Advice needed

Rivernight

I need some help and advice please.

My mother is 58 years old and was diagnosed with Rhematoid Arthritis when she was 30 years old. She also has scoliosis (a sideways bend in the spine) which in recent months has got progressively worse. She is on a whole host of medication, one particular potent which caused her to develop Double pnemonia last year and end up in Intensive care. She still works part time as her and my Dad still have a mortgage that won't be paid until she is 62 and they don't have a great pension.

She has a disabled parking badge as she can't walk long distances. She said that she is really struggling to keep going to work and everyday is a massive challenge to overcome and she is in a lot of pain and discomfort.

My questions are these:-

As she has a disabled parking badge, does this mean that she is registered disabled?

If there any financial support that she may be entitled to that is not means tested (my Dad works) so might enable her to give up work?

Her other concern is that if she gives up work before retirement age it will affect her Govt.pension. If she was entitled to some award/benefit does this mean that it would effectively pay her stamp and mean that her pension was not affected?

Any help would be much appreciated as she has asked me to investigate this for her.

wolfehouse

there is no longer any such thing as registered disabled.
if she gets dla that is the current standard 'proof' of disability
but lots of places give discounts if you present your blue badge as proof...

the best thing to do is ask for a welfare rights officer to discuss things with her. failing that citizens advice can go over her situation with her.

she needs 39 qualifying years for a state pension but gets years if child benefit was paid to her and she wasn't working-- any years past this won't matter anyway (and i don't know if she can 'buy' extra years or not)

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/MoneyTaxAndBenefits/PensionsAndRetirement/StatePension/DG_10014671

dla is not means tested (it is for under 65s)and she should apply- and if she gets turned down she should appeal with help and attend in person.
there is plenty advice available on the web about how to apply.

once she gets this, someone can apply for carers allowance which someone else can claim for her if she gets a care component of dla. this is means tested to the recipient but is an enabling benefit meaning there are knock on affects to other help you can get.

hope this makes a start for you.

SecretIdentity

DLA definitely, before she passes the age limit.

mrscb

Are there tax credits available for working age disabled people?

kazzah

DLA definitely, before she passes the age limit.

whilst there is an upperage limit of claiming DLA - once you are over that ( I think it is 65) you claim Attendance Allowance - much the same thing, the same rates of payment, but no eligibility for Mobility component