Higher rate Attendance Allowance question

[evenkeel]

Hello all, wondered if someone knowledgeable could answer this for me. My elderly DM already gets the lower-rate Attendance Allowance and after a review of her benefits by SS, they suggested we try for the higher rate as she has greater night-time needs now.

I filled in the form and sent it before the deadline of August 7th. Heard nothing for weeks and weeks. Eventually rang them and they said they'd had the form and realised they were close to breaching their own 10-week deadline for dealing with it but not to worry as the claim 'would be backdated if granted'.

Finally heard yesterday (!) that she's been successful, and money has been paid, but it doesn't seem enough to have been backdated to the date of the claim, and looking online suggests that's when it should be calculated from.

Could anyone shed light? TIA.

[noarguments]

No idea, but I'm also waiting for outcome of similar application for uplift to higher rate for my Dad who's had to go into res. care. Also sent early August, I chased end September and was told it had been received, and that it was a just a case of waiting for a response. Still no news as of today. They must be really behind! Definitely should be backdated to date of claim. I'd phone to query if I was you.

[Halsall]

Thanks, noarguments, it's so frustrating, isn't it? I gave Age UK a ring to run it past them and they didn't know either so I'll get onto the Attendance Allowance number and update here if I find out anything useful.

One other thing I did find out from googling is that higher-rate AA may mean that the amount of Pension Credit the person gets (if they receive it) will increase. So now I need to look into that too.

[Halsall]

@noarguments Just updating in case this is helpful to you or anyone else. I rang the Attendance Allowance people and there is a 'qualifying period', it seems. This is 6 months after the date they ask for on the form - the question that asks 'when you first needed this amount of extra help with personal care during the night'.

I can't see an explanation anywhere that this is where they date the claim back to, but apparently it is. So it's nothing to do with when you apply, or when you send the form back. It's not very clear tbh.

[noarguments]

Thanks Halsall - I knew there was a qualifying period for lower rate, i didn't realise it affected an uplift to higher rate - ho hum.