Attendance Allowance help in Bradford: paying for home care

When someone you love starts to need more help at home, one of the first questions families ask is how to pay for it. Attendance Allowance is a benefit that many families don't know about. Here we explain what it is, who can get it, and how NU Healthcare Provisions can help as part of arranging care at home in Bradford.

We're a CQC-registered home care provider based in Shipley. We provide personal care for adults aged 18 and over in their own homes. We aren't a benefits advice service, but we know how much Attendance Allowance can help with the cost of care, so we're happy to help families with the claim form, free and with no obligation.

What is Attendance Allowance?

Attendance Allowance is a weekly payment from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). It's for people who have reached State Pension age and have a physical disability, a mental disability or a health condition severe enough that they need help caring for themselves, or someone to supervise them for their safety. It's paid to the person who needs care, not to a carer, and you don't need to have a carer already to claim.

Who can get it?

According to GOV.UK, you may be able to get Attendance Allowance if:

• you've reached State Pension age
• you need help with personal care, such as washing, dressing, eating or using the toilet, or you need supervision, because of a disability or health condition
• you've needed that help for at least 6 months.

There are also residence rules. You can't get it if you already get Personal Independence Payment (PIP) or Disability Living Allowance (DLA). If you live in Scotland, you would apply for Pension Age Disability Payment instead. Younger adults who need care may be able to claim PIP instead.

How much is it?

It's paid at one of two weekly rates, depending on the level of help needed:

The rates were checked on GOV.UK on 10 Nov 2026 and can change each April. The DWP decides whether you qualify and which rate you get. We can't promise any outcome.

It isn't means-tested

Attendance Allowance isn't means-tested. What you earn or have in savings won't affect it. It doesn't cover mobility needs. Getting it may also mean extra Pension Credit, Housing Benefit or Council Tax Reduction, which you can check with the office that deals with those benefits.

What can it help pay for?

Attendance Allowance is paid to the person who needs care and they decide how to spend it. It's paid to help with the extra costs of needing care or supervision. Many families choose to put it towards help at home, such as:

• regular home care visits for washing, dressing and meals
• respite care at home to give a family carer a break
• live-in care when more support is needed
• home help and cleaning alongside personal care.

Attendance Allowance help in Bradford at your free care assessment

When you contact us about care, we start with a free initial care assessment, and there's no obligation to use our services. Our Registered Manager visits you at home. We talk about daily routines, what's becoming difficult and what help would make a difference, then write a care plan with you if you'd like to go ahead.

Because we're already talking about the help that's needed, we can tell you about Attendance Allowance and how to claim. That isn't a decision about whether you qualify. Only the DWP can decide that.

Free, no obligation help filling in the claim form

The claim form asks detailed questions about the help a person needs day and night, and many families find it hard to know what to write. Our Registered Manager can help you fill in the form at the same visit. You check it, sign it and send it. The help is free, whether or not you go on to choose NU for care.

The claim is always made by you, or by the person who needs care, and the information on the form must be accurate. We help you fill in the form. We don't give independent welfare rights or benefits advice, and we can't tell you whether you will get it. For independent advice, contact Age UK Advice (0800 678 1602), Citizens Advice Bradford & Airedale or Carers' Resource. For questions about a claim, call the DWP Attendance Allowance helpline on 0800 731 0122.

How to claim

You can claim online or by post. You'll need the person's National Insurance number, GP details and information about their condition. For a paper form, call the Attendance Allowance helpline on 0800 731 0122 (Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm), or print the form from GOV.UK. If you call for a form and return it within 6 weeks, the claim can start from the date of your call. After you claim, the DWP will contact you within 3 weeks to say when to expect a decision.

If someone is nearing the end of life, there are special rules. A doctor or other medical professional can fill in form SR1. The claim may be dealt with more quickly, it is paid at the higher rate, and they will not need to go to a face to face assessment.

Next steps

1. Call 01274 214093 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm) or email enquiries@nuhealthcareprovisions.com, or complete our online referral form.
2. Book your free, no obligation initial care assessment.
3. If you'd like, we can help you fill in the form, free and with no obligation.
4. Decide on the care that's right for you, in your own time.

Home care starts from £25 an hour for people paying privately, with no travel or call-out charges. See the cost of home care in Bradford, or read about using Direct Payments for home care.