Social Security Act 1973

15 Attendance allowance.

(1) A person shall be entitled to an attendance allowance if he satisfies prescribed conditions as to residence or presence in Great Britain and either—

(a) he is so severely disabled physically or mentally that, by day, he requires from another person either—

(i) frequent attention throughout the day in connection with his bodily functions, or

(ii) continual supervision throughout the day in order to avoid substantial danger to himself or others; or

(b) he is so severely disabled physically or mentally that, at night, he requires from another person either—

(i) prolonged or repeated attention during the night in connection with his bodily functions, or

(ii) continual supervision throughout the night in order to avoid substantial danger to himself or others.

(2) Subject to the following provisions of this section, the period for which attendance allowance is payable to any person shall be that specified in a certificate issued in respect of him by the Attendance Allowance Board as being—

(a) a period throughout which he has satisfied or is likely to satisfy the condition mentioned in subsection (1)(a) above or that mentioned in (1)(b), or both ; and

(b) a period immediately preceded by one of not less than 6 months throughout which he satisfied or is likely to satisfy one or both of those conditions;

and the weekly rate of the attendance allowance payable to a person for any period shall be the higher rate specified in relation thereto in Part I of Schedule 4 to this Act if the certificate states both as regards that period and as regards the preceding 6 months that he has satisfied or is likely to satisfy both those conditions, and shall be the lower rate so specified if the certificate does not so state.

(3) An attendance allowance shall not be payable to a person for any period preceding the date on which he makes a claim for it; but, except in so far as regulations otherwise provide—

(a) a claim for an attendance allowance may be made during the period of 6 months mentioned in subsection (2) (b) above, and an award may be made in pursuance of the claim subject to the condition that throughout that period the person to whom the claim relates satisfies the conditions there mentioned or, if the award is at the lower rate, one of those conditions; and (W an award so made may be reviewed if at any time it is found that during the period of the award or the interval between the making of the award and the beginning of that period the conditions so mentioned were at some time not both satisfied or, in the case of an award at the lower rate, were at some time not either of them satisfied.

(4) Regulations may provide that subsections (1) to (3) above, and any other provision of this Act so far as the provision relates to any of those subsections, shall have effect, in relation to any severely disabled person who is under the age of 16, subject to such modifications as may be prescribed; but nothing in this subsection authorises any increase in the rate of an attendance allowance.

(5) Regulations may provide that an attendance allowance shall not be payable in respect of a person for any period when he is a person for whom accommodation is provided—

(a) in pursuance of Part III of the [1948 c. 29.] National Assistance Act 1948, section 12 of the [1968 c. 46.] Health Services and Public Health Act 1968 or Part IV of the [1968 c. 49.] Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968 ; or

(b) in circumstances in which the cost is, or may be, borne wholly or partly out of public or local funds, in pursuance of any other enactment relating to persons under disability or to young persons or to education or training.

(6) The Attendance Allowance Board constituted under section 5 of the [1970 c. 51.] National Insurance Act 1970 shall continue in being by that name and have (in addition to the functions conferred on them by any provision of this Act other than this section)—

(a) the functions of advising the Secretary of State on such matters as he may refer to them relating to—

(i) the operation of the provisions of this Part of this Act in relation to attendance allowance (including questions as to the advisability of amending those provisions),

(ii) the exercise, in relation to attendance allowance, of his powers under those provisions ; and

(b) such other functions, if any, as the Secretary of State may determine.

(7) Schedule 7 to this Act shall have effect with respect to the Attendance Allowance Board and their affairs ; and—

(a) Part I of the Schedule relates to the Board's membership and the method by which their functions are to be performed;

(b) Part II relates to the Board's personnel, administration and expenses; and

(c) Part III relates to the Board's determination of questions arising in connection with claims and to reviews of determinations and appeals therefrom;

but regulations may make further provision as to the constitution and procedure of the Board.