Attendance Allowance and Guaranteed Pension Credits

MsBlonde

So my father has recently been accepted for Attendance Allowance over Christmas, since he has a cancer diagnosis and a 6 month prognosis... I was pleased he was able to get this, He also is on a state pension and my parents recieve pension credits (before the rules changed and made it so the wife now has to be pension age to claim too).

He didn't get his December payment and he always gets it without fail on the same day as his state pension. I'm now wondering since he claimed Attendance Allowance and it states if you get the high rate of £92.40 a week AA then your pension credits may increase too. Has this triggered him not able to claim it at all due to my mum being under pensioner age? Do they see the new claim of Attendance Allowance as a change? I'm stressing because it states on websites if theres a change my parents will have to apply for UC and basically be worse off financially and my father doesn't need the unnecessary stress of attempting to claim UC instead. Of course it's the weekend and I'm unable to call anyone until Monday.

Any advice would be amazing, thankyou.

Rubyroobs

I'm pretty sure AA being awarded would not stop the PC claim. if his wife provides 35 hours care for your dad in a week then she can now apply for carers allowance if under State retirement age and they will then get a carers premium on the pension credit claim. Sometimes pension credit are automatically notified when AA is awarded so I guess they could be recalculating his Pension credit award although I don't think it will change until carers allowance for his wife has been awarded.

MsBlonde

Rubyroobs said:

I'm pretty sure AA being awarded would not stop the PC claim. if his wife provides 35 hours care for your dad in a week then she can now apply for carers allowance if under State retirement age and they will then get a carers premium on the pension credit claim. Sometimes pension credit are automatically notified when AA is awarded so I guess they could be recalculating his Pension credit award although I don't think it will change until carers allowance for his wife has been awarded.

Thanks for your prompt reply, theres not been a claim for carers allowance, also shes not providing him with 35 hours of care it's more me (she can't deal with it and is struggling). Just don't understand why it didn't get paid over Decemember (he was awarded his attendance allowance a day after they recieved his application (23rd december). His pension went in on the 4th of Jan, but his Pension credits didn't follow. I hope they're just recalculating it due to high level AA and it will turn up soon. I was hoping if he was entitled to it that they would add the severely disabled element money onto his claim, rather then someone claiming carers allowance...  not sure if hes entitled to it though.

This is what im referring to, which might of made it recalculate (however i think both of them need to be disabled)

Extra Pension Credit for severely disabled people or carers

If someone gets Attendance Allowance or the middle or highest rate care component of DLA, PIP or AFIP, they may be entitled to extra Pension Credit of £69.40.

I just found this on Age UK's factsheet

Existing mixed age PC couples who were entitled on 14 May 2019 can
stay on PC provided there is no break in the claim. You also remain
entitled to PC if you claim and are awarded Attendance Allowance or
Personal Independence Payment.

So fingers crossed it will be ok.

Spoonie_Turtle

He won't get the Severe Disability Premium as he lives with another adult, unless your mother were to claim a disability benefit herself or is registered blind.

MsBlonde

Spoonie_Turtle said:

He won't get the Severe Disability Premium as he lives with another adult, unless your mother were to claim a disability benefit herself or is registered blind.

Thanks, thought as much. Just odd no payment has arrived since the AA claim. Even though AgeUK state attendance allowance claim wont effect existing mixed age PC couples. Would they stop it and recalculate it even though there would be no change?

anmarj

AA notify Pension Credit, which can stop payment as its a trigger to consider extra payment. Call on Monday to get payments sorted

poppy12345

It's very likely just been suspended because of the AA award, this can happen and it's normal. A AA award doesn't automatically increase their pension credit entitlement.

They will need to contact pension credit and tell them they didn't receive any money for the last payment.

MsBlonde

anmarj said:

AA notify Pension Credit, which can stop payment as its a trigger to consider extra payment. Call on Monday to get payments sorted

Even though the gov website states attendance allowance doesn't effect pension credits?

poppy12345

MsBlonde said:

anmarj said:

AA notify Pension Credit, which can stop payment as its a trigger to consider extra payment. Call on Monday to get payments sorted

Even though the gov website states attendance allowance doesn't effect pension credits?

Not in a bad way it doesn't. However, the computer would have flagged a change because of the AA award and would have automatically suspended the PC claim.

whizzywoo

@MsBlonde it really would be helpful if you could answer all the questions asked by the experienced posters.  One or both of you receiving a disability benefit could potentially increase your Pension Credit.  

Help can only be given if all the facts are known.

In my own case receiving Attendance Allowance increased my Pension Credit claim by a significant amount but it does depend on various other factors.

MsBlonde

poppy12345 said:

MsBlonde said:

anmarj said:

AA notify Pension Credit, which can stop payment as its a trigger to consider extra payment. Call on Monday to get payments sorted

Even though the gov website states attendance allowance doesn't effect pension credits?

Not in a bad way it doesn't. However, the computer would have flagged a change because of the AA award and would have automatically suspended the PC claim.

Thanks I will attempt to do that for him tomorrow, let's just hope they don't ask him questions like attendance allowance did to confirm it's him. He's not 100% so struggled. Them asking a partially blind man to read his sort code off of a statement without myself being able to help him wasnt a great experience