My Elder
Become a Carer
Funding fundamentals
Whether you’re looking for help with the cost of living independently, or want to reduce your council tax and heating bills, there are many benefits you can apply for in later life, and together, they really add up.
What’s more, these benefits go unclaimed by hundreds of thousands of people every year.
Click the titles below to find out what you could be eligible for,
as well as step by step guides on how to apply.
Attendance Allowance (AA) is a benefit for people over State Pension age who need help with personal care or supervision, because of physical or mental disability. It is based on the help you require, not the help you actually get.
Attendance Allowance isn’t means-tested, which means it doesn’t matter how much income or savings you have – you’ll still be entitled to the same amount if you meet the criteria.
You can use Attendance Allowance payments in any way you wish, to meet your needs and stay independent in your own home. It can be a significant contribution to any live-in care arrangement.
Who is eligible for Attendance Allowance?
To qualify for Attendance Allowance you’ll need to meet all of the following criteria:
– Be over the pension age. Usually, the pension age is 66 years old but it can depend on your gender and date of birth – you can check the pension age for you individually here.
– Have a physical or mental disability or illness which means that you need help during the day or night with personal care or supervision. Any mobility needs, such as getting yourself
about the house, are not considered in this.
– Have had the disability or illness for at least six months – you can make your claim before the six months have passed, but you only receive payment after six months.
– Be a UK resident and have lived in the UK for 104 of the last 156 weeks, and have no immigration conditions attached to your stay in the UK.
– If you live in a care home, you’ll usually be entitled to Attendance Allowance only if you pay for your care yourself.
