Attendance Allowance

To get AA, you must have problems with looking after yourself. You must need one of the following:

• help with your personal care
• someone to be with you to keep you safe during the day or night (this is called supervision).

You must have needed this help for at least 6 months, unless you are terminally ill.

Help with personal care means help with things like:

• getting in and out of bed
• using the toilet or managing incontinence
• washing yourself – including getting in and out of the bath or shower
• looking after your appearance
• dressing and undressing
• moving around indoors
• eating and drinking
• taking your medicines and managing treatments
• communicating with other people
• having dialysis (a type of treatment for kidney problems)
• avoiding any danger to yourself or others.

You may need help with personal care because you are having problems with physical things, such as washing yourself. Or you may need help because of how you are feeling. For example, you may find it extremely stressful trying to do day-to-day personal tasks.

If you often have problems looking after yourself or need someone with you to make sure you are safe, you should think about applying for AA.

It is also important to know that:

• you can claim AA whether you are working or not
• you do not need to have paid National Insurance to claim AA
• you do not need to have a carer or someone helping you to claim
• your income and savings do not affect your claim
• if you get AA, your other benefits will not be reduced – they may even increase
• AA payments are tax-free.

If you are terminally ill, you can apply using a fast-track process called special rules. You can apply if your doctor thinks you may be reasonably expected to live for less than 12 months.

We have more information about special rules.

Claiming AA under special rules means:

• you do not need to have had problems looking after yourself for 6 months
• your claim will be dealt with quickly
• you get the benefit at the highest rate
• the money is paid weekly
• someone can make the claim on your behalf.

• If you live in England, Scotland or Wales
  You can download and print an application form at GOV.UK. You can also call the Department for Work and Pensions AA helpline on 0800 731 0122, or use textphone 0800 731 0317 and ask them to send you a form.
• If you live in Northern Ireland
  You can download and print an application form at nidirect.gov.uk. You can also call the Disability and Carers Service helpline on 0800 587 0912, or use textphone 0800 012 1574 and ask them to send you a form. Or you could visit your local Social Security or Jobs and Benefits office.

If you ask for a form to be sent to you by post, try to return it within 6 weeks. If you return the form within this time, the benefit can be backdated to the date you requested the form.

The claim form asks personal questions about how your health problems affect your daily life. You should include as much detail as possible.

The form is long. You will need to make sure you have plenty of time to fill it in. You may find it helpful to read the form first. Then you can get all the information you need before you start. The form also comes with notes to explain and help you answer the questions.

Recording the problems you have every day in a diary can also help to show how your condition affects your daily life. We have a diary you can download to do this.

Someone else can complete the form on your behalf, if you can sign it. If you cannot sign the form, the person completing the form needs legal permission to sign it on your behalf. This is called power of attorney. You can find out more information about this at GOV.UK.

If you are terminally ill, you do not need to sign the form.

You will be sent a decision about your claim in writing. If your claim is approved, the letter will tell you how much you will get and for how long. 

The money is paid directly into your bank, building society or credit union account. It can also be paid to someone on your behalf if you cannot make a claim yourself.

If you are refused AA, you can ask the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) or Department for Communities (DfC) to reconsider the decision. This is called a mandatory reconsideration. You must ask for a mandatory reconsideration within 1 month of the decision date. You must explain why you think the decision is wrong and give more evidence if you can.

If the DWP or DfC do not change the decision, you can appeal to the Social Security and Child Support Tribunal. You need to do this within 1 month of getting a mandatory reconsideration decision letter.

If you miss a deadline, your request may still be accepted if you have a good reason. For example, this could be if you were unable to contact the DWP or DfC because you were in hospital. If you are unsure, speak to a welfare rights adviser about your situation.

For more information about appealing a benefits decision, visit:

• GOV.UK if you live in England, Scotland or Wales
• nidirect.gov.uk if you live in Northern Ireland.

You can also speak to a welfare rights adviser by calling our support line on 0808 808 00 00. Visit macmillan.org.uk/inyourarea to find out if you can see a Macmillan welfare rights adviser in person.