Top 10 Tips on How to Apply for Attendance Allowance
Attendance Allowance is available to anyone that has reached state pension age with physical or mental disabilities and who needs help with washing, dressing, eating or any other daily activities. The Attendance Allowance essentially helps with extra financial costs if you need someone to help look after you. You are also eligible for attendance allowance if you pay for your care in a care home.
Looking to make a claim? We’ve put together a step-by-step guide that will help you when filling out the Attendance Allowance form.
Let's get started...
To claim the Attendance Allowance, you should complete the AA1 Attendance Allowance form at your earliest convenience, even if you're still living in your own home. You can get the Attendance Allowance claim form by requesting one over the phone or by printing one out from gov.uk
All information contained in this page was correct as at 20/4/22*
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1. How do I get the Attendance Allowance claim form?
If you fill in the online version of the form, you’ll also need to open the printable claim form from gov.uk as the notes for filling it in are provided on this version.
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2. Get the right form and Attendance Allowance pack format for you.
Attendance Allowance packs are available in large print or braille. Interpreters can also be organised.
Call 0800 731 0122 or Textphone: 0845 604 5312
Mon-Fri: 8am-6pm
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3. What if I make a mistake on the Attendance Allowance form?
Don’t worry about making a mistake on the form. It’s OK to cross something out.
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4. What care needs do I need to have to be eligible for Attendance Allowance?
When completing the form, don’t underestimate your needs. Be realistic and note the amount of help needed on bad days, as well as on good ones. Things to think about when completing a claim form include:
Washing: do you need help getting in and out of the bath or shower, washing your hair or shaving?
Going to the toilet: do you need help going to the toilet during the day or night? Do you suffer from incontinence? Might you need help with changing beds?
Getting dressed or undressed: do you need help with this?
Mealtimes: do you need any help with eating or drinking? Do you have difficulty operating the oven, opening cans or doing other things in the kitchen?
Medical treatment: do you understand which medication to take and when? Can you operate medical devices (such as a hearing aid) or safely manage any illnesses (such as diabetes) by yourself?
Getting around indoors: do you need help navigating from room to room, getting in and out of bed? Do you need aids and adaptations, such as a bed-raiser, a raised toilet seat; shower seat or a walking frame?
Communicating: if you have poor eyesight, do you need help reading your post? If you’re deaf, can you hear the doorbell?
Supervision: are you in danger of falling? Do you need someone to watch over you in case you have a seizure or a fall? Do you feel you might be in danger if no one is there to support you?
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5. How much detail should I go into on the Attendance Allowance form?
Give as much detail as you can in each section, with examples. It’s also important to describe how another person helps you – or could help you. This is a key reason to qualify for Attendance Allowance.
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6. Giving consent for DWP to contact my GP or others involved in my case
You may be asked to give your consent for the Department for Work and Pensions to contact your GP, or the people or organisations involved with looking after you. While you don’t have to agree to this, it might result in the benefit not being made available if you don’t.
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7. Consider a supporting statement
It’s worth asking someone to write a statement as it helps reinforce your case. It could be a friend, a relative or a professional person, such as a doctor. If that person understands the rules of the allowance, it will be even better, as they will know what relevant information to include.
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8. Who needs to sign the form?
You must sign the form yourself, so if someone has been helping you to fill in the form, you should read it through before signing. The exceptions to this rule include if the person filling in the form holds a Power of Attorney, or there are other reasons you can’t sign, such as a mental health problem.
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9. Post the form rather than email it.
Don’t email the completed form as it won’t be accepted, you’ll need to post it.
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10. What happens next?
Once the application has been received, you might also be asked to attend a medical assessment to check your eligibility, which can be at your home if getting to the assessment is difficult for you.
If possible, take someone who cares for you, such as a family member or friend, to the meeting in case anything isn’t clear. At the assessment, you’ll need to provide identification, which could be a: passport, birth certificate, driving licence, life assurance policy or a bank statement.
