MSE Guide: Attendance Allowance

Murphybear

dikda said:

Dikda
What follows is a copy of an e-mail of 5/12/23

"I am so pleased that you are giving this subject some attention!

 

My daughter and son-in-law took advice from a lady who had a charity involvement and was experienced in completing this type of application. With her help, they successfully applied on behalf of the other in-laws who without question had a clear entitlement with all sorts of living difficulties to cope with.

They then turned their attention to me – an unusually fit 86 year old with all my faculties and still coping without my wife and living alone and employing no one. When it was suggested that I may well also be entitled, I totally discounted the possibility having examined the form on the web. They persisted, with the guidance of the ‘expert’ and I finally succumbed to an interview, expressing my doubts. The expert’s response was that ‘she wouldn’t waste her time if she did not believe that I had an entitlement’.

I am an ex-engineer/manager who worked as a trouble-shooting consultant in the contracting industry, so very analytical and not stupid. I was totally embarrassed  - she was right and I was wrong and am now the recipient of the allowance at the maximum rate which is close to £5,000 per year!!!

The moral of the story is two fold. We are very poor at making truly objective personal assessments of our own lives (we tend to minimise our difficulties because we are accustomed to coping) and the completion of this type of document NEEDS THE HELP OF SOMEONE EXPERIENCED in the presentation ‘form’ to suit the assessor. There is no doubt that the style of the responses is VITALLY important to the success of the application. Assistance/guidance from perhaps Help the Aged, Age UK, or a similar organisation would be highly recommended.

 

Sorry that it is this long, but please feel free to edit without losing the moral!

 

All good wishes and more power to your elbow!

IF you publish I would prefer to remain anonymous"

Well said.  Please don’t apologise for your post, it’s great.    That’s  why I put in my post that 58% of people get turned down for AA because they underestimate the problems they have and how they affect you, and getting someone to help complete the form is so important.  

I’m hoping the experiences on here of those of us who have helped people get AA and those who have been successful in getting it will encourage others to apply.  

Having an extra £5k a year can make a big difference to people’s lives 

November2

Guide is very useful, but why in this day and age of technology is the AA procedure such a shambles.  Link it to the Doctors and make it automatic.
My aunt went directly from hospital into a care home, she has been awarded the lower rate despite needing night supervision for her personal safety
My mother had a stroke and has dementia and needs night time supervision in case of falls or wandering as gets confused with time, she cannot be left alone overnight, she too has been awarded the lower rate
How can someone if they are doing there job correctly not award day and night care in these circumstances?  How many are receiving the wrong rate or been wrongly turned down altogether?   

MouldyOldDough

The article on AA is out of date

under

Can I get Attendance Allowance and carer's allowance?

It says that the CA cut off is £139 per week - it has been increased to £151 per week

Superfast_Gran

Last year I got “help” from the Change Mental Health’s Finance Team. They told me that now I am FINALLY receiving my pension after waiting 6 long years in a barren land, if I were to claim AA that I would have my ADP (PIP in Scotland} taken away. How is that fair?

nannytone_2

It is fair because AA is basically the exact same benefit as DLA/PIP.  Only difference is that AA is for people past  retirement age and has no mobility component.. 
Would be no different to a working age person trying to claim DLA and PIP at the same time

Spoonie_Turtle

Superfast_Gran said:

Last year I got “help” from the Change Mental Health’s Finance Team. They told me that now I am FINALLY receiving my pension after waiting 6 long years in a barren land, if I were to claim AA that I would have my ADP (PIP in Scotland} taken away. How is that fair?

It's the same reason that you can't claim ESA and State Pension, or Pension Credit and UC, they're overlapping benefits with the same basic purpose.

AA is the pension age disability benefit for people who weren't already claiming PIP or DLA or ADP from before pension age.  And as above, the highest award is worth less than the highest award of PIP because there is no mobility component.  It's not unfair to you.

Northern_Wanderer

Superfast_Gran said:

Last year I got “help” from the Change Mental Health’s Finance Team. They told me that now I am FINALLY receiving my pension after waiting 6 long years in a barren land, if I were to claim AA that I would have my ADP (PIP in Scotland} taken away. How is that fair?

People resident is Scotland can no longer claim Attendance Allowance. All new claims are now for Pension Age Disability Payment (PADP) administered by Social Security Scotland. 

You'd have to check if you might be better off claiming PADP instead of your Adult Disability Payment (ADP). To get max PADP you'd need to qualify for the assistance during the day and the night. So it depends on your needs and the current award you have. You can put in for a change if circumstances with ADP if your needs have increased but there are very limited scenarios that you can add the mobility component if you don't already have it in your ADP award.

It  my be beneficial to get advice if you are thinking of either option.

youth_leader

My late mother's younger sister lives alone on the IOW, and in May 2023 I asked her if she'd like to see the local assisted living place, Abbeyfield.  She was 86.

She did ... but when we were there said 'she wasn't ready'.  The manager of the home recommended she contact 'Aspire' on the island to see if she was eligible for AA.  I had come come back home but my aunt did have a visit from someone at Aspire, who filled in the all the forms, and my aunt heard a few weeks later she had been awarded the full amount which would be backdated.  I was surprised as I don't think my aunt expressed she needed help with personal care, which is a main consideration.

At the same time of the award she was offered a personal assistant but the person could not come on a regular day/time and after a ridiculous fuss my aunt cancelled her.  Later on she agreed to take her neighbour's mother's person, who now comes for an hour a fortnight.  This costs her £22.00 for the hour.  I keep encouraging her to increase the hours, take taxis, etc, but she does not take any notice of me unfortunately.

Rubyroobs

youth_leader said:

My late mother's younger sister lives alone on the IOW, and in May 2023 I asked her if she'd like to see the local assisted living place, Abbeyfield.  She was 86.

She did ... but when we were there said 'she wasn't ready'.  The manager of the home recommended she contact 'Aspire' on the island to see if she was eligible for AA.  I had come come back home but my aunt did have a visit from someone at Aspire, who filled in the all the forms, and my aunt heard a few weeks later she had been awarded the full amount which would be backdated.  I was surprised as I don't think my aunt expressed she needed help with personal care, which is a main consideration.

At the same time of the award she was offered a personal assistant but the person could not come on a regular day/time and after a ridiculous fuss my aunt cancelled her.  Later on she agreed to take her neighbour's mother's person, who now comes for an hour a fortnight.  This costs her £22.00 for the hour.  I keep encouraging her to increase the hours, take taxis, etc, but she does not take any notice of me unfortunately.

Very common scenario. It seems like you just have to have difficulties with personal care to qualify. No one really seems to check and no assessment is done. I guess by the age of 86 most people are going to have some difficulties. In my experience of helping with a lot of these forms the higher rate seems to be given out very freely especially to people in their late eighties. Even if we write down barely any night time difficulties on the form they still seem to be awarded it.