What happens to Attendance Allowance when someone dies

Last updated 13 July 2026

Reviewed by the After Loss Guide editorial team · updated 13 July 2026

Researched from primary sources. See our editorial policy.

When someone who receives Attendance Allowance dies, their entitlement ends on the date of death. Attendance Allowance is paid to a person because of their own care needs, so it cannot pass to anyone else, and no one can carry on claiming it in their name. What matters next is money in both directions: any Attendance Allowance paid for days after the death has to be returned to the DWP, while any amount the DWP still owed the person up to the date they died forms part of their estate. A surviving husband, wife, or partner cannot inherit the allowance, but they may be able to claim Attendance Allowance in their own right if they have care needs of their own.

This guide explains exactly when Attendance Allowance stops, what the estate is owed and what it may have to repay, how to report the death to the DWP, and what a surviving partner should check – including how Attendance Allowance affects Pension Credit and Housing Benefit.

The short answer

There is no bereavement run-on for Attendance Allowance itself – the DWP does not keep it in payment for a period after the claimant dies. The claim simply ends on the date of death, and the accounts are then settled with the estate.

When Attendance Allowance stops and what the estate is owed

Attendance Allowance ends on the exact date the claimant dies. It does not continue to the end of the current payment cycle, and there is no grace period afterwards. The benefit is paid at one of two weekly rates depending on the level of care the person needs.

Rate Weekly amount When it applies
Lower rate £76.70 Help needed during the day or at night
Higher rate £114.60 Help needed both during the day and at night, or the person is terminally ill

Rates last verified July 2026 from gov.uk – Attendance Allowance.

Attendance Allowance is normally paid every four weeks, so most people die partway through a payment cycle. That usually means the DWP owes a part-payment covering the days up to and including the date of death, rather than the person owing money back. (Source: gov.uk – how and when your benefits are paid)

Situation What happens
Died partway through a four-week cycle The DWP owes an amount covering the days up to and including the date of death; this is paid to the estate
A payment landed covering days after the death The portion covering days after death is an overpayment and must be returned to the DWP
An earlier underpayment or arrears Any Attendance Allowance the DWP should have paid but did not is owed to the estate

Money owed to the estate

Because Attendance Allowance is paid every four weeks, the days between the last payment and the date of death are usually owed to the estate. Any such amount the DWP pays out becomes an asset of the estate. In practice that means it goes towards funeral expenses and any debts first, and then forms part of what is distributed under the will or the rules of intestacy. The executor or administrator dealing with the estate is the person who should follow up anything the DWP still owes.

Payments the estate may have to return

If Attendance Allowance is paid for any period after the date of death, that money does not belong to the estate. Any amount covering days from the date of death onwards is an overpayment, and the DWP can recover it from the person’s estate. The sooner the death is reported, the less likely it is that a further payment goes out and has to be untangled later. (Source: gov.uk – benefit overpayments, repayments when someone has died)

If you are the executor or administrator, one point is worth taking seriously: do not distribute the estate until you know what, if anything, needs to be repaid to the DWP. If you pay out the estate first and an overpayment is later confirmed, you may have to repay the money yourself. (Source: gov.uk – benefit overpayments, repayments when someone has died)

Can a surviving partner claim Attendance Allowance?

A surviving husband, wife, civil partner, or partner cannot take over or inherit the allowance – it belonged to the person who died and ends with them. What a surviving partner can do is claim Attendance Allowance in their own right, as a completely new claim, if they meet the qualifying conditions themselves.

To qualify for Attendance Allowance in your own name, you must:

  • be State Pension age or older,
  • have a physical disability, a mental health condition, an illness, or a learning disability, and
  • have needed help with personal care, or supervision to keep you safe, for at least 6 months (this waiting period is waived if you are terminally ill). (Source: gov.uk – Attendance Allowance)

You do not have to have someone caring for you to claim, and you do not have to spend the money on care. Many older people who spent years caring for a partner have care needs of their own that went unrecognised while they were the carer. If that describes you, it is worth checking whether you now qualify. Attendance Allowance in Scotland has been replaced by Pension Age Disability Payment for new claims, so if you live in Scotland you claim that instead. (Source: gov.uk – Attendance Allowance)

How Attendance Allowance affects Pension Credit and Housing Benefit

For a surviving partner, claiming Attendance Allowance in their own right can do more than provide the allowance itself. Attendance Allowance does not count as income when the DWP works out Pension Credit, so receiving it never reduces a Pension Credit award. (Source: gov.uk – Pension Credit eligibility)

Receiving Attendance Allowance can also increase the amount of certain means-tested benefits. Being awarded Attendance Allowance may qualify a person for extra amounts within Pension Credit and Housing Benefit that recognise disability and care needs. The interaction depends on individual circumstances, including whether anyone is paid Carer’s Allowance for looking after you, so it is worth getting a full benefits check rather than assuming. For a personalised calculation, use the free Citizens Advice benefits checker or speak to your local Age UK.

A surviving partner who reaches State Pension age may also become newly entitled to Pension Credit or pension-age Housing Benefit for the first time once they are assessed as a single person rather than as part of a couple. Losing a partner changes the household’s income and savings picture, so benefits that were not available before may become available now. Reporting the death and asking for a benefits check is the way to find out.

What you need to do

Dealing with an Attendance Allowance claim after a death comes down to reporting it promptly and then letting the executor settle up with the DWP. There is no claim to transfer and no form the family has to complete to keep anything going.

  1. Report the death to the DWP. The simplest route is the free Tell Us Once service, which the registrar offers when you register the death. It reports the death to the DWP and other government departments in one step, which cancels the person’s benefits – including Attendance Allowance and their State Pension. If Tell Us Once is not available to you (for example in Northern Ireland), call the DWP Bereavement Service on 0800 151 2012, Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm. The Welsh-language line is 0800 731 0453. (Source: gov.uk – report a death without Tell Us Once)

  2. Have the details to hand. You will usually need the person’s National Insurance number, their date of death, and the death certificate details.

  3. If you were an appointee. Where someone acted as an appointee – managing the Attendance Allowance claim on behalf of the person because they could not manage it themselves – that appointeeship ends when the person dies. The appointee should report the death in the same way and should not continue to draw or use Attendance Allowance payments after the date of death. Any money owed is settled with the estate, not with the former appointee personally.

  4. Do not distribute the estate too soon. As the executor or administrator, wait until you know whether the DWP is owed anything before paying out the estate. (Source: gov.uk – benefit overpayments, repayments when someone has died)

  5. A surviving partner should ask for a benefits check. If you are the person’s husband, wife, or partner, find out whether you now qualify for Attendance Allowance in your own right and whether your Pension Credit or Housing Benefit changes now you are assessed as a single person.

Common questions

Does Attendance Allowance stop immediately when someone dies?

Yes. Attendance Allowance ends on the date of death. It does not continue to the end of the four-weekly payment cycle, and there is no run-on period afterwards. Report the death promptly so that no further payments go out that would then need to be repaid. (Source: gov.uk – Attendance Allowance)

Can I inherit my partner’s Attendance Allowance?

No. Attendance Allowance is paid to a person because of their own care needs and cannot be transferred to or inherited by anyone else. It ends on the date the claimant dies. A surviving partner can, however, make a fresh claim for Attendance Allowance in their own name if they are State Pension age and have care needs of their own.

Is the estate owed any Attendance Allowance after the person dies?

Often, yes. Because Attendance Allowance is paid every four weeks, the DWP usually owes an amount covering the days between the last payment and the date of death. That money is paid to the estate. The estate may also be owed any arrears the DWP should have paid but did not.

Do we have to pay back Attendance Allowance received after the death?

Any Attendance Allowance covering the period from the date of death onwards is an overpayment and can be recovered by the DWP from the estate. An amount for the days up to the date of death does not have to be repaid – that money belongs to the estate. Do not distribute the estate until you know what needs to be repaid.

How do I tell the DWP that an Attendance Allowance claimant has died?

Use the free Tell Us Once service when you register the death, which cancels the person’s benefits including Attendance Allowance, or call the DWP Bereavement Service on 0800 151 2012 (Welsh-language line 0800 731 0453), Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm.

I was the appointee for someone who received Attendance Allowance – what now?

Your appointeeship ends on the date the person dies. Report the death through Tell Us Once or the Bereavement Service, stop using any Attendance Allowance payments from the date of death, and let the executor or administrator settle anything owed with the estate.

Summary

  • Attendance Allowance stops on the date of death – it is a personal benefit with no run-on and does not continue to the end of the payment cycle.
  • The estate may be owed an amount covering the days up to the date of death, because Attendance Allowance is paid four-weekly.
  • Payments for days after death are overpayments and are recovered by the DWP, usually from the estate. Do not distribute the estate until you know what is owed.
  • A surviving partner cannot inherit the allowance but may claim Attendance Allowance in their own right, which can also unlock extra Pension Credit or Housing Benefit.
  • Report the death through Tell Us Once or the DWP Bereavement Service on 0800 151 2012.

If you are unsure what the DWP owes or is asking for, or whether a surviving partner now qualifies for support, get free, independent advice from Citizens Advice before agreeing to anything. For an overview of all the financial support available after a death, see our bereavement benefits hub.

Rules and rates verified July 2026 from gov.uk – Attendance Allowance, gov.uk – benefit overpayments, repayments when someone has died, and gov.uk – report a death without Tell Us Once.

Sources