Mobility and Attendance Benefits

JamesPeter

Good Morning,

Having heard on the wireless this morning the news item regarding £50 fines and having benefits removed, I am quite concerned so wonder if someone versed in these matters may help as my wife and I are not very well read on benefits and pensions etc.

A little over three weeks ago, I received a letter awarding me the Mobility benefit. There were also seperate letters regarding obtaining a disabled vehicle licence disc, use of the mobility car scheme, an AA and RAC card and about the disabled parking badge scheme which I have just applied for. A sum of money was lodged in my bank account approximately 10 days ago.

My query is, should I have informed the Pensions and Works Department who pay my Attendance Allowance about this?. I was speaking with our sheltered housing warden a short while ago this morning and when I made mention of the Mobility she thought I wasn't allowed to claim both together. However I noticed my full Attendance payment and wifes Carers benefit were paid into our relevant bank accounts last Thursday as usual, as were my pension payments.

I, probably naively, thought that the relevant government departments would have informed one another and I am reasonably sure the chap who completed the application form had mentioned the Attendance allowance. However he is uncontactable today and our local Citizens Bureau is closed Mondays.

With the talk of the £50 fines and benefits being withdrawn both my dear wife and I are most concerned that we may have inadversantly over claimed something we may not be entitled to.

Any advice in relation to this and whether we should write straight away to the Attendance and/or Carers benefits office or to whom else would be appreciated.

God bless.

Mojisola

You do need to check this. DLA mobility and care benefits are only available if you are under 65 when you claim. Attendance Allowance is only available for over-65s.

It is possible to have DLA mobility continued to be paid after 65 and also make a claim for AA for care needs but I don't see how you have been given DLA if you're already getting AA.

Oldernotwiser

As above/\/\/\

You can't claim DLA (Mobility) if you're over 65, which you must be to be getting AA. There must have been a mistake somewhere so don't spend the money as they'll want it back.

JamesPeter

Thank you for answering my enquiry Mojisola.

I do apologise I am not up to speed with the terninolgy used within benefits circles and do find it all rather confusing to say the least.

If my age is of concern, I am 67 years old, turning 68 this coming December. My wife is 59 years old, birthday in September. I started to receive the Attendance Benefit last year circa autumn time. when I was 66 years. .

The welfare chap who recently visited and completed various forms did rather rattle through matters on his visit, so we or he may have been mistaken about various aspects. Hence our worry, particularly in light of the news this morning about fines and the stopping of benefits.

Kind regards and god bless.

JamesPeter

Likewise to thank you Oldernotwiser,

I do apologise, but your message was not there when I started to type the previous reply.

My wife and I are rather panicky now if as you say we may not be entitled. I am trying to find the mobility benefit letter but I do believe we had to send it off to the local council in order to receive the disability badge.

To whom should we write to regarding this?

God bless.

PipsoG

Are both the DLA and AA being paid in your name?

Is your wife disabled too?

You would be entitled to received Attendance Allowance as you are 67. Your wife could have been awarded Disability Living Allowance as she is 59.

You would BOTH be entitled to disability benefits and due to your are one would get AA the other DLA

When the "welfare chap" came to see you - did he help you make an application for your wife for Disability Living Allowance?

Oldernotwiser

JamesPeter wrote: »

Likewise to thank you Oldernotwiser,

I do apologise, but your message was not there when I started to type the previous reply.

My wife and I are rather panicky now if as you say we may not be entitled. I am trying to find the mobility benefit letter but I do believe we had to send it off to the local council in order to receive the disability badge.

To whom should we write to regarding this?

God bless.

You don't need to panic but you do need to get things sorted. (By the way, you don't need to claim DLA mobility to get a blue badge.)

Mojisola

Try these people - https://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Pensionsandretirementplanning/StatePension/Basicstatepension/DG_180132

They were a great help to my parents.

It sounds as if the advisor you had wasn't very good! Don't panic about things - but don't spend any of the money either.

JamesPeter

Thank you Pipsog,

(Sorry but I do not know how to make your response appear above my reply - this internet is all new to us and we are still finding our way around).

My wife does not receive any benefits, other than the carers benefit for looking after me very well indeed. Although from what she remembers she may lose that when she turns sixty and formerley retires. She is physically fit sadly unlike myself and we are both sure she does not get the Living Allowance you mentioned.

God bless and many thanks to you.

Penelope_Penguin

JamesPeter wrote: »

My wife does not receive any benefits, other than the carers benefit for looking after me very well indeed. Although from what she remembers she may lose that when she turns sixty and formerley retires.

When she hits 60, she'll be able to apply for state pension and possibly pension credit. she won't then be able to receive carer's allowance too

JamesPeter wrote: »

My wife and I are rather panicky now if as you say we may not be entitled. I am trying to find the mobility benefit letter but I do believe we had to send it off to the local council in order to receive the disability badge.

To whom should we write to regarding this?

Don;t panic! There must have been an incorrect recording of your date of birth on the form, or in its trancribing. Ring the number at the top of the letter you've received for Disability Living Allowance (DLA mobility) and explain to them that you'e on Attendance Allowance. If you're up front with them, they'll treat you fairly.

They will want any DLA you've already been paid back, though, so don;t spend it

JamesPeter

Hello Again,

Firstly on behalf of my wife and I, may I say thank you, thank you all very much for your very kind assistance and sorry to have put you to any trouble.

I think what with the news this morning about the fines then what the Warden told us, it got us quite panicky in case we were somehow claiming things we were not entitled to.

Fortunately my wife found the telephone number and has been speaking to Blackpool and we have been reassured all is in order and we can keep both the mobility and attendance benefits. We didn't realise there were two different mobilities benefits. The system does seem overly complex though and not easy to understand .

Fortunately in our case we are all in order and can breathe a very very big sigh of relief.

Again, our heartfelt thanks.

God Bless you all.
James