Can Attendance Allowance pay for companionship care? The 2026 rates and how to claim
Attendance Allowance is £76.70 or £114.60 a week from April 2026, is not means-tested and has no rules about how it is spent. Here is who qualifies, how to claim, and what it covers.
Yes. Attendance Allowance is paid to people over State Pension age who have needed help or supervision because of a disability or health condition for at least six months. From April 2026 it is £76.70 a week at the lower rate and £114.60 at the higher rate. It is not means-tested, so savings and income do not affect it, you do not need anyone actually caring for you to claim it, and there are no rules about what it is spent on. Many families use it to pay for a weekly companionship visit: the lower rate covers most of one two-hour visit at Whitegreen's published price of £54.
What Attendance Allowance is
Attendance Allowance is a weekly payment from the Department for Work and Pensions for people over State Pension age who need help with personal care or supervision because of a physical or mental disability or a health condition. It is not about mobility, and it is not about income. It is a recognition that living with a condition costs more, paid directly to the person, to spend as they see fit.
The rates from April 2026
| Rate | Weekly amount 2026/27 | Who it is for |
|---|---|---|
| Lower rate | £76.70 | Frequent help or constant supervision during the day, or supervision at night |
| Higher rate | £114.60 | Help or supervision throughout both day and night, or a medical professional has said you are terminally ill |
Those are the figures in the DWP's benefit and pension rates for 2026 to 2027, up from £73.90 and £110.40 the year before. Over a year the lower rate is £3,988 and the higher rate £5,959.
Who qualifies
You can claim if all of these apply:
- You have reached State Pension age.
- You have a physical or mental disability or a health condition.
- You need help with personal care, or supervision to keep you safe, because of it.
- You have needed that help for at least six months (the six-month rule does not apply if you are terminally ill).
Two things surprise people. First, it is not means-tested: GOV.UK says plainly that what you earn or how much you have in savings will not affect what you get. Second, you do not need anyone actually providing the care. The test is whether you need the help, not whether you are getting it. A person living alone, managing but struggling, can qualify.
How it fits with companionship
There are no rules about what Attendance Allowance is spent on. Many families put it towards the thing that makes the biggest difference to a week, and for a lot of people that is company: someone who comes at the same time every week, takes them out, does the shopping with them and tells the family how they are.
At Whitegreen's published price, a two-hour weekday visit is £54. The lower rate of Attendance Allowance is £76.70 a week, so one visit a week is covered with £22.70 to spare. The higher rate of £114.60 covers two visits a week with room for mileage on an outing.
Companionship is not personal care and does not affect the claim. The claim is about the help the person needs; how they choose to use the money is theirs.
What it can unlock
Getting Attendance Allowance can increase other support. GOV.UK notes that you could get extra Pension Credit, Housing Benefit or Council Tax Reduction if you get Attendance Allowance, because it changes how those means-tested benefits are worked out. If you claim, tell the office that pays each of those.
If someone spends at least 35 hours a week caring for a person who gets Attendance Allowance, that carer may be able to claim Carer's Allowance, which is £86.45 a week in 2026/27 with an earnings limit of £204 a week after deductions. Be aware that a carer claiming it can affect the cared-for person's own means-tested benefits, so check with Age UK or Citizens Advice before applying.
How to claim
- Ring the Attendance Allowance helpline or download the claim form from GOV.UK. The form is long; it asks about a typical day and night in detail.
- Describe the worst days, not the best. The question is what help is needed, including help that nobody is currently giving.
- Include supervision as well as physical help: someone who needs watching so that they do not fall, wander or forget the hob counts.
- Ask for help filling it in. Age UK, Citizens Advice and many local carers' centres do this free of charge, and know how the form is read.
- If the claim is refused, you can ask for a mandatory reconsideration within one month of the decision letter, and appeal after that.
Council funding is a different question
Attendance Allowance is separate from council-funded care. A council in England will only fund care for someone with capital below the upper limit, which is £23,250 for 2026/27, with a tariff income assumed on capital between £14,250 and that figure. Companionship is rarely part of a council care package. Attendance Allowance, by contrast, is paid regardless of capital, which is why it is the funding route most families actually use for companionship.
Common questions
Is Attendance Allowance means-tested?
No. GOV.UK states that what you earn or how much you have in savings will not affect what you get.
Do you need a carer to claim Attendance Allowance?
No. GOV.UK is explicit that you do not have to have someone caring for you in order to claim.
Does Attendance Allowance have to be spent on care?
No. There are no conditions on how it is spent. It exists to help with the extra costs of living with a health condition, and companionship visits are a common use.
Can Attendance Allowance affect other benefits?
It can increase them. Getting Attendance Allowance can lead to extra Pension Credit, Housing Benefit or Council Tax Reduction, because it changes how those are calculated.
What is the difference between the lower and higher rate?
The lower rate is for frequent help or constant supervision during the day, or supervision at night. The higher rate is for help or supervision throughout both day and night, or where a medical professional has said the person is terminally ill.
Sources
Every figure above comes from one of these. If one has moved or changed, tell us and we will correct the guide.
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Start with a conversation, not a contract
Tell us who the visits are for and where they live. If we can help, we will arrange a free meet-and-greet with the companion we have in mind. If we cannot, we will say so and point you somewhere that can.