continuing Healthcare, council means testing, deferred payments and property rules, our care home funding eligibility guide covers everything in detail.
Quick Reference: Attendance Allowance and Care Homes
| Situation | Can You Claim AA? | What Happens |
|---|---|---|
| Self-funding in a care home | Yes -- claim and keep in full | £114.60/week (higher rate) or £76.70/week (lower rate) |
| Council pays all or part of fees | No -- stops after 28 days | Must notify DWP; AA ceases on day 29 |
| NHS Continuing Healthcare funded | No -- AA stops | CHC covers 100% of care costs |
| Temporary or respite stay (council-funded) | Yes -- continues | 28-day rule applies to permanent placements only |
| Self-funding but savings running out | Yes -- until council funding starts | AA stops 28 days after council funding begins |
| Living at home, not yet in care | Yes -- claim now | Apply early; backdate to date form was requested |
Where to Get Help
- Attendance Allowance helpline: 0800 731 0122 (Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm)
- Gov.uk: Search "Attendance Allowance" for the claim form and official guidance
- Age UK helpline: 0800 678 1602 -- free advice on benefits and care funding
- Citizens Advice: Free, impartial support with benefit claims and appeals
- Your local council: Contact adult social services for a care needs assessment or financial assessment
Further Reading
- Care Home Funding Eligibility Guide -- the full guide to NHS CHC, council funding and means testing
- How Much Does a Care Home Cost in 2026? -- average fees by region and care type
- Do I Have to Sell My Parent's House to Pay for Care? -- property rules, disregards and deferred payments
- Appeal NHS Continuing Healthcare Rejection -- what to do if CHC is refused