What counts as night-time needs?

Why night is asked separately

The lower rate is for help needed by day or by night; the higher rate is for help needed day and night.

What counts as a night-time need

Yes. There is no list of qualifying conditions – what counts is the help or supervision the person needs because of a physical or mental disability, not the name of the diagnosis. The official claim form itself uses "Alzheimers" as its own example of an illness or disability.

A worked example

Invented example, not a real claim: someone we'll call Hugh wakes two or three times a night needing help turning over, and once needs resettling after getting up confused. None of that happens in the daytime. Writing "disturbed nights" says little – saying how many times, roughly how long each time takes, and what triggers it is what turns a night-time need into something DWP can weigh.

Often missed

Policy in Practice estimates over 1.1 million pension-age households in Great Britain could be missing out on Attendance Allowance, worth about £5.2bn a year. Night-time needs in particular are easy to leave out, because nobody but the person themselves – or whoever is woken – usually sees them.

If you are doing the caring

Carer's Allowance pays £86.45 a week (April 2026 to April 2027). To get it, the carer must care for the person for at least 35 hours a week, earn no more than £204 a week after tax, National Insurance and expenses, be 16 or over, and not be in full-time education. The person cared for must get a disability benefit such as Attendance Allowance. Carer's Allowance can affect the other benefits that the carer and the person they care for get, so get a free benefits check first, from Citizens Advice or Age UK.

How long the need must have lasted

Attendance Allowance usually needs the help or supervision to have already been needed for about 6 months, unless nearing the end of life, when the wait is skipped.

Special rules

There is a fast route for someone who might have 12 months or less to live. The usual 6-month wait does not apply, and a doctor or other medical professional fills in a form called SR1.

What to do next

Ring 0800 731 0122 and ask for the claim form. The claim can start from the date of the call, if the form is returned within 6 weeks. DWP sends a text or letter within 3 weeks to say when to expect a decision.