Attendance Allowance in a care home depends on who pays the fees. GOV.UK says you cannot usually get it if the council pays for your care home, but you can still claim if you pay all the costs yourself. Either way, a care home stay must be reported straight away. This guide explains the rule, what to report and when, and how short respite stays are treated.
Families usually meet this question at a stressful moment. A parent is going into a care home, for a few weeks or for good, and nobody is sure what happens to the benefit. Getting it wrong can mean an overpayment to repay later. Getting it right is mostly a matter of one phone call at the right time.
Everything below comes from GOV.UK, read on 23 September 2026. Starling Homecare is an independent, family-run provider regulated by the Care Quality Commission, and families we support often face this question when care at home and a care home overlap.
Can you get Attendance Allowance in a care home?
It turns on funding. GOV.UK's eligibility page says you cannot usually get Attendance Allowance if you live in a care home and your local authority pays for your care. However, you can still claim if you pay for all your care home costs yourself.
So a self-funder in a care home can usually keep it. A resident whose fees the council pays usually cannot.
What happens to Attendance Allowance in a care home paid for by the council or the NHS
GOV.UK's guide to claiming benefits in a care home is specific. Most benefits usually stop within 28 days of admission if the stay is funded by the local council, NHS continuing healthcare or NHS funding for nursing care. Taken with the eligibility rule above, that is when Attendance Allowance usually stops.
Where the person pays for the care home themselves, GOV.UK says they may be able to keep getting Attendance Allowance. They may also keep the extra amount for severe disability in Pension Credit. Our guide to Attendance Allowance and other benefits explains that extra amount.
Reporting a care home stay
This is the part families most often miss. GOV.UK says you must report a stay in a care home or hospital straight away, even for one night. You give the address, the dates and how the stay is being paid for. Someone else can make the call for you.
The Attendance Allowance helpline is 0800 731 0122, Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm. GOV.UK also lists things to report once someone has been in a care home for more than four weeks. These include a change in how the fees are paid, a temporary stay becoming permanent, a move to another home, or a stay in hospital.
GOV.UK warns that you may have to repay money if a change was not reported straight away. In our experience, it is worth writing down the date of each call and who you spoke to.
Short respite stays and Attendance Allowance in a care home
A respite stay is still a care home stay, so it still needs reporting. The question is again who pays. A family paying privately for a fortnight of respite is in a different position from one where the council has arranged and funded the stay.
Respite does not have to mean a care home. Many families use care at home instead, so the person stays in their own bed while the family carer takes a break. Our guide to respite care across Hertfordshire sets out both routes.
When care at home is the other option
Sometimes the care home question is really a question about whether home can still work. Attendance Allowance, which is not means tested, is often part of how families pay for visits or live-in care that keep someone at home. Our guide to live-in care or a care home compares the two side by side. The later life care page describes regular help at home.
For many families the deciding factor is not money but what the person wants. Some prefer the company of a care home. Others would rather stay in the house they know, with help coming to them. Both are reasonable choices, and the benefit rules above apply to whichever one you make.
If the claim itself is not yet in, our guide to how to claim Attendance Allowance covers the form and the timing.
Common questions about Attendance Allowance in a care home
Can you keep Attendance Allowance in a care home if you pay the fees yourself?
Usually, yes. GOV.UK says you can still claim if you pay all your care home costs yourself. You must still report the stay straight away, with the address, the dates and how it is being paid for.
When does Attendance Allowance stop in a council-funded care home?
GOV.UK says most benefits usually stop within 28 days of admission where the council or the NHS funds the stay. Report the admission straight away, so any change happens on time and nothing has to be repaid.
Do I have to report a short respite stay in a care home?
Yes. GOV.UK says to report a care home or hospital stay straight away. Tell the Attendance Allowance helpline the address, the dates and how the stay is paid for.
One call at the right time avoids most of the problems here. If you are in Hertfordshire and weighing a care home against care at home, our St Albans office is on 01727 324 127. You can also email [email protected]. The rules above come from GOV.UK's guide to benefits in a care home, checked on 23 September 2026.
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