Refused. Now what?

A refusal is not always the last word. There are two separate steps you can take, one after the other, and there is no fee and no penalty for asking DWP to look again.

Step one: ask DWP to look again

You usually have one month from the date of the decision to ask DWP to look at it again. This is called a mandatory reconsideration. DWP writes back with its decision.

Asking is usually a matter of restating the same true answers already given, but in full – how often help is needed, roughly how long it takes each time, and what happens on the days nobody is there. "Occasional help with meals" tells DWP far less than "help is needed with every meal, because food is forgotten or left half-eaten, and someone has to prompt or sit with them."

Step two: appeal to a tribunal

If the decision is still wrong, there is usually one month from the date DWP wrote back to appeal to a tribunal, online or by post. An appeal goes to an independent tribunal, not back to DWP – it can be started online or by post.

A worked example

Invented example, not a real claim: a claim is turned down after the form said only "needs help with meals." The mandatory reconsideration letter says the same thing again, but in full – how often, roughly how long, and what happens without it. A fuller answer shows DWP what the help really involves.

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. A refusal on a thin first answer does not mean the claim itself was wrong – often it means the description was too short.

The start date does not move

Asking for a mandatory reconsideration does not create a new claim. Attendance Allowance cannot be backdated before the date of the claim. If it succeeds, payment still starts from the date of the original claim.

If it's about the 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. If a decision looks wrong specifically because the special rules were not applied, say so when asking for reconsideration.

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.

What the pack already gives you

Every pack from our helper includes a draft letter for exactly this: a request for DWP to look at the decision again, built from the same answers you already gave, restating only what you told us.