IB and pension

Fran

Is she on Disability Living Allowance? DLA is not income related and can be claimed in addition to any other benefit she receives. It is to help with the cost of a disability. The forms are long but she can get help filling them in from a Citizens Advice Bureau or other Welfare Benefit people in her area. In fact I would advise she definitely gets help filling them in. CAB can also help if she has any other difficulties with her claim for Incapacity Benefit or explain her situation if she is not sure. She might be entitled to some income related benefits too, it is well worth her checking with CAB or similar.

marshmallowbaby

The Dr has told her she should claim DLA but she has declined.
Sarah feels that to calim it would be like admitting that she won't be well again, and no matter what any of us have said to her she's struggled on.
For all she gets her pension which isn't big and the IB she has all the usual outgoings everyone else has, plus the added expenses that were taken on on having to move to a house more suited to her illness. That in itself was a hard time as it involved having to uproot to a new area where house prices mean't they could get a suitable place, uproot her children from their schools and also having to see a totally new and unknown dr. Shes been so fortunate in every Dr she has seen has been nothing short of supportive and wonderfully helpful, and every one has told her to claim!
I have wondered though if a large part of her not doing it is down to the stress of the form filling, and I'll certainly try and persude her to contact CAB for advice and help.
Thanks again

Fran

marshmallowbaby,

Some CABx do home visits if for instance she finds it hard to get out. It sounds like she could do with the extra too, especially if she is unlikely to go back into her job. Yes, try to persuade her, she will get all the help she needs from CAB or similar, they will write the details on the form for her too and keep in touch with what's happening with her claim.

Ted_Hutchinson

If she is approaching 65 then the DLA claim should be progressed as soon as possible as only Attendance Allowance can be claimed after that date.

AA doesn't have a mobility component nor does the lowest rate of AA equate with the lowest rate of DLA, in fact the lowest rate of AA is equivalent to the middle rate Care allowance of DLA so is much harder to get awarded.
So if low care DLA and a DLA mobility award are made and in place at the time she turns 65 the she can go on collecting that rate as long as she continues to meet the criteria. If she leaves claiming till she is 65 then neither can be awarded and the rather stricter criteria of AA apply.

It is for the Decison Maker to make the decision and no one should worry about applying, either the criteria apply or they don't and there should be no shame or guilt about putting in a claim and getting an award. If you/she think the DLA criteria apply then claim. The way things are going those on a limited and restricted income will have to tighten their belts more and more, so ensuring you are getting all the income the government say is your right is the only way of keeping abreast of the ever increasing prices/taxes.