Help for my Mum

merrydance

Does your gran need care? Your mum could claim carers allowance, and your gran attendance allowance. I feel for your mum having to wait longer for her state pension. It is sooo hard to get a job when you are 60, I know I have been trying myself.

Pollycat

merrydance wrote: »

Does your gran need care? Your mum could claim carers allowance, and your gran attendance allowance - I think

Gran would have to claim AA first - in my experience of claiming for my Mum, they're pretty tough in their assessment.
The OP says Gran is sprightly (and she actually says she doesn't have any care needs).

If Gran is on guaranteed pension credit or just over the limit, she must be getting at least £151.20 per week.
From gov.uk:

Guarantee Credit tops up your weekly income if it’s below £151.20 (for single people) or £230.85 (for couples).

so that equates to £655.20 per month.
Paying around £175 pm to OP's Mum still leaves her with £480 pm so I'm not sure why the OP says Gran can't contribute much more.

Maybe it's time for a sit down round the table and a proper discussion about who is getting what income and what benefits each person might be entitled to.

imho, it's commendable for the OP's Mum to say she wants her own Mum to enjoy her life but should that be to the detriment of herself?

merrydance

I think claiming AA varies throughout the country. My step-father claims the higher rate for stage I Alzheimers, now that his drugs are sorted out, he can look after himself very well, needs no personal care etc. My mum has a slight heart problem and claims the lower rate. My step sister claims carer allowance for them. She does their shopping and a bit of housework.

Pollycat

merrydance wrote: »

I think claiming AA varies throughout the country. My step-father claims the higher rate for stage I Alzheimers, now that his drugs are sorted out, he can look after himself very well, needs no personal care etc. My mum has a slight heart problem and claims the lower rate. My step sister claims carer allowance for them. She does their shopping and a bit of housework.

The point I was making was that someone has to first be in receipt of a certain allowance to enable someone to claim carer's allowance for them.
From gov.uk:

The person you care for must already get one of these benefits:

• Personal Independence Payment (PIP) daily living component
• Disability Living Allowance (DLA) - the middle or highest care rate
• Attendance Allowance
• Constant Attendance Allowance at or above the normal maximum rate with an Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit, or basic (full day) rate with a War Disablement Pension
• Armed Forces Independence Payment (AFIP)

If the members of your family weren't in receipt of one of the above benefits, your step sister wouldn't be able to claim CA.

It was a bit of a fight to get DWP to accept that Mum was actually entitled to AA. They rejected her first claim.
Then, once DWP agreed that she was eligible for AA, when my sister then claimed CA, it was pretty easily accepted.

merrydance

Oh yes Pollycat they did get AA awarded first before my step sister could claim carers allowance but it only took a few weeks.

Jackieboy

merrydance wrote: »

I think claiming AA varies throughout the country. My step-father claims the higher rate for stage I Alzheimers, now that his drugs are sorted out, he can look after himself very well, needs no personal care etc. My mum has a slight heart problem and claims the lower rate. My step sister claims carer allowance for them. She does their shopping and a bit of housework.

Unless your SF is claiming under the "special rules" - he really should withdraw his AA claim if he no longer has any care needs.

Lu_Lu

Thanks again all. I am going to sit down with Mum and look at it all and then help her in the direction of somewhere with more experience, perhaps CAB so they can look at all options.

Bottom line is she would much rather find a job but what if that doesn't happen!

merrydance

Not sure what the "special rules are" but just got this from the Age UK website You can claim Attendance Allowance if you need help with personal care,
supervision or watching over because of physical or mental disability. It does
not matter if you live alone or with other people, or whether you have a carer -
what matters is that you need help with personal care, supervision or
watching over. Whether you are actually getting any help is irrelevant, and
you do not have to spend the allowance on paying for care: it is up to you
how you use it.

Pollycat

Lu_Lu wrote: »

Thanks again all. I am going to sit down with Mum and look at it all and then help her in the direction of somewhere with more experience, perhaps CAB so they can look at all options.

Bottom line is she would much rather find a job but what if that doesn't happen!

You could also consider contacting AGE UK - either at a local branch or online. They help with claiming benefits.

I would recommend that you & your Mum put all her details into one of the benefit checkers - I provided a link in one of my posts above - it will give you an idea of what she might be able to claim.
Ditto for your Gran - just in case she's not getting everything she's entitled to.

I always find it's better to go into a meeting forearmed with a little knowledge.

Jackieboy

merrydance wrote: »

Not sure what the "special rules are" but just got this from the Age UK website You can claim Attendance Allowance if you need help with personal care,
supervision or watching over because of physical or mental disability. It does
not matter if you live alone or with other people, or whether you have a carer -
what matters is that you need help with personal care, supervision or
watching over. Whether you are actually getting any help is irrelevant, and
you do not have to spend the allowance on paying for care: it is up to you
how you use it.

"Special rules" apply if the claimant is likely to have fewer than 6 months to live.

I wasn't querying whether he actually gets the care but the fact that you stated that he doesn't now need it - "now that his drugs are sorted out, he can look after himself very well, needs no personal care etc. " If that's the case then he's no longer eligible for AA and should withdraw his claim.