Attendance Allowance help

mykidsmyworld

Hi
I dont know if I have posted in the right section.
Any help or advice would be appreciated.
I helped a friends mum apply for AA. A letter came back within 2 days of them receiving the claim pack saying that she was not entitled.

Could people please give their opinions on where i may have gone wrong on the form?
The lady has dizzy spells and will quite often fall - when she does fall she requires help to get up.
Sometimes she doesnt realise that she has had a fall until she notices a bruise on herself? (her and her husbands words)
She does not remember to take her medication
She cannot get in and out of the bath without assisstance.
She cannot get in and out of bed without assisstance (she has got a electric bed that helps her)
She cannot bend to put her shoes on (she has stopped wearing tights as she cannot get them on either

She suffers from angina- diabetes

Does she qualify and is it worth appealing. I am learning more each time i see them.
Any advice would be greatly received

[Deleted User]

Your best bet would be to seek help from either welfare rights or cab re:an appeal,remember normally you only have one month in which to lodge the appeal

munchings-n-crunchings

Hello mykidsmyworld,

As woodbine has suggested, get some advice with an appeal.
Another good organisation to try is Age Concern, as they should have some good advice, but Try Welfare Rights first. Ring your council for the contact details.

Here is some guidance for AA.
http://www.benefitsnow.co.uk/apply/aaapply1.asp

Good Luck,
Munchie

kazzah

you may have inadvertantly fallen into a DWP trap here when you completed the form - these are 2 examples

She cannot get in and out of bed without assisstance (she has got a electric bed that helps her)
She cannot bend to put her shoes on (she has stopped wearing tights as she cannot get them on either

If she has purchased an electric bed to help her- then she doesn't need help from another person to get in and out of her bed
if she has stopped wearing tights because she can't get them on - then she has made a reasonable adjustment which means she doesn't need help from another person and if she doesn't need that help from another person, then she won't qualify for the benefit.

I get this a lot- I volunteer for a disabeld childrens charity and mums wonder why their childs claim is turned down - they will say things like
" jonny doesn't need hel to do his buttons up because I took them off and put velcro on his clothes so he can fasten them himself"

they don't realise that you get the money because the person needs help from someone else throughout the day - not simpkly because they have a disability

if they have made their lives easier with adaptions etc - then they won't qualify because they no longer need the help performing that task.

I know this sounds odd- but it is better to simply state
" mrs x is unable to get out of bed without assistance"

"Mrs X requires help to pull up her hosiery becuase she does not have the strength to do this on her own"

both statements are honest and accurate and actually paint a better picture of her abilities.