Can a husband & wife claim Attendance Allowance?

grummps

hunters wrote: »

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So which is it?

Both!!!!

AA is very difficult to get especially if you are claiming purely for the day to day control of Type 1 Diabetes.

However, if you can manage to get an award, the financial implications are excellent. with 2xAA + 2xCA - you are entitled to a min of £400 a week + the two AA awards - minimum £104 together, giving you a minimum weekly income of £504 a week. And if you do manage to get a little GPC, you will get full housing benefit/mortgage interest (up to £70 a week) and full council tax benefit.

margaretclare

Spamfree wrote: »

I'd like to know what happened to the in sickness and in health bit of marriage vows?

Does nobody help out their nearest and dearest these days unless there is some cash in it for them?

Yes, they do, and I resent this.

It's not the person helping out who gets the cash, but the person who needs the help. In our case, it helps us both to stay mobile by helping to pay for the car costs. Yes, I know we could both get a free bus pass, but that's not a lot of use of walking is limited i.e. walking to the bus-stop, standing around waiting etc.

Since DH and I got together 15 years ago now there has not been one year in which one or the other of us, or maybe both, hasn't had the whole 'sickness and health' thing, in spades. 4 years ago he nearly died. Earlier this year he came within a whisker of having spinal paralysis and coming home in a wheelchair. And yes, obviously if that had happened I would have cared for him, but how would that have affected my own disabilities?

I mustn't write any more or I'll become too angry.

margaretclare

grummps wrote: »

Both!!!!

AA is very difficult to get especially if you are claiming purely for the day to day control of Type 1 Diabetes.

However, if you can manage to get an award, the financial implications are excellent. with 2xAA + 2xCA - you are entitled to a min of £400 a week + the two AA awards - minimum £104 together.

However, 2 x CA doesn't necessarily apply, and AA is at 2 rates: higher or lower. What you write is a theory but doesn't necessarily happen.

Whatever you get, though, is worth having, simply because this is a benefit which is non-taxable and non-means-testable. Very very useful indeed not to have to jump through those particular hoops.

grummps

Spamfree wrote: »

I'd like to know what happened to the in sickness and in health bit of marriage vows?

Does nobody help out their nearest and dearest these days unless there is some cash in it for them?

Of course they do! But there is also a cash incentive to go with it!

Would you turn that level of income down on the basis that you shouldn't claim as you promised to look after your other half regardless?

grummps

margaretclare wrote: »

However, 2 x CA doesn't necessarily apply, and AA is at 2 rates: higher or lower. What you write is a theory but doesn't necessarily happen.

Whatever you get, though, is worth having, simply because this is a benefit which is non-taxable and non-means-testable. Very very useful indeed not to have to jump through those particular hoops.

It isn't a theory. 2 x min AA is £103.70 a week, 2 x max AA is £154.90 a week.

With 2 x AA (at any rate) would give you a premium of £116.40 a week if you claimed GPC + with 2 x AA each would claim CA for each other giving another premium of £65.20.

All in all if both are awarded AA at even the lowest rate each, they would be entitled to approx £400 a week under GPC.

Obviously their AA awards would be on top!

Many 'pensioner' couples who each have an AA award (at any rate) get that level of income.

It's the level that the government state that they need to be able to live on.

sleepless_saver

simon1966 wrote: »

Thanks everyone.
Got a nice lady from CAB coming round to help my dad with his form.

...

Someone suggested i should claim the carers allowance, although it is an overlapping benefit and that way i would not have to fill in the dreaded esa50 form and attend Atos medicals - perhaps you could advise?

Ask the CAB person about claiming income support and carers allowance. If you are under state pension age (for a woman your age) and meet the other criteria - see link, then this might be easier for you than claiming ESA.

margaretclare

What's GPC?

I said 'in theory' because not everyone can qualify for CA, and not everyone gets AA at the higher rate.

It's the level that the government state that they need to be able to live on.

That means means-testing. Whatever it is, we do NOT qualify for means-tested benefits, thank goodness, which is why AA is so useful. We pay tax on the rest of our income but not on AA.

grummps

sleepless_saver wrote: »

Ask the CAB person about claiming income support and carers allowance. If you are under state pension age (for a woman your age) and meet the other criteria - see link, then this might be easier for you than claiming ESA.

The poster says that they are both receiving the State Pension so Pension Credit is the way to go not IS.

And if dad does manage to get an AA award, they will be entitled to a min income of £400 a week - less what they get already, excluding AA by way of GPC top up.

Not forgetting the two AA awards as well and all of the other fringe benefits!!

grummps

margaretclare wrote: »

What's GPC?

I said 'in theory' because not everyone can qualify for CA, and not everyone gets AA at the higher rate.

GPC - Guaranteed Pension Credit as opposed to Savings Pension Credit.

GPC is a gateway for automatic 100% help with rent, mortgage interest and council tax plus a whole load of other freebies which together add up to a good deal of money.

As neither is working and earning more than £100 a week, there is nothing stopping them claiming CA for each other. The 35 hours rule will easily be covered just with them living with each other.

Carers Allowance can be claimed at any rate of AA - Low or High.



My figures were based on two Low rate AA awards.

margaretclare

grummps wrote: »

As neither is working and earning more than £100 a week, there is nothing stopping them claiming CA for each other. The 35 hours rule will easily be covered just with them living with each other.

Carers Allowance can be claimed at any rate of AA - Low or High.



My figures were based on two Low rate AA awards.

I think this would not apply to us. Although neither of us is working and earning any longer, we do each have an income - full state pension, SERPS (what's now called S2P) and other income based on our former careers. I think that this would put us outside the limit for CA, because I suspect from what you say that means-testing would come into effect.