During the day, do you need any of these?
And during the night?
What the real test asks
The two rates come straight from the law. The lower rate (£76.70 a week) needs ONE of the halves: frequent attention through the day with bodily functions, or continual supervision to avoid substantial danger - OR the night equivalent. The higher rate (£114.60) needs both halves: day AND night. That is the whole architecture, and it is why our check above asks about days and nights separately - and why the night questions decide about £1,970 a year.
Three ground rules that change people's answers
- Help counts whether you get it or not. The form says so in its own words. Struggling alone because nobody is there IS a care need - answer for what you require, not what you receive.
- Prompting is help. The form defines help as "physical help, guidance or encouragement" - reminding and motivating count, which carries claims for memory problems and low mood.
- "Usually" means most of the time, not every single day. Fluctuating conditions belong on the form as their real pattern - the days-per-week and nights-per-week questions exist for exactly that.
If the check pointed you somewhere unexpected, spend ten minutes with the section-by-section walkthrough before deciding anything - most people discover the form asks about more of their life than they assumed. And if falls, dizziness or safety were part of your answers, falls and supervision is your next read. When you are ready, claim with the date protected.