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Changes in your circumstances

Changes to your circumstances can affect whether you should get Attendance Allowance or the amount you get. To report a change of circumstances contact the Disability Benefits Helpline.

• Disability Benefits Helpline

Here are some examples of changes which you need to report.

National Health Service (NHS) hospitals

If you, or someone you claim for, is going into or leaving a National Health Service hospital, you need report this. A period in hospital can affect your Attendance Allowance.

• Hospital stays and your benefits (disabled people section)

Care homes

If you, or someone you claim for, is going into or leaving a care home, you need to report this too. A permanent or temporary stay in a care home can affect your Attendance Allowance.

• Care homes and benefits (caring for someone section)

Going abroad to live or visit

You need to report if you go abroad for a temporary period or to live in another country. If your visit abroad is temporary, you may continue to get Attendance Allowance if:

If you are going to live abroad permanently you cannot usually get Attendance Allowance.

If you move to another country in the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland and already receive Attendance Allowance, you may continue to get it under certain circumstances.

• Taking disability benefits to other European countries (disabled people section)

Living in Great Britain

To get Attendance Allowance you must generally:

• be ordinarily resident in Great Britain (England, Scotland or Wales)
  
• be present in Great Britain
• have been in Great Britain, Northern Ireland, the Isle of Man, Jersey or Guernsey for at least 26 weeks out of the last 52 weeks (this does not apply for people paid under the special rules)
• not be subject to immigration control

If you or a member of your family live or work in, or have come from another European Economic Area (EEA) state or Switzerland, different conditions may apply.

You may be able to get Attendance Allowance if you are either:

• a family member of an EEA national and you have moved to the UK from another EEA state
• working in Great Britain as a national of a country which has an equal-treatment agreement with the European Union - that is Turkey, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia and San Marino
• living with one of these workers as a member of their family
• a person who has been allowed to come into or stay in the UK because someone has agreed to be responsible for your maintenance and accommodation

You may be treated as being present in Great Britain if you are:

• a member of HM Armed Forces serving abroad or a member of their family
• a mariner or civilian airman working abroad
• working on the United Kingdom sector of the continental shelf - on an oil rig, for example

Living in another European country

If you are already living in another EEA country or Switzerland, find out more on the link below about whether you can get Attendance Allowance in the country where you are living.

• Claiming disability benefits if you live in another European country (disabled people franchise)

More useful links

• Attendance Allowance