Severe disability premium??

col81

Hi, I applied for attendance allowance for my mum about 6 weeks ago she started receiving the lower amount. She has just had a letter regards the housing benefit increase and there is an amount of £81.50 as a severe disability premium per week. We have no idea what this is? Would this be because she gets attendance allowance? It’s very confusing. She is a pensioner and does not get pension credit. Any advise would be great.

Rubyroobs

Yes if she lives alone and no-one claims carers allowance for her she could now be getting an sdp on her housing benefit award. It may be worth checking whether she would now also be eligible for pension credit as the sdp added to that would raise her applicable amount meaning she may now be eligible.

col81

Thank you. She hasn’t had any letters etc it has just appeared on the new housing letter. Where would the disability information come from? The attendance allowance application? Sorry i am unfamiliar with all benefits etc

poppy12345

Severe disability Premium is included with Pension Credit calculation, so she would need to claim this, if there's entitlement. what-youll-get

Newcad

col81 said:

Thank you. She hasn’t had any letters etc it has just appeared on the new housing letter. Where would the disability information come from? The attendance allowance application? Sorry i am unfamiliar with all benefits etc

The DWP do share information with councils, there is a dedicated computer system for that sharing.

It's called ATLAS - 'Automated Transfer to Local Authority Systems'.

That will be how the council have picked up that she now has AA and so now qualifies for the extra SDP to be added to her Housing Benefit.

As the others have already said she should also check if she now qualifies for Pension Credit.
Unlike the SDP any Pension Credit won't happen automatically, she will have to make a claim for it.