Attendance Allowance is paid at two weekly rates. The lower rate is £76.70 a week and the higher rate is £114.60 a week. Which one you get depends on how much help you need, not on how much money you have.
That last point catches most families out, so it is worth saying plainly. Attendance Allowance is not means tested. Your savings, your pension and your income make no difference to whether you get it or what you are paid.
We are Starling Homecare, an independent family run home care provider registered with the Care Quality Commission, and we arrange care across Hertfordshire. Families ask us about this benefit most weeks, usually at the point where they are working out whether care at home is affordable. This page sets out what the two rates are, who gets which, and what the money can quietly unlock alongside it.
What each rate is for
The lower rate of £76.70 a week is for someone who needs frequent help or constant supervision during the day, or supervision at night. One or the other, not both.
The higher rate of £114.60 a week is for someone who needs help or supervision throughout both day and night. It also applies automatically if a medical professional has said the person is nearing the end of life.
The word supervision does a lot of work here, and people underclaim because of it. Supervision means someone needs to be there in case something goes wrong, not that they need hands-on help every hour. A person who is safe most of the time but at real risk of a fall, or of leaving the hob on, needs supervision.
It is not means tested, and it does not reduce anything else
Attendance Allowance is not affected by savings, income or a private pension. It is not taxed and it does not reduce the State Pension.
Nor does claiming it count against you if you later approach the council. It sits outside the local authority financial assessment as income you have because of disability, and it is yours to spend as you decide, including on private care at home.
The one interaction to know about is Constant Attendance Allowance. If you receive that at the same time, your Attendance Allowance is reduced by the amount of Constant Attendance Allowance you get.
What it can unlock, which is often worth more than the payment
This is the part that gets missed. Attendance Allowance can act as a gateway to other help, and the knock-on amounts can be larger than the benefit itself.
Receiving it may mean you qualify for extra Pension Credit, extra Housing Benefit, or a Council Tax Reduction. GOV.UK is explicit that you should check with the helpline or the office handling each of those benefits, because it is not applied automatically.
Council Tax is worth a separate look, because it is handled by your district or borough council rather than the county. In our patch that means St Albans City and District Council, Dacorum, Welwyn Hatfield, North Herts, Three Rivers, Hertsmere or East Herts, depending on where you live. Each runs its own reduction scheme and each has its own form.
Where to get help with the form in Hertfordshire
The claim form is long and the questions are repetitive by design. Most refusals we hear about are not because someone was ineligible, but because the form described a good day rather than a normal week.
Hertfordshire County Council runs a Money Advice Unit that helps residents with benefit checks and claims. Your local Citizens Advice will also help you complete the form, and Age UK Hertfordshire runs a form-filling service in several towns.
If you are filling it in yourself, describe the worst days honestly and say how long each task takes, including at night. Attendance Allowance is about the help you need, not the help you currently receive, which matters if a family member has quietly been doing it all.
How this fits with paying for care at home
At the higher rate, Attendance Allowance is roughly £496 a month. That is not a care package on its own, but it is a meaningful contribution towards regular visiting support, and it is money that arrives whether or not you use it for care.
Our visiting care starts from £34 an hour and live-in care from £255 a day, both exempt from VAT. Families often use Attendance Allowance to fund two or three visits a week, which is frequently enough to hold a situation steady for a long time.
If you want to talk it through before you decide anything, we are happy to explain how the hours would work in practice. We arrange care every day and it usually helps to hear what the shape of it actually looks like.
Home care in Hertfordshire, arranged locally
Starling Homecare provides visiting care and live-in care across Hertfordshire from our head office in St Albans. You can read more about the services we provide or about home care in St Albans on our area page.
Each town has its own team and its own number: St Albans 01727 324 127, Harpenden 01582 824 830, Welwyn Hatfield 01707 714 000, Hemel Hempstead, Berkhamsted and Tring 01442 954 137, Hitchin 01462 534739, Hertford 01920 746779, and Radlett and Shenley 01923 988 550.
Common questions
Does Starling Homecare help with Attendance Allowance forms?
We are not benefits advisers and we do not complete the form for you. We will tell you where to get proper help with it, and we can describe the care someone actually needs, which is often the hard part of the form to put into words.
Is Attendance Allowance means tested?
No. Savings and income make no difference. We have written about this separately in is Attendance Allowance means tested.
How is it paid?
It is paid into a bank, building society or credit union account. The rates are weekly figures.
Will it affect my State Pension?
No. It is paid on top and it is not taxable.
What if things get worse?
You can report a change of circumstances and move from the lower rate to the higher rate. People often stay on the lower rate for years after they should have moved up.
Rates and rules checked against GOV.UK on 8 September 2026. This is general information to help you understand the benefit and is not financial or benefits advice. Everyone's circumstances are different, so please check your own position with the Money Advice Unit, Citizens Advice or the Attendance Allowance helpline.
Arranging Care Is Simple
Starting care can feel like a big step. We keep it calm and straightforward, and we are here to guide you from your very first call.
1. Talk to us
Get in touch by phone or request a callback. We will listen, answer your questions and help you understand the options, so you can decide what feels right in your own time.
2. A home visit and initial consultation
We arrange a visit to understand your routines, your home and what matters most to you. Together we agree an initial consultation and shape the support that feels right.
3. Your care begins
A small, familiar team starts your care, arriving at the agreed times and staying involved as your needs change. We remain your trusted adviser throughout.
Whenever you are ready, we are here to help.