Attendance Allowances

My mother made light of her mobility problems, and was good at finding ways to cope, so she didn't think she would qualify, but she did. Once she got the money, she was delighted, though she still refused to use it to pay for someone to come in and help.
Once she went into a care home, it went towards her fees, as she was self- funding.

MadeInYorkshire, the system is just mad here - you get AA for help, then it's taken away in means testing.

My friend moved to Scotland, where, at retirement age, you get free personal and nursing care at home and still get Attendance Allowance.

Teacheranne, I remember filling in the AA form for my mother. She was very reluctant, saying 'There's loads of people worse off than me' - and thinking it was somehow charity.

It was very useful, spent on help with cleaning, gardening and the higher heating bills that a less mobile person has.

When she went into a care home, it helped towards the massive cost of living there.

It’s also worth noting that if someone goes into a care home and is self funding, they can still claim AA at the higher amount. However if your care homes fees are paid by the LA, the AA stops. It’s only a very small fraction of the fees but it all helps.

The information isn't clear on the government web site is it?

www.gov.uk/attendance-allowance

Else’s your right, Under the old rules if you were claiming DLA you could not claim AA, those that received DLA when they were under Pension Age kept it(normally a higher rate as it was made up of a mobility and care component. When PIP was introduced it was specifically for working age people and AA was for pensioners. Hope this clarifies.

Having worked on AA I would just like to clarify a couple of points. AA is not for Attendance as someone rightly said. It is to make your life easier i.e. a gardener, mobility scooter, gadgets round the home. I found a lot of people filled in the forms and told us what they could do on a good day( to proud to admit they had really bad days (that’s our generation) I would advise anyone to complete the form when the illness is at its worst. That’s what I used to tell my customers (although I wasn’t really allowed to)

I wonder if my neighbour has applied for this? She has just started having carers in at £22 per hour. I visited her last week and apparently one of the carers has told her she has 'brittle bones' and my friend is nervous to ask her to do too much - although I don't know if this is true, perhaps my friend is confused. Her daughter was a District Nurse, I'll ask her.

Oops pressed the wrong button there!

AA is paid at one of two rates, the lower rate is for people who need help EITHER during the daytime OR nighttime, the higher rate is for people who struggle both at daytime and nighttime.

The types of thing that are considered are your need for extra help with managing your personal care, dressing, and undressing, cooking meals, communicating with people, accessing cultural and religious activities, organising your money, medication etc. And enabling you to access activities that you enjoy.

The forms are long and very detailed. Many people don't receive an award because either they are uncomfortable' writing this information down or because they assume that because they have pointed out one problem it will be obvious that yo struggle with another often it's repetitive.

To give an example of this. When completing the similar forms for my daughter I assumed that given earlier I had said she couldn't stand or walk it would be obvious she couldn't walk up the stairs. Nope, I needed to specify this.

One tool that you might find helpful is to write a record of everything that has become difficult like a diary over a few days. You may be very surprised!!!!

Getting someone to help you complete the forms is often helpful, but it's fine to add things later. If you are unable to find help, if you contact DWP They may be able to help.

Finally tonight, if at first you don't succeed try again!

I can help a little here as I used to help people claim Attendance Allowance.

Attendance Allowance or AA as it is known as is a non means tested benefit that is paid to help with the additional costs that relate to older people with long term disabilities. The name is a bit of a red herring as you do not need to have someone attending to you.

I worked for the DWP. Tell her to apply and list her needs of everyday living. How her husband has to help. That she has impaired vision as well. That she maybe can’t manage for example lifting the kettle.
If rejected tell her to ask for a reconsideration
She can use the money for whatever she wants.
Not enough people over 65 with needs apply for a benefit they are entitled to.
I hope she is successful

Pearl I think Social Services may be able to help. If you are laid up then she wont have any help. You sound a really good friend to this poor lady.

Pearlsaminger, you should not be doing any of the personal care or physical tasks, pushing wheelchair, transport to hosp etc for your neighbour.
you will ruin your own health and upset your daughter.
please stop doing this.
i can see why you got involved, but it has gone too far now, and may actually be hazardous for both you and the neighbour.
ring social services and explain the situation.
tell them she urgently needs a care needs assessment.
you could also try advice agencies, eg Age Uk.
but please do not continue as you have been doing.

welbeck

travelsafar, being disabled, or less able, means many extra costs.
the attendance allowance does not have to be spent on personal care. it does not have to be spent on anything at all.
it's up to the recipient. if someone meets the criteria, then they need it, and they get it, and use it as they choose.
your neighbour/s should certainly apply, and with help filling in forms, ought to get it.

I am disabled and receive the same version as AA but for younger people and it is for the purposes of paying for the extra cost of being disabled, extra heating, water, different foods etc. depending on your needs. HOWEVER - did you know that if you do actually need some physical help such as help with washing or dressing for example like I do, the Local Authority actually take that extra as income and expect you to pay for your wash, leaving you with a basic minimal income to pay your increased bills including those things that incur extra costs, cleaning, gardening etc …. Because of this people aren’t putting their heating on, are living in a dirty mess etc because they then can’t afford the extra costs!

In January this year I was expected to pay the LA almost £200 a WEEK for my wash visit of 30 minutes a day and a few hours of help in the house. It didn’t matter that I had sent in several income and expenditure forms as they will only take into consideration your housing costs, not your gas/electricity bills or phone, internet, insurance, fuel, water, FOOD, clothes, bedding holidays, family gifts, hobbies, a social life … seems we aren’t allowed any of those! If I totted up everything I would have been £500 a month short! I am short anyway so am having to sell the roof over my head as it is and they’re already on my back wanting to know if I will have more income to contribute when the sale goes through!

How would you like someone going through how much you spend and on what? It’s a dreadful scandal that most people don’t know about and it can happen in a wink of an eye - an accident, or bad diagnosis and this could happen to you!!!

It did indeed used to be difficult to apply for AA or PIP (for those under pension age) on the grounds of mental health as one person here has suggested. However, I would point out that the DWP have recently issued new guidelines in the wake of increased awareness of mental health problems which state that they should be given much more credence. Poor mental health can of course give rise to poor physical health and many people suffer in both ways. I do not think that people should be put off claiming on these grounds any longer. The pandemic has exacerbated the situation of course and the DWP are being forced to look again at claims refused solely on mental health grounds. I would add that if one is refused benefit completely one can always appeal and 75% of these appeals are successful (DWP’s own figures) although I understand that the process is lengthy and stressful. The whole of disability benefits is under review at present and I hope it will result in a fairer system. I take an keen interest in this as a former benefits officer (retired now) who likes to keep an eye on the area I worked in for so long!

Peasblossom

The District nurse helped me to fill it in for my husband.

Some weeks after Macmillan had told me categorically that he wasn’t eligible and there was no point in applying?

Absolute rubbish, Macmillan also told a friend of mine with terminal cancer that she wasn’t edible for the younger version of AA, PIP and she was, and got high rate too! They don’t know what they are talking about!

I think the postings on this topics highlight the reasons why many people don't apply.
Several misconceptions, passed on as "fact", are quoted, and in my opinion the difficulties in claiming are overstated. I completed my own claim without assistance, and have encouraged several others to do the same. I receive the higher rate, live alone and have no carers. Although I find my personal care difficult I have worked out strategies for coping . The benefit is not means tested, or taxable, and there is no stipulation as to how it should be spent, if at all.

Both of my parents were diagnosed with terminal cancer so received AA with little trouble. It enabled them both to have a cleaner and a gardener when necessary which allowed them to remain in their own homes until they required hospice care. They were divorced so had their own property and AA is not means tested so it was a great support . Please apply for it if needed and ask Citizens’ Advice or Age UK to help with the application.

As I understand its a benefit to help keep you independent in your own home and if granted you chose what help or aids you decide to purchase to help you.

BluePizzaWalking I think that is an excellent description. There will be a lot of "smart" help rather than personal help as time goes by, I think.

Barmeyoldbat Yours is a common mistaken idea regarding Attendance Allowance. Indeed, it was what I thought when my daughter told me to apply for it.

Got the form to keep her quiet, completed it totally by myself - told the truth AND said how any extra moneis I got would be likely to be used. I was granted it and have been most thankful for it.

Whereas I do have to ensure that I have an immediate link for assistance should I have a fall at home (do this via Alexa with my local duaghter and her husband), there is nothing which states it has to be used to for a person to come to me to carry out any care.

Indeed, I would detest that - particularly any type of personal care - have always told my kids when that time comes it will also be the time for my bow out!!

Attendance Allowance and wonderful modern technology gives me the opportunity to live a virtually independent life, and I am well within the rules as to the way I use it.

I have been told that it is probably easier to get this allowance if applying on physical as opposed to mental problems.

I would urge anyone who has a disability, either physical or mental, to apply for attendance allowance as it would give you that extra bit of money to make life easier, as others have said it doesn't have to be used for care. I helped both my Brother -in Law and his wife to apply and they both get the higher rate which they use to pay a cleaner, gardener and other bits of help around the house. As well as Age Concern you can also ask Citizens Advice for help in completing the form as they have experience of the areas that need to be stressed. It took me a long time to persuade my BIL to apply as he was sure the wouldn't be eligible (remember it's not means tested) and so many other people think the same. Having this little bit of extra money has made a huge difference to their quality of life.

I would encourage anyone who could do with help to apply DO NOT DILL IN THE FORM WITHOUT HELP Ihave filled it in many times through work so knew all the right buzz words and could spot the traps when I did it for my husband who has Parkinson's Recently I did it for my neighbour who categorically would not have got it although entitled to it if I'd let him send it in himself he got higher award and increased pension credit and now pays no rent and little council tax - he was astonished

Make sure you put any informal help you are currently getting down on the form. You don't have to be paying for this help. So for example if your partner wakes up and helps you to put on a light and get up in the night and you would struggle to manage without this help put it on the form. Or if a relation, friend or neighbour does shopping for you or brings you cooked meals etc put it all down. As I understand its a benefit to help keep you independent in your own home and if granted you chose what help or aids you decide to purchase to help you.

Pearlsaminger.

Firstly you are doing a brilliant job and your neighour is a very lucky lady to have you. There will be a pathway for this situation - the problem is finding it but there are lots of GNetters who will help with whatever experience they have.

It's suprising that the nurse hasn't flagged the issues up but while you are helping the "system" will let you.

You really cannot be expected to continue doing this. I think you will have to be prepared to say you cannot cope and will not continue doing this. That will be difficult but may get her a much more structured form of care. Once that is in place you do not need to abandon her as a friend but you do have to stick to what you are saying about the care.

I think that in your place I would ask for a Needs Assessment for yourself. You would need phone your local Council and speak, probably to a social worker, about the problem. It sounds as if you may have some issues they could help with. This would, hopefully flag up the neighbours needs and hopefully trigger some help for her.

I don't know if this is the right way to do it but I think it is the way I would. Others will be along to offer their experience, I'm sure.

This tells you about getting a needs assessment and what happens.

I have started a new thread for Social Care Needs Assessments here

Pearlsaminger that's terrible for you, as well as your neighbour.
AgeUK has been mentioned in here as being very good with advice.
Perhaps you could contact them, or Citizens Advice, about your own situation and how to get more help for your neighbour so that you don't have to do all that.