What Medical Conditions Qualify For Attendance Allowance? Check If You’re Eligible
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Attendance Allowance can be claimed by men and women who have reached the UK State Pension age, but only certain medical conditions could make you eligible. If eligible, you’ll be able to claim £101.75 or £68.10 per week for the 2023/24 tax year, depending on how much help you need.
You can claim Attendance Allowance for 57 different medical conditions. Some of these conditions include chronic pain, mobility issues, visual or hearing impairments, neurological disorders and cognitive disorders (such as a form of dementia like Alzheimer's).
Below, we've listed every health condition that you might claim Attendance Allowance for - and shared the steps on how to make a claim.
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In this article:
- What medical conditions qualify for Attendance Allowance?
- Full list of the medical conditions that qualify for Attendance Allowance
- Check if you’re eligible
- Other benefits you can claim
- Attendance Allowance claim form
- Other ways to apply
You can learn more about this benefit in our Attendance Allowance guide.
What Medical Conditions Qualify For Attendance Allowance?
There are 57 medical conditions that qualify for Attendance Allowance, covering a wide range of disabilities and illnesses. These can be grouped into different categories, such as:
- Sight and hearing impairments
- Mobility issues
- Neurological conditions (such as Parkinson's disease)
- Cognitive impairments (such as a form of dementia like Alzheimer's)
Full List of Medical Conditions That Qualify For Attendance Allowance For In 2023
Here are the 57 medical conditions you can claim Attendance Allowance for - provided you meet all other requirements - along with the number of people who already claim the benefit through this particular condition (as of November 2022):
| Medical Condition | How Many People Have Claimed For It? (As of November 2022) | Percentage of all Claims |
|---|---|---|
| Arthritis | 441,033 | 27.88% |
| Dementia | 183,936 | 11.63% |
| Unknown | 138,144 | 8.73% |
| Heart disease | 109,452 | 6.92% |
| Respiratory disorders and diseases | 89,789 | 5.68% |
| Disease of the muscles, bones or joints | 77,326 | 4.89% |
| Cerebrovascular disease | 74,026 | 4.68% |
| Back pain - other / precise diagnosis not specified | 64,449 | 4.07% |
| Malignant disease | 52,618 | 3.33% |
| Visual disorders and diseases | 48,909 | 3.09% |
| Parkinson's disease | 41,507 | 2.62% |
| Terminally ill | 40,624 | 2.57% |
| Neurological diseases | 31,725 | 2.01% |
| Cognitive disorder - other / precise diagnosis not specified | 21,538 | 1.36% |
| Trauma to limbs | 19,277 | 1.22% |
| Diabetes mellitus | 19,007 | 1.20% |
| Spondylosis | 17,157 | 1.08% |
| Renal disorders | 15,932 | 1.01% |
| Psychosis | 15,217 | 0.96% |
| Psychoneurosis | 10,429 | 0.66% |
| Hearing disorders | 8,692 | 0.55% |
| Multi-system disorders | 7,547 | 0.48% |
| Peripheral vascular disease | 6,983 | 0.44% |
| Frailty | 6,095 | 0.39% |
| Bowel and stomach disease | 5,899 | 0.37% |
| Asthma | 5,857 | 0.37% |
| Chronic pain syndromes | 4,496 | 0.28% |
| Skin disease | 3,392 | 0.21% |
| Epilepsy | 3,124 | 0.20% |
| Multiple sclerosis | 3,058 | 0.19% |
| Alcohol and drug abuse | 2,114 | 0.13% |
| Inflammatory bowel disease | 1,964 | 0.12% |
| Major trauma other than traumatic paraplegia/tetraplegia | 1,854 | 0.12% |
| Metabolic disease | 1,747 | 0.11% |
| Blood disorders | 1,533 | 0.097% |
| Learning difficulties | 1,460 | 0.092% |
| Infectious diseases: Viral disease - Coronavirus covid-19 | 842 | 0.053% |
| Motor neurone disease | 747 | 0.047% |
| Traumatic paraplegia/tetraplegia | 552 | 0.035% |
| Behavioural disorder | 530 | 0.034% |
| Hemodialysis | 247 | 0.016% |
| Personality disorder | 215 | 0.014% |
| Infectious diseases - other / precise diagnosis not specified | 132 | 0.0083% |
| Infectious diseases: Bacterial disease - tuberculosis | 129 | 0.0082% |
| AIDS | 102 | 0.0065% |
| Haemophilia | 98 | 0.0062% |
| Cystic fibrosis | 88 | 0.0056% |
| Multiple allergy syndrome | 65 | 0.0041% |
| Infectious diseases: Viral disease - precise diagnosis not specified | 47 | 0.0029% |
| Infectious diseases: Bacterial disease - precise diagnosis not specified | 45 | 0.0028% |
| Hyperkinetic syndrome | 13 | 0.00082% |
| Deaf/blind | 10 | 0.00063% |
| Severely mentally impaired | N/A | N/A |
| Double amputee | N/A | N/A |
| Total parenteral nutrition | N/A | N/A |
| Infectious diseases: Protozoal disease - malaria | N/A | N/A |
| Infectious diseases: Protozoal disease - other / precise diagnosis not specified | N/A | N/A |
| Total | 1,581,774 |
Source: Stat-Xplore - AA Cases with entitlement - Data from May 2018 to November 2022
To be eligible, you’ll likely have one of the above conditions, and will also meet the criteria we’ve discussed below.
Check If You’re Eligible For Attendance Allowance
The number of different medical conditions above means a large number of people are eligible for this pensioner benefit in the UK. According to the DWP, just over 1,500,000 in the UK currently claim it. Many people don’t claim though - or they claim the lower rate when they’re actually eligible for the higher rate (there are two different Attendance Allowance rates).
Not being specific enough about your condition and how it affects you is one of the most common Attendance Allowance pitfalls - and the reason why many applications are rejected or wrongly categorised.
It was estimated by the National Audit Office that around £230 million was unclaimed because claimants don’t know which rate they’re eligible for.
In the simplest terms, you need to have a physical or mental disability or illness to claim Attendance Allowance. You also need to have reached the State Pension age - 66 for men and women in the UK.
To be eligible for the lower rate (£68.10 a week), you’ll require regular help or constant supervision during the day, or some supervision at night. To be eligible for the higher rate (£101.75 a week), you’ll require help or supervision throughout the day and at night (or a medical professional has said you may have six months or less to live). You'll have needed help for at least six months.
Attendance Allowance and Personal Independence Payment are gradually replacing Disability Living Allowance, depending on whether you're above or below the State Pension age.
Learn more about eligibility through our detailed Attendance Allowance guide.
Other Benefits You Can Claim With Attendance Allowance
If you already receive Disability Living Allowance or Personal Independence Payment, you can’t receive Attendance Allowance.
By signing up for Attendance Allowance, other benefits you receive may get a boost, such as Pension Credit or Housing Benefit. You could also get a council tax reduction.
Attendance Allowance Claim Form
You can apply by filling in the Attendance Allowance claim form and sending this off via post.
In this form, you’ll need to provide detailed information regarding your medical condition, including any medical professionals you’ve seen about it and any relevant evidence you have, such as a doctor’s report. Before filling it in, you’ll also need your hospital record number, the name and address of your GP, and medication details.
Send the completed form to:
Freepost DWP Attendance Allowance
Using the above link, you can download, fill in and print out the claim form. Alternatively, you can print off the form and fill it in by hand.
Other Ways To Apply
To make a claim, you have to fill out and post the above form.
For more information or advice, you can call the Attendance Allowance helpline:
- Telephone - 0800 731 0122
- Textphone - 0800 731 0317
You can also contact your nearest Citizens Advice for help with filling out the form.
Similarly, organisations such as Age UK and Macmillan Cancer Support may be able to offer help with filling out the form.
We’re on a mission to support individuals and their loved ones throughout each stage of their later living journey. For more information, check out everything Lottie has to offer.
Frequently Asked Questions
What conditions automatically qualify you for Attendance Allowance?
There are no conditions that automatically qualify you for Attendance Allowance. Instead, you need to have required care or supervision for at least six months because of this condition or disability. You can also apply without your condition being formally diagnosed.
Do you need medical evidence for Attendance Allowance?
You can claim Attendance Allowance without having a formal diagnosis, though you may be medically examined before having your claim approved.
The main thing is that you’ve required help or supervision - or have had difficulties - for at least six months because of your condition. The only exception is if you’re terminally ill.
When applying, you’ll need to provide documentation such as your National Insurance number, driving licence, passport or birth certificate.
Do you need a doctor’s letter to claim Attendance Allowance?
You don’t need a doctor’s letter or a precise diagnosis to apply for and claim Attendance Allowance. What’s important is that you’ve experienced difficulties or required assistance for at least six months because of your condition.
However, when applying, being able to provide evidence such as a doctor’s letter may make your claim more likely to be approved.
What is Question 44 on the Attendance Allowance form?
Question 44 on the Attendance Allowance claim form is used to tell the assessors anything else you think they should know. In this space, you should mention any important details that you weren’t able to mention elsewhere. Providing all relevant information will give your claim a better chance of being approved.
Does osteoarthritis qualify for Attendance Allowance?
You may be eligible for Attendance Allowance if you have a form of arthritis - such as osteoarthritis - which affects your spine and causes pain across your joints, along with limited mobility and flexibility. You may have to adjust your position every few hours because of this arthritis. You might also be eligible if you experience pain in your back, muscles or elsewhere.
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