Does Attendance Allowance Need to Be Renewed? What Happens When Your Award Ends

GOV.UK does not set out the renewal process itself, so the renewal timings in this guide come from Citizens Advice and Age UK. The list of changes you must report comes from GOV.UK. Checked in October 2026. This guide covers England and Wales.

Fixed Award or Indefinite Award?

Citizens Advice stresses that an indefinite award does not mean you will get Attendance Allowance for the rest of your life. It only means there is no set date for DWP to review the claim. Find the decision letter you got when the award was made. It says how long the award lasts.

Why Is Some Attendance Allowance Only Awarded for a Limited Time?

Some people are given a fixed award of one or two years. We occasionally speak to people in this position who are on a waiting list for an operation such as a hip or knee replacement. If the operation corrects the problem, they may no longer need Attendance Allowance. We cannot see why DWP chose a limited period on any individual claim, so your decision letter and the end date on it are what count. If your hip or knee problem is arthritis, our guide to Attendance Allowance for arthritis explains how a claim works.

If your award was for a limited time and it is coming to an end:

• Describe how you are today. The renewal form asks about the help you need now. As Citizens Advice puts it, you still need to meet the eligibility criteria when you claim again
• If your operation has worked and you no longer need help with personal care or supervision, you may no longer qualify. That is a good outcome
• If you still need help, for example because your recovery is taking longer than expected or you have other health conditions as well, you can claim again and describe those needs
• You do not have to wait for the renewal letter to report an improvement. Citizens Advice says to tell DWP as soon as possible if your condition gets better or worse. The full list of changes to report is further down this page

When Does the Renewal Letter Arrive?

For a fixed award, Citizens Advice says DWP should send you a letter and a new claim form about 4 months before your Attendance Allowance is due to end. Age UK gives the same timing: the renewal claim form is normally sent about four months before the end of the period.

The letter shows your renewal date. This is the date that matters. It is not the date your award ends.

What to Do When the Renewal Letter Arrives

1. Note the renewal date on the letter and put it somewhere you will see it
2. Start the form straight away. Citizens Advice says the renewal claim form is the same as your original Attendance Allowance form, so it can take a long time to fill in
3. Find your copy of the original form, if you kept one. It can help you answer the questions again. Our guide to the Attendance Allowance form explains what each section is asking
4. Describe your needs as they are now, not as they were at your first claim. You will still need to meet the eligibility rules, as Citizens Advice puts it. See what evidence to include
5. Return it before the renewal date and keep a copy of everything you send

What Happens If You Miss the Renewal Date?

Citizens Advice is clear on this:

• If you send the form back before the renewal date and you are awarded Attendance Allowance again, there should be no break in your payments
• If you send it back late and you are awarded Attendance Allowance again, your payments will only start from the date DWP received your new claim form
• If you ignore the letter, your Attendance Allowance stops, because it only continues if you make a new claim

Every week of delay is a week of payment you cannot get back, at up to £114.60 a week at the higher rate in 2026/27.

What If You Never Got a Renewal Letter?

Not receiving a letter does not mean your Attendance Allowance will continue. Citizens Advice says that if your award is due to end within 2 months and you have not had a letter, you should call the Attendance Allowance helpline and say that your award is ending and you need to renew. The helpline can then send you a renewal claim form. GOV.UK gives the helpline as 0800 731 0122, Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm.

We are an independent service and are not part of the DWP, so the helpline is the place to ask for a renewal form if yours has not arrived.

What If Your Attendance Allowance Has Already Ended?

Do not assume it is too late. According to Citizens Advice:

• If it ended less than 2 years ago, you can make a new claim for the same illness or disability, and you do not have to meet the 6-month qualifying period again. You still need to meet all the other eligibility rules. Age UK says the same: the six-month rule does not apply if you received Attendance Allowance within the last two years
• If it ended more than 2 years ago, your previous claim is disregarded, even for the same condition, and you need to meet the 6-month qualifying period and all the other rules

A new claim starts from the date it is made, and Attendance Allowance cannot be backdated, so do not wait. GOV.UK says that if you apply online your claim starts on the date you make it, and if you post the form it starts on the date DWP receives it.

If You Have an Indefinite Award

You will not get a renewal letter, but the award can still be looked at again. GOV.UK says the amount you get from Attendance Allowance may go up or down if your circumstances change, and you must contact the helpline straight away if:

• The level of help you need, or your condition, changes
• You go into hospital or a care home
• A medical professional says you may have 12 months or less to live
• You plan to leave the country for more than 4 weeks
• You go into prison
• You change your name, address or bank details
• Your doctor’s details change
• Your immigration status changes, if you are not a British citizen

GOV.UK warns that you could be taken to court or have to pay a penalty if you give wrong information or do not report a change. Citizens Advice adds that you will not save money by reporting late, because you could be paid too much and have to pay it back.

Hospital and care home stays

Both of these have their own rules and need to be reported straight away. Age UK says Attendance Allowance is payable for the first 28 days in hospital if the NHS is paying for your care, after which payment is suspended. For care homes, you can keep receiving this if you pay the full fees yourself, but if the council or the NHS pays any of the costs it stops 28 days after you go in. See our guide on Attendance Allowance when you are in hospital for more.

If Your Needs Have Increased

If you get the lower rate and your care needs have increased, you can ask DWP to look at your award again. Age UK says that you must complete a new claim form describing how your needs have changed, and you have to meet the conditions for six months before the higher rate is paid. If you tell DWP within a month of finishing that six-month period, the increase is paid from the date you notified the change.

There is one important caution. Age UK says that asking for your award to be looked at again does not guarantee your current award, so it is wise to get advice before you make contact. Our guides to night-time care needs and to what happens if a decision is wrong explain how the higher rate is decided and how to challenge a decision.

Do You Need Another Assessment?

Usually not. GOV.UK says you will only need to attend an assessment if it is unclear how your disability or health condition affects you. If you do, you will get a letter saying why and where you must go.

Help With a Renewal or a New Claim

If your Attendance Allowance is ending, or you have never claimed, you can start with a free call to talk through your situation. If your award was for a limited time, for example while you waited for an operation, and you still need help, you can come to us in the same way as a first-time applicant. At Attendance Allowance Services:

• The eligibility call is free. You speak to a registered Occupational Therapist, with no obligation. The call checks whether you still meet the rules, which is worth knowing if your condition has changed
• A renewal is a new application. It is made from scratch rather than copied from your old one, so it follows the same process as a first claim. Your Occupational Therapist completes and endorses it, and we post it by 1st Class Royal Mail within 4 days for your approval, signature and submission to the DWP
• No fee unless it is successful. Any fee is collected after you receive the backdated payment
• Family members and carers are welcome. We are happy to talk to anyone supporting an applicant

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Attendance Allowance need to be renewed?

Only if it was awarded for a fixed period. A fixed award has an end date and you must renew before it, or the payments stop. An indefinite award has no set renewal date, although DWP can still review it if your circumstances change.

How do I know if my Attendance Allowance is fixed or indefinite?

Your decision letter says how long the award lasts. If you cannot find it, the Attendance Allowance helpline can tell you.

Why was my Attendance Allowance only awarded for 1 or 2 years?

DWP can award Attendance Allowance for a fixed period instead of indefinitely, and your decision letter shows the end date. We occasionally speak to people given one or two years while they wait for an operation such as a hip or knee replacement. We cannot see DWP’s reasons on an individual claim, so check your decision letter for the end date and renew before it.

Do I still need Attendance Allowance after surgery?

It depends on the help you need afterwards. If an operation has corrected your condition and you no longer need help with personal care or supervision, you may no longer qualify. If you still need help, you can claim again. Citizens Advice says to tell DWP as soon as possible if your condition gets better or worse.

When will I get my Attendance Allowance renewal letter?

Citizens Advice says you should receive the letter and a new claim form about 4 months before your award is due to end. The letter shows the renewal date by which you must return the form.

What if I do not get a renewal letter?

It does not mean your Attendance Allowance will carry on. Citizens Advice says that if your award is due to end within 2 months and you have not had a letter, you should call the Attendance Allowance helpline and ask for a renewal claim form.

What happens if I send the renewal form late?

According to Citizens Advice, if you are awarded Attendance Allowance again, your payments only start from the date DWP received your new claim form. If you send it back before the renewal date there should be no break in payments.

Is the renewal form the same as the original?

Yes. Citizens Advice says the renewal claim form is the same as your original Attendance Allowance form, so it can take a long time to fill in. A copy of your original form can help.

Do I have to be assessed again to renew Attendance Allowance?

Not usually. GOV.UK says you only need to attend an assessment if it is unclear how your disability or health condition affects you.

Can I claim again if my Attendance Allowance has ended?

Yes. If it ended less than 2 years ago, you can claim again for the same condition without a new 6-month qualifying period. If it ended more than 2 years ago, your previous claim is disregarded and you need to meet the 6-month qualifying period again.

Can Attendance Allowance be reviewed or changed before the end date?

Yes. GOV.UK says the amount can go up or down if your circumstances change, and you must tell DWP straight away about changes such as a different level of help needed, a hospital or care home stay, or a plan to leave the country for more than 4 weeks.

Can Attendance Allowance Services help me renew my award?

Yes. If your award is ending and you still need help, you can call us for a free eligibility call with a registered Occupational Therapist. A renewal is a new application made from scratch, so it follows the same process as a first claim. Your Occupational Therapist completes and endorses it, and we post it by 1st Class Royal Mail within 4 days for your approval, signature and submission to the DWP.

Can I ask for the higher rate if my needs have increased?

Yes. Age UK says you can ask DWP to look at your award again and must complete a new claim form. You must meet the conditions for six months before the higher rate is paid, and asking does not guarantee that your current award stays the same, so get advice first.