Extra benefits and help you can get while on Attendance Allowance

This advice applies to Scotland. See advice for See advice for England, See advice for Northern Ireland, See advice for Wales

Changes to Attendance Allowance in Scotland

A new benefit called Pension Age Disability Payment is replacing Attendance Allowance in Scotland from October 2024.

If you already get Attendance Allowance

You’ll keep getting Attendance Allowance until you move to Pension Age Disability Payment. Social Security Scotland will contact you to tell you when that will happen.

Find out more about changes to Attendance Allowance in Scotland on mygov.scot.

If you do not already get Attendance Allowance

You can apply for Pension Age Disability Payment on or after:

  • 21 October 2024 - if you live in Aberdeen City, Argyll and Bute, Highland, Orkney or Shetland

  • 24 March 2025 - if you live in Aberdeenshire, Angus, Clackmannanshire, Dundee City, East Ayrshire, Falkirk, Fife, Moray, Na h-Eileanan an Iar (Western Isles), North Ayrshire, Perth and Kinross, South Ayrshire or Stirling

  • 22 April 2025 - if you live in Edinburgh City, Dumfries and Galloway, East Dunbartonshire, East Lothian, East Renfrewshire, Glasgow City, Inverclyde, Midlothian, North Lanarkshire, Renfrewshire, Scottish Borders, South Lanarkshire, West Dunbartonshire or West Lothian.

Find out more about Pension Age Disability Payment.

Getting Attendance Allowance means you might also get other help.

What you get will depend on your circumstances.

Help with your council tax

You might be able to get help with your council tax by getting ‘Council Tax Reduction’ assistance if you get Attendance Allowance.  

Even if you were already getting a reduction in your council tax, you might be able to get more now that you’re getting Attendance Allowance.

Your local council can check what Council Tax Reduction you should be getting.  

You can get details on applying to your local council for Council Tax Reduction from GOV.UK.

Check if you can get other benefits

It might be worth applying for benefits like Pension Credit - or Universal Credit if you live with a partner under State Pension age.

If you get Pension Credit or Universal Credit, you can get extra  help with the cost of living - for example Winter Fuel Payments. You can: 

It might be worth applying even if you’ve been refused in the past because you earned too much. Getting Attendance Allowance means you’re allowed to earn more money than before without your benefits being affected.

It’s always best to get advice about what extra help you’re entitled to. Contact your nearest Citizens Advice for help.

You won’t be affected by the ‘Benefit Cap‘ if you or your partner gets Attendance Allowance. The benefit cap limits the amount of benefit payments a household can get.

If you're already getting other benefits

Your benefits or tax credits might go up if you get Attendance Allowance.

Contact all the benefit offices dealing with your other benefits and tell them you are getting Attendance Allowance. This will ensure that they assess what other help you might be able to get.

You might need to send them a copy of your Attendance Allowance decision letter.

Get travel help

If you get Attendance Allowance, you can get:

  • a Disabled Person’s Railcard

  • a free bus pass with free travel for a companion.

Getting Attendance Allowance might also help to support your application for a Blue Badge. A Blue Badge allows you to park closer to where you need to go if you’re disabled.

Read more about help with travel costs if you're disabled and the Blue Badge.

Help your carer might get - Carer’s Allowance

If someone looks after you they might be able to claim Carer’s Allowance if you get Attendance Allowance. Carer’s Allowance is paid to your carer.

Your carer might get Carer’s Allowance if:

  • you get any rate of Attendance Allowance

  • they spend at least 35 hours a week caring for you

  • they earn less than £151 a week (after taxes)

Read more about Carer's Allowance on GOV.UK.

You might not be entitled to get higher payments of your other benefits if someone gets paid Carer’s Allowance for looking after you. Contact your nearest Citizens Advice. 

Help from other charities

You can get further information on Attendance Allowance and care needs support on the Age Scotland website or the helpline 0800 12 44 222.

You can also find details of disability support agencies near to you on the Disability Information Scotland website.