Attendance Allowance: Pension Credit and Carer's Allowance
An Attendance Allowance award may add an extra amount to Pension Credit, and may increase Housing Benefit or reduce a Council Tax bill. A carer may also be able to claim Carer's Allowance - but Carer's Allowance can affect the other benefits that the carer and the person they care for get. Get a free benefits check first.
Checked 28 September 2026 against the sources below · Sources at the bottomIt can, in different ways. Someone getting Pension Credit may get an extra amount if they get Attendance Allowance, but Carer's Allowance can affect the other benefits that the carer and the person they care for get.
In short
- Pension Credit: someone getting it may get an extra amount if they get Attendance Allowance.
- A new Pension Credit claim can be backdated by up to 3 months.
- Housing Benefit may go up; a Council Tax bill may be reduced.
- Carer's Allowance: someone who cares for them may be able to claim it.
- Carer's Allowance can affect other benefits - get a benefits check first.
Pension Credit: an extra amount
Someone getting Pension Credit may get an extra amount if they get Attendance Allowance.
Pension Credit: backdating
A Pension Credit claim can be backdated by up to 3 months.
That's separate from Attendance Allowance itself, which cannot be backdated before the date of the claim.
What an award can unlock
- Someone who cares for them may be able to claim Carer's Allowance. Carer's Allowance on GOV.UK
- If they get Pension Credit, it may include extra money for severe disability. Pension Credit on GOV.UK
- If they get Housing Benefit, it may go up. Housing Benefit on GOV.UK
- Their Council Tax bill may be reduced. Council Tax Reduction on GOV.UK
Each depends on their own rules. DWP or the local council decides.
If someone cares for them: Carer's Allowance
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.
The trade-off: get a benefits check first
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.
A free benefits check, from Citizens Advice or Age UK, can show whether claiming Carer's Allowance leaves the household better or worse off overall, before anyone claims it.
What to do next
Contact Pension Credit, Housing Benefit or the Council Tax team separately, once the Attendance Allowance award starts, to ask how each one could change.
You can apply to DWP directly, and Citizens Advice can help at no cost.
Common questions
Will claiming Attendance Allowance increase my Pension Credit automatically?
Not automatically. Someone getting Pension Credit may get an extra amount if they get Attendance Allowance. Contact the Pension Credit helpline once the Attendance Allowance award starts, so it can be added to the calculation.
Can a new Pension Credit claim be backdated?
A Pension Credit claim can be backdated by up to 3 months. That's separate from Attendance Allowance itself, which cannot be backdated before the date of the claim.
Does Carer's Allowance reduce Attendance Allowance itself?
No, it doesn't reduce Attendance Allowance directly. 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.
Who decides Housing Benefit and Council Tax Reduction?
The local council decides both, using its own rules. Tell the council about the Attendance Allowance award and ask it to look at them again - don't assume it happens on its own.
Should the carer claim Carer's Allowance straightaway?
Not without checking first. 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. A benefits check compares the Carer's Allowance payment against anything that might be lost on the other side.
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