Short term Attendance Allowance.

bigboybrother

I wonder if someone could provide some input. A 69 year old put a claim in for the above early last year (May).

After some umming and ahing after they were told that they had no chance and then following a GP report and an OT report (both confirming severe problems both with care and mobility) the outright flat refusal went to day and night care rate (max).

The conditions in question are a long standing arthritic problem as well as spinal damage.

What my question revolves around is the length of the award - 2 years!! Is this normal? Do they expect the claimant to have improved that much after 2 years from conditions that have existed for nearly 20 years and, barring a miracle, will never improve?

nannytone_2

it is quite usual for a time limit to be given and a reassessment made.
they cant just award a bemefit and pay it indefinately without any reviews... it is tax payers money and has to be spent correctly ( allegedly)

i get ESA because i am blind. it is impossible that i will rvrt trhain my sight, but i am still reviewed at regular intervals

bigboybrother

nannytone wrote: »

it is quite usual for a time limit to be given and a reassessment made.
they cant just award a bemefit and pay it indefinately without any reviews... it is tax payers money and has to be spent correctly ( allegedly)

i get ESA because i am blind. it is impossible that i will rvrt trhain my sight, but i am still reviewed at regular intervals

Thanks and I understand what you mean. However she is an OAP and given the diagnosis I just can't see the sense in having bi-annual reviews. Still who am I to try to understand the inner workings of the DWP.
My only fear for this lady in question is that when May 2014 comes round, she is not going to want to go through all of the form filling, getting people involved, getting Social Services involved again. I fear that she will just say no, 'I can't face all that upset again'. For goodness sake she will be 71 by then!
Mind you, as someone pointed out to me some time ago, pensioners are deemed by the DWP to be the biggest culprits for falsely claiming benefits.

nannytone_2

mt father in law received DLA, and i used to sort it all out for him, so she doesnt have to do it herself.
the fact that you know when the review will be should help to a degree. you know what needs to be sent with the form so there should be no messing around next time

HB58

Did you keep a copy of the application form? That will make the form-filling easier next time round.

elmer

My mother is 71, still works, and goes out clubbing at night! and would be seriously offended if anyone suggested she was incapable of filling in a form correctly.

elmer

bigboybrother

margaretclare wrote: »

I second that, and I'm a few years older than elmer's mother.

It's the normal thing for AA to be awarded for 2 years, then awarded indefinitely. You do have to fill in a few forms, but no big deal. Serious spinal damage is not going to get better, you just have to write how it affects the person. Spinal damage - difficulty getting up out of a chair, getting up out of bed, need help to get dressed because can't bend. The powers-that-be know full well that these conditions do not get better and are likely to get worse.

We may get older but we do not necessarily lose our marbles!

Sorry I've only just noticed your reply.

Yes she now has an electric bath lift, a bed riser and a perching stool(that particular thing isn't much good) all supplied by SS.

It's the form filling that is the problem - can't for the life of me find the copy that was taken of the form that was originally sent in. Never mind will just have to start from scratch.