Is It worth applying for attendance allowance?

[Icequeen01]

My DM had a fall in August and broke her hip. We think she fell due to her arthritic knee giving way. She was advised last year that she needs a knee replacement but the wait would be a couple of years so she decided she didn't want to go ahead with it! She's recovered amazingly well from her fall but now has to walk with a frame. She doesn't go out at all unless I take her so I take her shopping each week and to medical appointments. I managed to get her a Disabled Badge last year. She had a mobility scooter before her fall but can only use it when I am with her and has just used most of her savings to have a chairlift fitted in her house as she can't get up the stairs to her bathroom and bedroom otherwise is.

She also now has some memory and cognitive issues. No diagnosis as she gets upset if I even mention going to see her GP. I look after all her finances, make appointments, phone calls and do all her admin. I have to make up all her weekly tablet boxes and check that she's taken them each day. I now cook for her at least 4 times a week as since her fall I've noticed she doesn't cook properly for herself, just heats up soup, pies, quiches etc.

My DH thinks I should apply but I'm not convinced she would even qualify and the form is very off putting.

I know a lot of people on this board have experience so would be grateful for your advice as to whether you think it would be worth applying or I would be wasting my time.

You can just download the form from the internet. Advantage of phoning is that they’ll backdate your application to the date you phoned. You have to weigh the value of that against the value of your time.

@MereDintofPandiculation I have no choice but to phone as I don't have a laptop or printer to download and print the form.

I had a phone call from an assessor who asked a few questions – I can't remember exactly what these were but they were more to do with checking details than asking about mum's condition. I think one of them was whether my mum was claiming FNC. And my application was passed within a week - I had a letter to acknowledge receipt on 9 Jan, which said that it could take up to 12 weeks to hear about a decision, followed by a call from the assessor, and then a letter dated 13 Jan telling me that mum was entitled to AA. I was amazed by how fast it all happened. Maybe it was quiet as I applied over New Year?

Just to say, mum has been approved for AA as well

We told the truth on the form and that was that. In terms of things I heard re filling in the form - There was no way we would use her "worst day" as we felt that was really not correct and would be dishonest.

Also, I was told the form is a nightmare, it's not. It's boring but forms usually are. I filled it in while watching TV.

We did the form when she was not long out of her respite care stay so pleased to say she has improved a bit.

When an assessor telephoned to speak to her,
she told them that she had improved and doesn't need the zimmer, just a walking stick. We provided info re hospital stay, GP and respite care so I'm guessing they spoke to them. It took about 10 weeks and they rechecked the info on the phone.

It was granted and backdated to the day of my call.

Also, I wrote a lot on the form that just didn't fit the boxes.

Everyone we have spoken to has been lovely and helpful. Please don't be scared about applying.

I really hope they don't try and phone my mum. She wouldn't cope at all. I did put in the difficulties with communication box that she doesn't like to speak to people on the phone as she can't take it in.

Who did you list as main contact?
they did actually call me first, I missed the call, then they rang her.

if you've put that she finds it hard, they might not call her. I put that too though but the main thing with mum is she asks people to speak slowly.

I think their main query was if there had been any changes, she chirpily told them she was better and didn't use the zimmer but a walking stick. She really thought she'd be turned down but her needs don't change even if she is feeling brighter, IYSWIM.

the bit that's taking ages is getting grab rails fitted but someone's come round to mark where they should be, not sure how long it will take now.

To be honest she will probably just come out with her stock answer which is please can you speak to my daughter which I guess will just confirm what I put on the form.

@Icequeen01 phone DWP and ask to be put down as your mum’s appointee, then they can contact you for anything they need to know.

I applied after reading this thread and it has been granted without any interview. I detailed everything that my siblings and I were doing for DF including reminders about personal hygiene, medication, assisting with hearing aids, transport to appointments.
It will make a big difference. The form wasn't too difficult to complete and took about 8 weeks for a decision.

That's great news. I'm so pleased this thread was helpful.

I was beginning to worry as I hadn't even received an acknowledgement of our application but it arrived yesterday. Only downside is my DM read the letter and is now very anxious as it mentions they may want to come out and assess/interview her. I've tried to reassure her that if they do I will be with her but I heard her talking to my DSis on the phone and she was clearly still very anxious about this.

I think it's been made worse by the fact I had to call out a washing machine repair man to her home recently but at the last minute I couldn't be with her. The repair man phoned me to tell me the problem was she was putting Calgon tablets in her washing machine drawer and not taking them out of the plastic packets so she had blocked the pipes. The guy was lovely but I could hear my mum in the background saying she was so stupid 😢 She feels very vulnerable now.

Definitely, and describe her worst days. It's not too bad, help is available from Age (concern), but it can take weeks to get an appointment.

I think different branches of Age Uk must vary, I walked in and explained I needed some help and they said the advisor could see me in about an hour. I did some shopping and went back and got it sorted. When I got the letter saying it had been awarded I made a point of going back in, asking for the advisor and thanking her for her help. She seemed really pleased to hear the outcome.

Let's keep bumping this thread with tips so it stays relevant.

I thought I would update you all regarding my claim for Attendance Allowance for my DM.

I hadn’t heard anything from the DWP but on Thursday I had to look at my DM’s bank account and noticed a payment with the reference DWP AA. I googled it and sure enough the payment was for Attendance Allowance! I hadn’t received a letter or any phone calls.

Today I received the letter which states my mum has been awarded the higher rate!! I’m delighted but also surprised. I honestly only thought we would get the lower rate. I was totally honest on the form and really didn’t think she was eligible for the higher rate based on her needs and I’m still slightly sceptical if I’m honest.

I just wanted to thank you all for your advice and encouragement to apply. I am pretty sure I would have given up without you all spurring me on and I hope others will be helped by this thread.

Following my update yesterday regarding my DM's successful application for the Attendance Allowance it has been playing on my mind and I don't know if I'm being ridiculous.

As I said in my last post, DM was awarded the higher rate which we were very surprised by as she is not incontinent but does need her frame/stairlift if downstairs/and rails etc to use her toilet. She gets up a few times at night and wears a pad in case of leakage. The letter states "you are entitled to the higher rate because you need attention with bodily functions several times as short intervals right through the day and you also need attention with bodily functions more than once at night or once for a prolonged period".

Having never claimed for benefits before I'm really worried that someone made a mistake giving her the higher rate - Im too honest for my own good sometimes!

I don't want to be worrying about her spending her allowance and then having to pay it back at some point!

If you didn't lie on the form don't worry about it. It sounds like she needs lots of help and I hope the extra money helps a bit.

What AgeUK said to me was it is if she needs help even if she isn't getting it so maybe they are looking at your mum's vulnerable state and assessing that she should have that help.

Thank you @ancientgran. I definitely didn't lie on the form and I sent the completed form to my DSis (who is a lawyer) to read over to check she felt it was a true account of DM before I sent it off. My DSis was as surprised as me that we were awarded the higher amount!

The extra money will really help DM. We are looking at getting her a cleaner now and someone to help with her garden - which will also make mine and DH's lives a lot easier as we currently have to do it! She is very vulnerable and I know things will get harder for her over time.

I work for Age Uk and help with literally hundreds of these forms so happy to offer my view on this. Higher rate is awarded if someone has day and night time difficulties. The vast majority of the forms I help with are awarded higher rate and to be honest a lot of times I am absolutely amazed that they are. I go to people's hoes mainly to complete the forms so do see what they are like, how they move, struggle etc. I had one client recently who said herself she had no nightime difficulties and slept all night and we wrote virtually nothing in the nighttime section. low and behold she got awarded higher rate. Goodness knows how they come to their decisions. The vast majority of the clients I help get no phone call, no assessment , nothing. There seems to be no rhyme or reason for how they make their decision. I have a client with severe copd reliant on Oxygen a a lot of the time and he was turned down and even turned down at appeal, which is terrible, others get it for much lesser difficulties. I have others who get awarded it easily and go off running exercise classes, holidays, swimming etc and I am baffled how they get it, purely based on the odd hospital letter to be honest ! Personally I do think they should do some kind of assessment like for PIP, but understand that with the numbers applying this would be difficult and costly. I have other clients who get turned down, so they ask DWP to look at the decision again, have a chat with a decision maker and it gets awarded. It honestly baffles me. I don't agree with posters upthread who said to write the form base don a worst day, I think what you write does need to reflect the majority of days, no point writing it based on the worst day if that only happens a handful of times a year. Overall I think there is a very low threshold for it being awarded and I've no doubt that at some point in the future it is all going to become completely unaffordable and they will alter the criteria. For now I would let your mum enjoy the extra money because as I say they seem to award the higher rate very frequently.

It does sound like your mum qualifies for higher rate. She has to get up frequently at night and needs to wear a pad, sounds like she has difficulties getting to the toilet, possibly is at risk of falls etc. Sounds like the correct decision has been made. I would say I've done around 170 AA forms in the past 2 years, the vast majority have been awarded at higher rate.

@Babyroobs Thank you so much for taking the time to reply. Your post is very reassuring. I'm so surprised to hear that so many people are awarded the higher rate. I thought it would be very few people to be honest which is why I was so worried.

Yea fill it in. When mum was palliative we did but I think some other department filled in the form for us - might have been hospice or Marie Curie though

I have filled it in and we have been awarded the higher amount. My recent post was an update about this.

Definitely apply. My mum has recently started receiving it. She became disabled after breaking her hip too and as it happened during covid lockdown she didn't get any aftercare. She went from being independent and driving to walking with a frame and being in constant pain from her neck and shoulders. She has carers 3 times a day to help with dressing, showering and food prep.

Have you applied for Pension Credit for her as well?
It might be worth looking into it.

The go completed my dim