Attendance Allowance payment dates 2026: Christmas, bank holidays and the £10 bonus

Attendance Allowance is usually paid every 4 weeks, straight into your bank, building society or credit union account. Your decision letter tells you when the first payment will arrive, and after that the money follows the same cycle. The two times it moves are bank holidays, when you are usually paid on the working day before, and Christmas, when several payment dates move earlier at once and a £10 Christmas Bonus is added. This guide sets out how the cycle works, the Christmas and New Year 2026 dates, the bank holidays to watch in 2027 and what to do if a payment does not arrive.

How often Attendance Allowance is paid

gov.uk lists Attendance Allowance among the benefits that are usually paid every 4 weeks, alongside the State Pension, Pension Credit and Personal Independence Payment. The rates are set as weekly amounts, so each 4-weekly payment is four weeks' worth:

The 4-weekly and yearly figures are our arithmetic from the official weekly rates. Our Attendance Allowance rates 2026/27 guide explains which rate fits which needs, and higher or lower rate shows why the nights decide it.

Not everyone is on exactly the same cycle. The payment rules allow benefits to be paid at different intervals, and some awards are paid weekly in advance. In Scotland, for example, mygov.scot says Pension Age Disability Payment is paid weekly in advance for people who are terminally ill. Your award letter is the place to check. If your letter says one thing and this guide says another, the letter is right for you.

When your first payment arrives

gov.uk says that if you are awarded Attendance Allowance, the decision letter tells you when you will get your first payment. That first payment is often bigger than the ones that follow, because it can include the weeks between the start of your claim and the decision.

Your claim starts on one of three dates:

• the day you apply, if you claim online;
• the day the DWP receives your form, if you print and post it;
• the day you phoned the helpline for a form, if you return it within 6 weeks.

That is why the start date matters so much: it decides how many weeks of arrears the first payment can include. Our guide to how to claim and protect your start date explains the three routes and backdating explains why Attendance Allowance cannot go back further. Our guide to waiting times in 2026 covers how long the decision itself can take.

After the first payment, the 4-week rhythm settles down. A simple way to keep track is to write the date of the first payment on a calendar and count forward four weeks at a time, then check the bank holiday dates below.

Christmas and New Year 2026 payment dates

gov.uk's rule for all benefits is simple: if your payment date is on a weekend or a bank holiday, you will usually be paid on the working day before. Over Christmas 2026 the bank holidays in England, Wales and Northern Ireland are Friday 25 December (Christmas Day), Monday 28 December (the substitute day for Boxing Day, which falls on a Saturday) and Friday 1 January 2027 (New Year's Day).

Applying the rule to those dates gives this pattern for England and Wales:

This table is worked out from gov.uk's rule and the official bank holiday list, not a DWP announcement. gov.uk says "usually", so if your bank shows something different, it is worth checking before you worry. Payments due on other days in late December are not affected.

Scotland: Pension Age Disability Payment

In Scotland, Attendance Allowance has been replaced by Pension Age Disability Payment, paid by Social Security Scotland. mygov.scot says it is normally paid every 4 weeks for the previous 4-week period, and weekly in advance if you are terminally ill. Scotland also has extra bank holidays: St Andrew's Day on Monday 30 November 2026 and a substitute day for 2 January on Monday 4 January 2027.

mygov.scot publishes its own list of changed dates for Christmas 2026, covering Pension Age Disability Payment and the other Scottish benefits:

So in Scotland some Christmas payments come a day earlier than the England and Wales pattern. Our Attendance Allowance in Scotland guide explains the move to Pension Age Disability Payment.

Northern Ireland

In Northern Ireland, Attendance Allowance is paid by the Department for Communities, normally into an account of your choice. The Christmas bank holidays are the same as in England and Wales. If you are unsure when a payment will land, the Disability and Carers Service can tell you on 0800 587 0912. Our Northern Ireland guide covers the rest of the process there.

Other bank holidays to watch in 2027

The same working-day-before rule applies through the year. The next bank holidays after New Year, from the official list, are:

If your payment day lands on one of these, expect it on the working day before. For Easter that means a payment due on Monday 29 March 2027 would usually arrive on Thursday 25 March in England and Wales, because Good Friday and the weekend come in between.

The £10 Christmas Bonus

If you get Attendance Allowance, you should also get the Christmas Bonus. gov.uk describes it as a one-off, tax-free £10 payment made before Christmas, and lists Attendance Allowance, Pension Age Disability Payment and the State Pension among the qualifying benefits. The key points:

• You do not need to claim. It is paid automatically if you get a qualifying benefit in the qualifying week, which is normally the first full week of December.
• It is £10. It is a single payment, not one for each qualifying benefit you get.
• It does not affect other benefits. gov.uk says it will not affect any other benefits you get, and it is tax-free.
• Look for "DWP XB". gov.uk says it may show on your bank statement with that reference.
• Where you need to be. You must be present or ordinarily resident in the UK, Channel Islands, Isle of Man or Gibraltar during the qualifying week.

gov.uk says the bonus is paid before Christmas. At £10 it is easy to miss, so check your December statements. If you think you should have had it but it has not arrived by 1 January, gov.uk says to contact the office that deals with your payments or the Pension Service.

If a payment does not arrive

Most missing payments turn out to be early or late because of a bank holiday, or held up by a change that has been reported. Before you call, check these three things:

1. The date. Was the payment due on a weekend or bank holiday? If so, look at the working day before.
2. Letters. Has a letter arrived about your award, a review or a change you reported?
3. A recent change. A stay in hospital or a care home, or time abroad, can change or stop payments after a set period.

If none of those explains it, call the Attendance Allowance helpline on 0800 731 0122, Monday to Friday from 8am to 6pm. In Scotland, call Social Security Scotland on 0800 182 2222. In Northern Ireland, call the Disability and Carers Service on 0800 587 0912. Have your National Insurance number and your bank details to hand.

Changes that move or stop payments

Some changes in your life change what you are paid, so they are worth knowing before they catch you out:

• Hospital and care homes. Attendance Allowance usually carries on for the first 28 days of a stay in an NHS hospital or a council-funded care home, and stays separated by 28 days or less are added together. Our hospital and care homes guide explains the self-funder exception.
• Going abroad. Short trips are fine, but there are limits and a duty to tell the DWP about longer ones; see going abroad.
• Changes in your needs. If you need more help, the higher rate may apply. Our guide to reviews and renewals explains how awards are looked at again.
• A death. Payments stop, and money due for the weeks before is paid to the estate; see Attendance Allowance after a death.

Attendance Allowance can also add to other money, such as Pension Credit, Housing Benefit and Council Tax Reduction, which have their own payment dates. Our Pension Credit guide shows how an award can raise those.

A simple payment calendar

If you, or the parent you help, like to keep things on paper, this is a quick way to stay ahead:

1. Write down the date of your last payment from your bank statement.
2. Add 28 days for each payment after it to get the normal dates.
3. Circle any that fall on a weekend or bank holiday and move them to the working day before.
4. Note that early payments do not change the next normal date.
5. Look out for the £10 Christmas Bonus in December, before Christmas.

Common questions