Pension Credit and DLA

Joyful

I am hoping someone can help me understand the benefits system. I often speak to people through work and sometimes advise to try and claim DLA. Some people claiming Pension and Pension Credit get DLA, others have told me they are not allowed to claim when they retire. I have even had people telling me that their DLA stopped when they retired. Also some are told if they claim their Pension Credit will be cut.

I am aware that if they are older they can claim Assistance Allowance instead of DLA so the above confuses me and I would like to be giving out the correct information.

Can anyone please tell me what the rules are as I have tried ( during working time) to get through to the benefits office and been unsuccessful. I know we have people here that will be able to set me straight.;)

Thanks in advance. I will check the thread when I return from work.

Richard1075

There are 2 disability benefits - Disability Living Allowance and Attendance Allowance. DLA has 2 components: Care and Mobility - AA has Care only.

You can only make a new claim DLA if you are under 65 years of age. If you are 65 and over you would apply for AA. However, if you are awarded DLA before you are 65 then the award will continue after you have reached 65

Both DLA and AA are disregarded in any calculation for means tested benefits. So it is quite often that people can have Pension Credit and DLA, if awarded before they were 65; or Pension Credit and AA if they claimed when 65 and over.

Any award for a disability can been given for a set period and at the end of that period they award will stop unless they have made an renewal.

Pension Credit is a means tested benefit and although it can be claimed before the state retirement age of 65+ [it depends on when you are born] - it could well be reduced if for instance the claiment receives an occupational or private pension.

Hope this helps

Invalidation

Im 60 and have been on DLA since 1993. I was on IS but then have been switched onto pension credit so I get both DLA and PC.
Contact these people, the call is free and they will give you all the info and also work out how much you are entitled to

http://www.turn2us.org.uk

Whiteknight

I find a lot of people confuse DLA with Carers Allowance, it is CA which would generally stop paying when State Pension is paid and a lot of pensioners who are advised to claim Carers Allowance don't bother as they believe they will not get paid once they are getting a State Pension - but getting this benefit would allow them an extra amount on Pension Credit.

Joyful

Thanks everyone for your answers. It means I was not going crazy with what I thought so I will continue to tell people to apply for DLA.

Invalidation

Joyful wrote: »

Thanks everyone for your answers. It means I was not going crazy with what I thought so I will continue to tell people to apply for DLA.

I would always suggest people claim for everything. If the worst that can happen is that they say "No" then no problems.

Its when they put you against a wall and put a cover over your head you start worrying:eek: