Car tax - attendance allowance

[Poppy9]

MIL has been told she should be eligible for attendance allowance (she's 70 and has difficulty walking).

OH and myself are her only immediate family so we assume duties for running her around to various appointments, shopping etc. It's been suggested that if she gets attendance allowance teh car tax on OH car can be paid via DWP.

Is this true? If so what happens when OH uses the car for his own purposes?

Thanks

[healy]

No this is not true people on Attendance Allowance do not get free car tax. Those on the higher rate of DLA for the mobility component do.

[Poppy9]

but I thought if you were over 60 you couldn't get DLA or is this incorrect?

[rheme]

Attendance Allowance is not awarded for family doing errands, shopping, transport to appointments, etc. The mobility needs fall out at age 65. This allowance if payable if the person concerned needs regular help to cope within the home i.e. washing and dressing, cooking, bathing, etc.

Try and get some help in completing the form e.g. from Disability Rights or some other body. There is quite an art to filling them in and obtaining the allowance.

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Disabled...rt/DG_10012425

If you get Attendance Allowance you should automatically get a disabled persons parking permit.

[healy]

Originally Posted by Poppy9

but I thought if you were over 60 you couldn't get DLA or is this incorrect?

If you are over 65 you cannot get DLA unless you received it before 65 and still meet the criteria.

[calleyw]

Originally Posted by Poppy9

MIL has been told she should be eligible for attendance allowance (she's 70 and has difficulty walking).

OH and myself are her only immediate family so we assume duties for running her around to various appointments, shopping etc. It's been suggested that if she gets attendance allowance teh car tax on OH car can be paid via DWP.

Is this true? If so what happens when OH uses the car for his own purposes?

Thanks

But even if she was under 65 and got DLA higher rate mobility. The car tax would only be free on a car that was used just for her. So for taking her to appointments shopping etc.

Not for you husband to go too and from work etc.

Yours

Calley

[Poppy9]

Originally Posted by calleyw

But even if she was under 65 and got DLA higher rate mobility. The car tax would only be free on a car that was used just for her. So for taking her to appointments shopping etc.

Not for you husband to go too and from work etc.

Yours

Calley

My MIL cannot drive, doesn't own a car and we can't afford to run a third car which is kept exclusively for her so that's not an option. She can't use public transport and if we are unable to take her she has to rely on taxis which she cannot afford as she only gets state pension.

How do other couples manage if they have car tax paid by DLA but the recipient is not a driver. Can they never use the car if the DLA recipient is not present?

MIL is okay around the home washing, dressing herself etc. but she constantly calls us for help and if we go away on holiday I have to get my sister to check up on her etc. as OH sister lives away and only comes home once a year for a weekend!! (but that's another story).

She had heart by-pass surgery about 8 years ago and since then has never been able to walk properly - something to do with the veins they took from her leg which means she can only walk with a stick. She's deteriorated in the last couple of years since her husband died but this could just be old age catching up with her - along with her refusal to quit the fags

Personally it would make our life (as in myself and OH) a lot easier if she could claim AA and then use the money for taxis and to get people in to help with household chores/maintenance. As OH works shifts he's often exhausted but feels guilty when she rings with her requests/job list! Sounds selfish I know but OH has already had over 25 years of running round etc for his father who was severely disabled and regularly suffered seizures and falls and his mother wouldn't call an ambulance as it meant he would be admitted which he didn't want and only OH was strong enough to pick him up off the floor.

[calleyw]

Originally Posted by Poppy9

My MIL cannot drive, doesn't own a car and we can't afford to run a third car which is kept exclusively for her so that's not an option. She can't use public transport and if we are unable to take her she has to rely on taxis which she cannot afford as she only gets state pension.

My MIL use to live in Bristol and rather than a bus pass they use to give tokens instead. These could be used in taxi's as well. Not sure if the scheme still runs or not now.

Check your local council to see what they offer.

Originally Posted by Poppy9

How do other couples manage if they have car tax paid by DLA but the recipient is not a driver. Can they never use the car if the DLA recipient is not present?
.

You can use it if the DLA recipient is not present but only if you are carrying out a trip such as to get prescriptions and their shopping. And you have to nominate a driver.

More info here

All the best

Yours


Calley

[Pete268]

Hi,

Just to clarify the answer to your original question, Attendance Allowance is claimable by those over 65 years old. It has only a care component, it has no mobilty component.

DLA, which has both care and mobility components can only be claimed by those under 65. However if you already receive it, you can carry on receiving it after 65years old providing the claimants needs stay the same.

Only the higher rate of DLA Mobility Component (and War Pensioners Mobility Supplement) give access to the free disabled tax disc for a car and can only be used for the claimants needs such as doing the claimants shopping or collecting prescriptions for the claimant. If it is used for any other purpose the car has to be taxed as normal.

Pete

[Poppy9]

Originally Posted by calleyw

My MIL use to live in Bristol and rather than a bus pass they use to give tokens instead. These could be used in taxi's as well. Not sure if the scheme still runs or not now.

Check your local council to see what they offer.

our LA only offer free bus pass for elderly and disabled (valid throughout Wales though).