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Attendance Allowance Calculator

Calculate Attendance Allowance rates for 2025/26. See your weekly and annual AA amount, discover the passported benefits it unlocks (including Pension Credit Severe Disability Addition), and compare AA with PIP by age.

Select the option that best describes your care needs

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How to Use This Calculator

AA Rates tab

Select the option that best describes your care needs: help during the day only, supervision at night only, help during both day and night, or terminally ill. The calculator instantly shows your weekly and annual Attendance Allowance amount for 2025/26, including the 4-weekly payment amount. It also displays the qualifying period rules and key facts about the benefit.

Passported Benefits tab

See the full annual value of benefits unlocked by receiving Attendance Allowance. Enter your household type (single or couple), whether you receive or might qualify for Pension Credit, your annual Council Tax bill, and whether a carer is claiming Carer’s Allowance for looking after you. The calculator shows your Pension Credit Severe Disability Addition, estimated Council Tax Reduction, Warm Home Discount, and total combined value.

AA vs PIP tab

Enter your current age and State Pension age to get a clear comparison of Attendance Allowance and Personal Independence Payment (PIP). The calculator explains which benefit you should claim, the impact of the mobility component (PIP only), and what happens at State Pension age. It includes a timing warning if you are within 2 years of SPA.

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How Attendance Allowance Is Calculated

Attendance Allowance is a flat-rate benefit — there is no means test and no calculation based on income or savings. The rate you receive depends solely on your level of care need:

AA Rate (2025/26):

Lower rate: £73.90/week
→ You need frequent help or constant supervision during the day
→ OR you need supervision at night

Higher rate: £110.40/week
→ You need help or supervision throughout both day AND night
→ OR a medical professional has confirmed you are nearing end of life

Annual value (52 weeks):
Lower rate: £73.90 × 52 = £3,842.80/year
Higher rate: £110.40 × 52 = £5,740.80/year

Paid every 4 weeks:
Lower rate: £295.60 per payment
Higher rate: £441.60 per payment

AA does not depend on National Insurance contributions and does not count as taxable income. It cannot be reduced because of savings, investments, or a partner’s income. There is no taper and no means test.

The 6-month qualifying period requires that you have needed that level of care for at least 6 months before you claim, and you expect to need it for at least 6 more months. For terminally ill claimants, this rule is completely waived and claims are fast-tracked.

Example

Margaret — 78, needs help getting dressed, washed, and monitored overnight

Margaret has arthritis and early-stage dementia. Her daughter helps her get dressed and washed each morning (daytime care), and Margaret’s condition means she needs someone to check on her at night in case she becomes confused and tries to leave the house. Margaret qualifies for the higher rate of Attendance Allowance.

AA entitlement

Care needsDay and night
AA rateHigher rate
Weekly AA£110.40/week
Annual AA£5,740.80/year
4-weekly payment£441.60

Passported benefits unlocked

Margaret also receives a small Pension Credit (her State Pension is below the Guarantee Credit level). Because she now receives AA and lives alone with no carer claiming Carer’s Allowance for her, she qualifies for the Pension Credit Severe Disability Addition.

Pension Credit Severe Disability Addition£82.90/week (£4,310.80/year)
Council Tax Reduction (full)~£1,400/year
Warm Home Discount£150/year
Attendance Allowance direct£5,741/year
Passported benefits total~£5,861/year
Combined annual value~£11,602/year

Margaret’s Attendance Allowance unlocks nearly as much again in passported benefits. The Pension Credit Severe Disability Addition alone (£82.90/week) adds over £4,300 per year — a benefit many pensioners do not know they can claim.

FAQ

Attendance Allowance (AA) is a tax-free, non-means-tested benefit for people over State Pension age (currently 66) who need help with personal care or supervision because of a physical or mental disability. It is paid at two rates: lower rate £73.90/week (2025/26) for people who need care during the day or supervision at night, and higher rate £110.40/week for people who need care during both day and night or who are terminally ill. It is administered by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).
AA does not count as income and does not reduce your Pension Credit, Housing Benefit, or Council Tax Reduction. Instead, receiving AA can increase these benefits significantly. If you receive Pension Credit and qualify for the Severe Disability Addition (because you live alone, receive AA, and no one claims Carer’s Allowance on your behalf), your Pension Credit rises by £82.90/week (£4,310/year) for a single person. AA also enables a carer to claim Carer’s Allowance (£83.30/week in 2025/26) if they care for you for 35+ hours per week.
If your care home fees are paid by the local authority or NHS (fully funded), you cannot receive Attendance Allowance — the 4-week rule applies: AA stops after 28 days if your care is paid from public funds. However, if you are self-funding your care home entirely from your own money, you can still receive Attendance Allowance, which can contribute towards your care costs. Always check with the DWP or a welfare rights adviser when moving into residential care.
The Pension Credit Severe Disability Addition (sometimes called the Severe Disability Premium in older benefits) is an extra weekly amount added to your Pension Credit if you receive AA (or the middle or highest rate care component of DLA/PIP), you live alone or only with equally disabled adults, and nobody is receiving Carer’s Allowance or the UC Carer Element for looking after you. In 2025/26 the addition is £82.90/week (single) or £165.80/week (couple where both qualify). This is one of the most overlooked extra payments in the UK benefit system.
If you already receive PIP when you reach State Pension age, you keep your PIP award (including the mobility component) until it is next reviewed or renewed. You do not have to switch to AA. However, once you are over SPA you cannot make a new PIP claim — if you have never claimed PIP and reach SPA, you must claim Attendance Allowance instead. Because AA has no mobility component, people approaching SPA who have significant mobility needs should seek independent advice (Citizens Advice, Age UK, Scope) about whether to claim PIP before their SPA.

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