Attendance Allowance fraud?

According to Citizens’ Advice ‘If you get Attendance Allowance, you can spend the money however you like.”

Yes, you are being unreasonable. Why is it any business of yours, Nonogran?

I understand that this benefit is for those who can't do anything for themselves such as cooking or feeding themselves and needing help in the bathroom for showering etc. I'm not 100% sure but was told this by someone who works for the department.

It sounds as if the person needs some support rather than reporting!

I thought it had to go towards care. Shows how dumb I am.

How do you know they are being paid it? The full attendance allowance is when you need help with personal care etc and the lower rate if you need help with some things but not daily. Perhaps it was to get some help and he is choosing not to as it sounds like he needs it. Maybe ask social services to check if he needs assistance to get the help - they must have been involved originally.

Thank you for your helpful responses.

It is as geekesse says. It isn't means tested and nor does anyone check what you do with it. It's based on need. Obviously, it is intended to buy in help but it's not compulsory.

The allowance is a recognition of the need, doesn't mean that the person has to spend it in meeting those needs

It would be better if Nonogran had done some research before making the opening post. I receive the maximum attendance allowance and I spend it on what I want. It is nobody’s else business and I would not, under any circumstances, explain how it is spent. To get the allowance a very long form has to be completed and sent with 1500 form filled in and signed by GP. It is not means tested or taxed and certainly not anybody’s else business.

attendance allowance is not a means tested allowance and once you are interviewed at home and granted it you can use the money as you wish! so not fraud in the op question!

An elderly neighbour claimed this for years, she was very disabled and house bound, the ladies in the Village had a rota system so that she was helped every day and she was able to call them in the evening if she needed help, there was also a shopping rota for her, house cleaning, window cleaning......
She kept the money and never offered it to anyone who helped.

Why do you have any expectations about someone else's expenditure, Nonogran?

I assume you know him well if you have been in his house at times over several months.

How awful for him trusting you with his financial affairs for to to judge him as a criminal.

ThI totally support and agree with Tigardove. I was a Benefits Advisor and Home visitor with Age Concern (as was) for 10 years and filled in hundreds of AA forms.

AA is there for anyone who in an ideal world needs help from someone else in the normal activities of life, washing, dressing, maintaining mental health. But we do not live in an ideal world and AA is not enough to pay for that genie in a bottle who is immediately by your side whenever you need them, so the government sensibly decided to leave it to the person receiving the AA to decide what would most improve their lives and give them some relief and improvement ot their lives.

Over the years the variety of things people spent the money on grew and grew. Some invsted it in special chairs and beds, another man crippled with arthritis and barely able to move spent it on a tv. The one he had did not even have a remote control so changing channels was almost impossible, with a new tv with a remote control, he did not have to leave his chair and struggle painfully to the tv, another lady had a grandson who called in morning and evening on his jurney to and from school and checked she was alright, checked she had had her pills. She was able to buy him a present tho thank him for his care.

AA is for personal care only and that does not include domestic cleaning. The forms are very clear on that matter. Obviously some people once they get it use for that, that is why the government made the use of the money so open ended. The range of problems people have and their living conditions are so varied that it is not possible to lay down rules about how the money is used.

The person can spend it exactly how they feel is best to help them, eg taxis, personal care, mobility aids etc. No one else’s business or judgement call.

None of your business.

This has never made any sense to me. Either people need help and support - and it is totally right that they should get help to get it. 100%.

Why give people an allowance for physical support around the house, etc and then ...

''According to Citizens’ Advice ‘If you get Attendance Allowance, you can spend the money however you like.”

I can see where Nonogran is coming from. It’s her taxes that are paying for these benefits. I know someone who gets AA and is quite capable of and does, her own cooking, cleaning etc. She had a cleaning lady up until she moved to a smaller house.
But as others say, nothing to do with us.

Because Biba in every 100 people in receipt of AA there could well be 100 different variations of need and to regulate and police each and every situation would be prohibitively expensive. It is not means tested so relatively straightforward to administer.
I wish I had realised we could claim it when DH was having regular clinic visits or procedures at the Royal Free often more than once a week. To get there by off-peak train and taxi at the other end cost us upwards of £70 each time plus parking at the station here. Eventually we settled for a car and driver (similar to an airport run) for around £100 -cost more, but less exhausting and got him home mid afternoon instead of 8 or 9 at night. AA would have at least chipped a tiny hole in that.
Our needs would not have been the same as anybody else’s.

CrazyH the recipient in question has presumably also paid taxes throughout his working life?

It does not have to be spent on care - it is based on proven care needs, but no-one can police how it is spent - it is simply not practical to do that.

However I think it is worth remembering that what might seem fripperies to someone in happy circumstances, might be the thing that keeps someone with care needs going - e.g. paying for Netflix, or a bottle of their favourite tipple.

Yes and who on earth would begrudge that.

MawBe

CrazyH the recipient in question has presumably also paid taxes throughout his working life?

Exactly!

of course- but all the same, makes no sense for it not to have to pay for support- which the many forms filled prove it is required for good reasons. If it is not for support to help with the said reasons, carefully stated and confirmed by doctor- then just give it to everybody then, for tipple, nails, bingo, whatever. I would never report someone, but it makes no sense.