Attendance Allowance is a non-contributory Social Security benefit paid to elderly disabled people in the United Kingdom. It was introduced in the . The benefit is intended to provide support for those who live independently but might otherwise need to go into residential care. It is paid by the Department for Work and Pensions. Needs are assessed separately for the benefit and for eligibility for social care, which is run by local authorities. In 2015, the cost of the benefit was approximately £5 billion and 1.5 million people were receiving it.