Are attendance allowance forms as tricky as DLA and PIP?

They don't consider whether she can cook a meal, just whether she can feed herself and difficulties with personal care.

AA is to help with personal care only. Make it simpler for yourself. Do not to mention problems with cooking, housework, shopping, mobility outside. The Decision Maker will ignore it. Concentrate on describing the way in which they get in and out of bed, wash, shower etc. all the sections which are on the application form. It’s much easier than claiming DLA/PiP. Good luck.

It is always best to include the medical evidence yourself - don't rely on them contacting the GP. It will delay things and a lot of GP's are slow to provide information as they don't see it as a priority.

I help people with a lot of these forms and find AA so much easier to get awarded ! There is no assessment. I would complete the form, send in any hospital letters and a patient summary form the GP surgery, prescription list, details of any physio? OT input etc. I have found with a few applicants who have had strokes that they tend to take ages and may require more evidence as there is good scope for people to improve in the months following a stroke. Either that or there will be another review after perhaps a year.

Sorry !
I seem to have over invested myself in your thread ☺️!

In fact ...as your mum has had a stroke ...I would also word your night care very carefully.

He might be looking after her at night or at least listening out for her .
Could she be left alone at night ?

If your dad has to be there ...surely that would mean the higher care payment ?

Remember...AA will help your dad as well .
?cleaner or something to support him .

The carers need care as well.

Difficult for you doing all the "bad" days as you have been doing it with your DC's forms as well.

I know ...I am in the same situation..with my DC.

Take care .

Have a quiet word with your dad to find out everything he does for her ....because they are the things she can't do herself.

Remember not to focus on what other people do for her

Can your mum cook a meal ..NO.
Don't let her say it doesn't matter because your dad does it ...
That sort of thing.

That was what was hard for my mum as I had been doing loads and so she was not aware of what she couldn't do .

Well she was ....but it all just became normal life ....for her !

I was advised by ss to use the behaviour and abilities shown by my late aunt on her worst days as the examples when filling in the form.
At the end part where there was space to freely write i wrote truthfully about her and the impact it was having on me her only carer including examples of why i considered she needed money to pay for help- i wrote a lot but clearly and concise.
Be truthful and if the situation is bad you really need to spell it out regardless of embarrassment and privacy, my aunts needs were much worse than i 1st thought but she only got the lower amount.

Gather the evidence and write it down. They might say I can do it but it might not be true.

You will be eligible for carers allowance as well...
Though you might be already getting that for your child ?

You have to provide all the evidence yourself IME.

It is not just home that help is needed.
Medication confusion, doctors appointments...booking and getting there, cleaning,housework, laundry...I could go in ....( Flip ... writing this all down has reminded me of all I do to help her now !!...
It had just become normal to me as well !!!)

The extra money has become invaluable for the extra costs if taxis everywhere (I don't drive anymore ) as she can't manage a bus even with me .

I did the forms for my PIL.
This was several years ago and I did find that the online system did not work, so I printed the forms.
As pp have said you have to describe everything as the worst day, not a good day.
I had to include printed proof of all medication, all diagnoses, including hospital and GP letters.
Maybe it is easier online, but I helped my elderly neighbour very recently with written paper forms (she isn't computer literate) and it did take us most of the day to find and copy everything.

Good point about aids already in the house .y dad was disabled and already had grab rails , special bath seat and stair lift installed.

Mum had been using these without really noticing.
It just became normal for her to use the grab rails...but she would have struggled without .

But it did show that she needed help.

I could be wrong but I thought higher rate was for people that needed care/carers at night?
Eg ... actually during the night...not help to put to bed or get up ?

If a person is on their own at night ( and mostly manages ok) does that mean that they will automatically not be considered for higher rate?

Yep, that was poor wording on my part. Bad days, not worst ever day. I would always be honest. I hated doing forms for DLA at CAB, it's a real skill to get it spot on.

Is it worth getting a copy of relevant notes from her GP do you think? I didnt. I can’t remember if I included a list of medications.

Main thing is to think of all the little modifications they’ve already made and remember to include the needs behind those. “A need met is still a need”

Fill in according to bad days, but don’t stray into “worst day ever” territory. You still have to tell the truth.