Attendance Allowance: renewals and reporting changes
Tell the Attendance Allowance Unit about changes such as needs getting better or worse, going into hospital or a care home, or moving abroad. If needs get worse, ask DWP to look at the award again - it may move from the lower rate to the higher rate. After any change is reported, the award may go up or down, or stop.
Checked 28 September 2026 against the sources below · Sources at the bottomTell the Attendance Allowance Unit about changes such as needs getting better or worse, or a move into hospital or a care home. If needs get worse, you can ask DWP to look at the award again.
In short
- Report changes to the Attendance Allowance Unit as they happen.
- Needs getting worse: ask DWP to look at the award again.
- After a change, the award may go up or down, or stop.
- Keep a note of what you reported and when.
- Reporting a change is free.
What to report
Tell the Attendance Allowance Unit about changes such as care needs getting better or worse, going into hospital or a care home, or going abroad.
Needs getting worse: asking for a higher rate
If care needs get worse, they can ask for the award to be looked at again, for example to move from the lower rate to the higher rate.
Describe what has changed in the same way as on the original form - what help is needed now, how often, and what happens without it.
After you report a change
DWP looks at the award again. It may go up or down, or stop - a change is not only a way to get a higher rate.
What happens next
DWP looks at the change and tells you what it means for the award. Keep a note of what you reported and when, in case it is needed later.
A worked example
Invented example, not a real claim: someone we'll call Ron has been getting the lower rate for help by day. After a fall, he also starts needing help getting resettled at night. His family reports the change and asks DWP to look at the award again - describing the new night-time help in the same detail as the original claim.
What to do next
Contact the Attendance Allowance Unit by phone or by writing, as soon as something changes - do not wait for a review to come round.
You can apply to DWP directly, and Citizens Advice can help at no cost.
Common questions
How do I report a change to Attendance Allowance?
Tell the Attendance Allowance Unit about changes such as care needs getting better or worse, going into hospital or a care home, or going abroad. Contact the Attendance Allowance Unit directly, rather than waiting for a renewal or review.
Can Attendance Allowance move from the lower rate to the higher rate?
It can. If care needs get worse, they can ask for the award to be looked at again, for example to move from the lower rate to the higher rate. Describe the change in the same detail as the original claim, including any help now needed at night as well as by day. DWP decides.
Can reporting a change lower the award?
It can. After a change is reported, the award may go up or down, or stop. Report changes as they happen, and keep a note of what you reported and when.
What if I'm not sure whether something counts as a change?
Contact the Attendance Allowance Unit and ask. Reporting something that turns out not to matter is better than leaving out something that does.
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