Attendance Allowance :Cross Stitch – Money, tax and benefits

Attendance Allowance is a tax-free benefit. You may get Attendance Allowance if you’re aged 65 or over and need help with personal care because you’re physically or mentally disabled.

You may get Attendance Allowance (AA) if the following apply:

• you have a physical disability (including sensory disability, such as blindness), a mental disability (including learning difficulties), or both
• your disability is severe enough for you to need help caring for yourself or someone to supervise you, for your own or someone else’s safety
• you are aged 65 or over when you claim

Attendance Allowance isn’t usually affected by any savings or income you may have.

If you’re under age 65, you may get Disability Living Allowance.

They are special rules for people who are terminally ill. This means people who have a progressive illness and are not expected to live more than another six months. The special rules mean people get the higher rate of Attendance Allowance straight away.

The amount you get depends on how much your disability affects you.

There are two rates of Attendance Allowance.

Higher rate	£77.45
Lower rate	£51.85

If you start to get Attendance Allowance, it might increase the amount of other benefits and financial support you’re entitled to.

You may get an extra amount for severe disability with:

• Housing Benefit
• Council Tax Benefit
• Pension Credit

Attendance Allowance is normally ignored as income for working out income-related benefits and other entitlements.

To get Attendance Allowance you must generally be in Great Britain or treated as living here. You must also meet certain other conditions about your residence and presence.

Also, changes to your circumstances can affect the amount of Attendance Allowance you get, or whether you get it.