Attendance Allowance if you have a terminal illness

Attendance Allowance can help with the extra costs of your illness if you need looking after and you're State Pension age or older. We know the application process for benefits can be confusing. That's why we've put together this information about who can claim Attendance Allowance, how to claim it and where to go for further help.

This information is for people applying for Attendance Allowance under the special rules because they have a terminal illness.

If you're not sure which benefits you're entitled to, read our information on benefits for people affected by terminal illness or try our benefits calculator.

On this page: 

What is Attendance Allowance?

Attendance Allowance is a benefit for people who need looking after because of their health or who have a terminal illness. It is for people who are State Pension age or older.

Attendance Allowance is not means-tested. This means whether you can get it and how much you get, is not affected by your income, savings, or investments.

Can I claim Attendance Allowance?

You may be able to claim Attendance Allowance if the following criteria apply to you:

• You're State Pension age or older. Find out your State Pension age at GOV.UK.  
• You have a physical and/or mental disability (including learning difficulties) or you have a terminal illness. The government defines a mental disability as being a mental health condition which has a long-term effect on your daily life.
• Your disability is severe enough that you need help caring for yourself, or need someone to supervise you.
• Unless you have a terminal illness, you must have needed this help for at least 6 months before you claim. You do not have to currently be getting help to qualify.
• You meet the immigration and residence requirements. Check if you meet these requirements at GOV.UK.  

You cannot claim Attendance Allowance at the same time as Personal Independence Payment (PIP), the care component of Disability Living Allowance (DLA), or Adult Disability Payment (only available in Scotland).

Are there special rules for terminal illness?

Yes – if you're living with a terminal illness, you may be able to apply for Attendance Allowance under the special rules for people with a terminal illness.

How will the special rules affect my claim?

If you're eligible for Attendance Allowance under the special rules:

• your claim will be fast-tracked
• you'll get the higher rate
• you do not need to have care or supervision needs
• you will not have to fill in the whole application form
• you do not need to have had your illness for a set period of time before you apply.

Who can apply for Attendance Allowance under the special rules?

You can apply for Attendance Allowance under the special rules if you have a disease that gets worse over time, and your healthcare professional thinks you might have less than 12 months left to live.

If you're claiming Attendance Allowance under the special rules, you still have to meet the other criteria to apply for Attendance Allowance.

You can apply under the special rules if you have any illness or condition that is considered terminal, including cancer, organ failure, dementia, stroke, motor neurone disease, multiple sclerosis and other conditions. These illnesses are not always terminal. If you have questions about your illness, it's best to speak with your healthcare professional.

It's often very difficult to predict how long someone might live for. If your doctor has not talked to you about this, you can still ask them about supporting your claim under the special rules.

If you're likely to live longer than 12 months

You can still apply for Attendance Allowance if you're expected to live longer than 12 months. But you will not be able to apply under the special rules. You can find out more at GOV.UK   if you live in England, Wales or Scotland, or at nidirect   if you live in Northern Ireland.

How much is Attendance Allowance?

There are two rates of Attendance Allowance. The rate you get depends on how much help you need:

• Lower rate: £72.65 a week, paid if you require care either during the day or at night.
• Higher rate: £108.55 a week, paid if you require care both day and night.

If you qualify under the special rules, you'll automatically get the higher rate of £108.55 a week.

How do I claim Attendance Allowance?

1. Check you're eligible for Attendance Allowance.

2. Apply – you can only apply by post for this benefit. It's best to get an application form by phone, because your payments will be backdated to the date you phoned, as long as you return the form within 6 weeks.

If you phone, let them know that you're terminally ill and applying under the special rules.

The date you need to return the form by will be stamped on the form. If you send the form after 6 weeks, your payments will only be backdated to when the government department gets the form. If you download an application form, you'll only be paid from the date that the DWP receive the form.

If you live in England, Wales or Scotland, here's how you can get a form:

• contact the Attendance Allowance helpline: call 0800 731 0122, textphone 0800 731 0317, Relay UK 18001 then 0800 731 0122, or access the British Sign Language video relay service at GOV.UK  , or
• download the form online from GOV.UK.  

If you live in England, Wales or Scotland, send the completed form to: Freepost DWP Attendance Allowance. You do not need a postcode or a stamp.

If you live in Northern Ireland, here's how you can get a form:

• contact the Disability and Carers Service: call 0800 587 0912, textphone 0800 012 1574, or access the British or Irish Sign Language video relay service at nidirect  , or
• download the claim form online from nidirect  , or
• collect a form from your local Jobs and Benefits office - visit nidirect to find your local Jobs & Benefits Office.  

If you live in Northern Ireland you can send either hand in the completed form at your local Jobs and Benefits office or send it to: Attendance Allowance, Disability & Carers Service, Mail Opening Unit, PO Box 42, Limavady, BT49 4AN.

3. If you're applying under the special rules, ask your healthcare professional to send an SR1 medical report form to support your claim.

If you need help to claim

• If you have someone to help like a family member or friend, you can ask for them to be included in your call (you cannot do this if you use textphone).
• You can ask someone else to call on your behalf – you'll need to be with them when they make the call, to give permission and answer some questions.
• In some cases, someone from the DWP (or a community outreach officer if you live in Northern Ireland) can visit you to help you with your benefit claim. This is only if you are eligible. Find out more about support visits at GOV.UK.  
• You can also get help from benefits advisers at organisations like Macmillan Cancer Support,   Age UK   or Maggies Centres.  

Can I claim for someone else?

If someone needs help with their benefits claim, or they do not know or wish to know if their illness is terminal, you can claim on their behalf. You should tell the person that you're making a claim and you'll need their personal details. You do not need to tell them you're making a claim under the special rules for people with a terminal illness. The letter they receive will not include any mention of the special rules or terminal illness.

You can also apply to become someone's appointee. Being an appointee lets you deal with the person's benefits if they are mentally incapable or severely disabled. You can find out more about being an appointee on GOV.UK.  

What happens if I'm claiming Attendance Allowance and I go into a hospital or hospice?

If you go into an NHS hospital, your Attendance Allowance payments normally stop after 28 days.

If you are terminally ill and go into a hospice, your Attendance Allowance payments will normally continue. Contact the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to check what will happen with your benefits – see the relevant contact details below.

Queries about existing claims

If you have any queries about an existing claim for Attendance Allowance or need to report a change of circumstances, you will need to contact the relevant department:

• If you live in England, Wales or Scotland, call the Attendance Allowance helpline on 0800 731 0122, textphone 0800 731 0317, Relay UK 18001 then 0800 731 0122, or access the British Sign Language video relay service at GOV.UK.  
• If you live in Northern Ireland, call the Disability and Carers Service on 0800 587 0912, textphone 0800 012 1574, or access the British or Irish Sign Language video relay services at nidirect.  

Where can I get more help?

Some benefits can affect the other benefits that you or the person you care for get, so it's important you have the right information and advice. Here are some organisations that can provide further support:

• Marie Curie Support Line on 0800 090 2309 provides general information about benefits and finances.
• Citizens Advice   has trained advisers you can speak to and provides information on your rights, including benefits, housing, employment, debt, consumer and legal issues. Search the site for your nearest bureau in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
• Turn2us  has a search function to find benefits advisers in your area, and provides people with financial support and information on benefits and grants.
• Macmillan Cancer Support  has welfare rights advisers you can speak to, and provides practical, medical and financial support for people affected by cancer.

Here at Marie Curie we cannot provide information about your specific benefit claim. For all queries about claims, you'll need to contact the relevant government department. 

See our list of useful organisations for more places to go for benefits advice and information.

Useful websites

GOV.UK – Attendance Allowance in England, Wales and Scotland  

nidirect – Attendance Allowance in Northern Ireland  

Citizens Advice – Information about claiming Attendance Allowance if you're terminally ill