Attendance Allowance question- Encouraging in Laws to Claim

Biggles

I agree that you need help to fill them in (I certainly did!) and that Age Concern and CAB can be very helpful where the input is financial and/or legal.

But I think that with a form that has a medical input, especially related to a particular individual's condition, you need the help of a nurse who knows the right form of words that will apply to that particular person and can describe their needs and their problems in a way that will make sense to those who wil assess the claim.

chesky369

Oh, and one other tip - once you've filled the form in, for heaven's sake, make a copy, you never know when you may need to remember what you said in it.

Mojisola

Please encourage them to apply. Have you tried putting to them that it will give them more control over their lives because they will have the money to pay people to do their cleaning, shopping, etc. Rich people have staff to do these jobs - if they think about it like this, it may make them feel more independant.

Ted_Hutchinson

Don't forget you can download a form to practice on from here
But it may be better to also ask for a form directly from Benefit Enquiry Line (BEL)Tel: 0800 88 22 00 Fax: 01772 23 89 53 Email: [EMAIL="Bel-Customer-Services@dwp.gsi.gov.uk"]Bel-Customer-Services@dwp.gsi.gov.uk[/EMAIL]

If your claim is not borderline and there is no doubt you meet the criteria then you may want to consider using the form filling service. The Benefit Enquiry Line should be able to arrange for an adviser to ring the claimant and fill in the form for the claimant and then send the form to the claimant for the signing.

I would not recommend this normally as some of the questions may need thinking about rather than off the cuff answers and it is often very easy to forget the adaptations you have made to your way of life that non disabled people don't have to consider. It may well be that you have care needs that are not being met currently but would improve your quality of life if care was provided and just because you are currently managing without a valid care need being met, is not evidence that you would not benefit, should that care need be met.
PS
If you download a form and also get one from BEL or use the form filling service you will then have a spare copy of the form where you can copy your replies as chesky369 has suggested. All awards need renewal eventually and if you have the wording of the previous successful claim all you need to do at renewal is repeat those sections where no change has occurred and update those answers where your need is now greater.

Angelica_2

I successfully completed the form for my dad last year. He really didn't want to apply and it was my second attempt at persauding him. I think when you write down all the things that are wrong with them it makes them feel more fragile.

I looked on the internet for advice and then spent a couple of nights typing it all up. I printed it out, attached it and got him to sign the form. The doctor filled in the supporting statement and sent it off. It took about a week and he was awarded the lower rate. There were no further questionnaires or any doctors calling which would have frightened him. Even when he got the award through he was still worried that he wasn't really entitled to it but I told him that they look at what the doctor has to say and that settled him.

It might persaude them if you tell them it's not means tested and will just make life a bit easier for them. If they get Pension Credit they'll get a supplement on top of that and may be some help with Housing Benefit and Council Tax.

I said if they said they were going to send a doctor out and he didn't want them to come I would just cancel it.

When I did the form I looked at all the things he couldn't do if he didn't have any support or was having a bad day. For each section I gave examples of what he couldn't do and why or how long it took. Before you fill it in have a good think and make notes.

Good luck hope this helps

bobsa1

Thanks for all your advice DH is going to see inlaws today and discuss the whole thing with them. They would be worried if they thought a doctor was coming out to see them but just having to get the doctor to fill in a statement or similar would be okay.

MIL has been told that her hip will be improved but that she is unlikely to regain anything near normal mobility. It is more to stop pain. Other hip will need doing fairly soon.

I think the comments you all make about people not feeling they deserve it or are entitled to it, is exactly how my inlaws feel.

They live a ten minute walk from the nearest tesco but may as well be on the moon. That ten minute trip is so impossible.

Between the two of them they manage in the house, but one alone cannot manage at all. eg FIL can put washing in machine when told to do it but couldn't programme it or remember that it needed emptying. MIL can't do anything physical but can programme washer and tell FIL to empty it.

In some ways DH are dreading her going into hospital as FIL will need to be with us or have us there 24/7. On top of this MIL is quite nervous and will need lots of support at the hospital, dealing with what needs to be done there.

I'm currently off sick with depression and medication means I can't even have the glasses of wine I'm sure I'm going to need!!!

I do thank you all for your advice and I'll let you know how we get on.

Savvy_Sue

TBH, while online shopping might solve some problems, it might create as many as it solved for the OP's in-laws, especially while MIL is in hospital. Unless someone is there with FIL when it arrives, he won't have a clue what to do with it, presumably? Frozen things in the oven, fruit in the freezer etc.

although of course if someone is staying with him then it might work out better than trying to get out to shop. It's hard to know, just one more thing to think about really ...

Mojisola

Angelica wrote: »

Even when he got the award through he was still worried that he wasn't really entitled to it but I told him that they look at what the doctor has to say and that settled him.

Before my parents would touch the money when it went into their bank account, I had to phone three times so that an advisor could reassure them that they were entitled to the money and that it was theirs to spend in any way that would make their lives more comfortable!