UK Attendance Allowance Calculator
The Attendance Allowance calculator shows which rate you qualify for, what you receive every four weeks and how much of your weekly care costs it covers.
What it does
The UK Attendance Allowance Calculator shows which of the two weekly rates applies to the help you need, what lands in your bank account every four weeks, and how much of your care costs the benefit covers.
Data sources & parameters
The figures below drive this calculator. We keep them aligned with the latest official guidance, and each result recalculates automatically whenever a value changes.
| Parameter | Value | Source | Last updated |
|---|---|---|---|
| Attendance Allowance weekly rates (lower and higher) | Rate schedule | gov.uk | Effective 2026-04-06Corrected 2026-08-27 (official-verified) |
We always strive to use the latest data for every variable so our results and reports are as accurate as possible. Even so, errors are possible — you should not rely on this tool or its report alone, and we accept no liability for any decision made based on it.
The formula
Weekly rate = higher rate if day and night care or terminal illness, else lower rate; four-weekly payment = weekly rate x 4; annual = weekly rate x 52
How it works
It picks the higher rate when you need help both by day and by night or are terminally ill, and the lower rate otherwise, then converts the weekly figure into four-weekly, annual and whole-period totals.
Where it is used
- Checking which Attendance Allowance rate applies
- Budgeting for care costs at home
- Seeing how much of a care bill the benefit covers
Worked example
Someone needing help both day and night with £250.00 of weekly care costs receives … a week, or … every four weeks, leaving … a week to fund.
What the attendance allowance calculator does
The calculator tells you which weekly rate you qualify for, what arrives in your account every four weeks and how far that goes against the care you pay for. Choose the pattern of help you need and enter your weekly care costs. The tool returns the weekly rate, the four-weekly payment, the annual total, a projection over as many weeks as you like and the share of your costs the benefit meets.
Attendance Allowance helps with the extra cost of a disability or long-term health condition after State Pension age. It does not replace earnings and has nothing to do with what you earned while working. You can spend it on whatever makes daily life easier: a cleaner, a carer, taxis to appointments, higher heating bills or equipment around the house.
Who qualifies and at which rate
Two things decide the amount: your age and the pattern of help you need. You must have reached State Pension age and must have needed help for at least six months, unless you claim under the special rules for terminal illness, where the qualifying period does not apply.
The lower rate goes to someone who needs frequent help or supervision through the day, or prolonged or repeated attention during the night. The higher rate goes to someone who needs both, or who is terminally ill. The calculator maps your answer to the right rate. The two weekly amounts are parameters updated with the annual uprating each April; for 2026/27 they are £76.70 and £114.60.
People often understate what they need, especially at night, because they have adapted around it. Needing someone to help you to the bathroom twice a night counts. So does needing supervision because you might fall, or needing someone nearby to keep you safe even if they do not physically help.
How the payment reaches you
The rate is set weekly, but the money is usually paid every four weeks in arrears, so each payment is four times the weekly rate. That catches people out when they budget monthly: there are thirteen payments a year, not twelve, and each four-weekly payment is a little less than a calendar month’s worth. At the higher rate, £114.60 a week becomes £458.40 every four weeks and £5,959.20 over 52 weeks.
The calculator shows the weekly rate, the four-weekly payment and the annual figure side by side for that reason. The advanced options let you set the number of weeks, so you can total a six-month stay, two years of expected costs or the period until a review.
Measuring it against real care costs
The last line of the result is often the most useful: the share of your weekly care cost the benefit covers. Enter what you actually spend each week on paid help, and the tool splits it into the part the benefit meets and the part you fund yourself.
The benefit is rarely enough for a full package of care. For someone paying for a few hours of help a week it may cover most of the bill; for someone with daily visits it covers a slice. Once you can see the shortfall as a number, you can plan around it, for example by asking your council for a needs assessment or checking what other support you can claim.
What it does not affect
Attendance Allowance is not means-tested. Your income, savings and National Insurance record make no difference, so you can claim while working, while drawing a private pension or with money in the bank. It is not taxable, so nothing here needs adjusting for tax.
It can also unlock other help. It can add a severe disability amount to Pension Credit, increase Housing Benefit or Council Tax Reduction, and allow someone who looks after you to claim Carer’s Allowance. If you receive it and nothing else, check those other entitlements, because the indirect gain is sometimes larger than the benefit itself.
What you need to enter
- The pattern of help you need: day, night, both, or under the terminal illness rules.
- Confirmation that you have reached State Pension age.
- What your care costs each week, if you want the coverage figures.
The number of weeks to project is optional and defaults to a full year. Leave the care cost at zero if you want only the payment figures.
Reading your result
The main figure is the weekly rate. Below it are the four-weekly payment, the annual amount and the total over your chosen period, then your care cost split into covered and uncovered, and the percentage covered.
If the covered share is high, the benefit does most of the work and the open question is whether the claim succeeds. If it is low, look further: a local authority care needs assessment, Pension Credit or a carer claim by a family member.
The result is an estimate based on the figures you enter and is not benefits or financial advice. The Department for Work and Pensions decides entitlement on the evidence in your claim form, and the rate awarded may differ from the one shown. Check your position with an adviser or the official guidance before making decisions that depend on it.
About This Tool: Attendance Allowance
Attendance Allowance: use this tool to get an instant, accurate estimate. The figures follow official GOV.UK guidance and every rate and threshold is kept up to date for 2026. Adjust the inputs above to match your situation, or browse all our calculators to plan your next step.
Tax year 2026
Frequently asked questions
What does the attendance allowance calculator do?
Who can claim Attendance Allowance?
What is the difference between the two rates?
Is Attendance Allowance means-tested or taxable?
Does it affect other benefits?
Is my data private?
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