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3. Attendance allowance
Attendance allowance (AA) is a benefit for people who have reached pension age and who have care needs because of a disability. AA is not means tested and you do not have to have paid any national insurance contributions to get it.
The DWP is responsible for the administration of AA. AA is being replaced in Scotland by pension age disability payment (PADP) (see here), which is administered by Social Security Scotland.
Who can get attendance allowance
You qualify for AA if you:1s64 SSCBA 1992; reg 2 SS(AA) Regs
    have reached pension age when you first claim. People aged between 16 and pension age may be able to claim adult disability payment (see here) and children aged under 16 may be able to claim child disability payment (CDP) (see here); and
    satisfy certain UK residence and presence conditions and are not a person subject to immigration control. See CPAG’s Welfare Benefits Handbook (for subscribers) for details; and
    satisfy the disability test (see here); and
    have satisfied the disability test for the last six months (unless you are terminally ill).
Note: you can no longer claim AA if you live in Scotland. You claim PADP instead (see here).
 
1     s64 SSCBA 1992; reg 2 SS(AA) Regs »
Disability test
You get either a lower or a higher rate of AA. The disability conditions for the lower rate are the same as for the middle rate care component of CDP (see here). The conditions for the higher rate are the same as for the highest rate care component of CDP (see here). Alternatively, you qualify for the higher rate if you are ‘terminally ill’. For AA, this means that you have a progressive disease and can reasonably be expected to die within 12 months as a result.
Amount of benefit
Rate
Weekly rate
Lower rate
£73.90
Higher rate
£110.40