How long are Attendance Allowance applications taking?

[PanettonePudding]

Applied to have mum's AA increased to higher rate in September. Have heard nothing. Rang at beginning of Jan, they have received form but can't say how long until it is looked at. Blamed Christmas and New Year. I laughed.

Bump, anyone?

I sent one in in December. Thinking I should ring as haven't even had an acknowledgment. (tho maybe they don't acknowledge?)
I could have applied 6 or 7 years ago but I didn't even know about it until I read about it on a thread here. I presume they just hope people will die before getting it.
(Sorry, I realise that's not actually an answer to your question)

I didn't get an acknowledgement either, though I did the first time I applied, when she got the lower rate. I might ring and escalate next month, if I can summon the strength.

They texted me the day they received it to say I would get a decision within eight weeks. That was last week. I sent it special delivery and signed for as they are known to go missing.

Interesting. I'm at a loss as to how it can be taking so long. Maybe they leave the reapplications for higher rate for longer but even so - September?? Maybe they haven't actually received it, although she said they had. Will ring again today.

About 8 weeks when I put one on for DU. I did phone to ask what was going on as we hadn't had acknowledgment and they sorted it all out within a week.

Update: I posted the application mid-december (stupid timing but I'd literally just found out about it) and I've received a text today saying their decision will take about 12 weeks.

I go to a disabled group and asked there and the average is 12 weeks.

I rang again today. They said they don't have a timescale for reapplications for higher rate, but he has flagged mum's form to draw it to the assessor's attention. Interesting that they have increased the general timescale from 8 to 12 weeks.

About 8 weeks from sending the form to money in my dad's bank account which seemed surprisingly quick, sent the form back in October.

Sent form in for mum about mid September. Got a text acknowledgement and then it came through about 8 weeks later. Glad I phoned for a paper form as payment was backdated. Just annoyed I hadn't done it sooner as mum died a month later.

Normal ( first time ) AA applications are currently taking around 6 weeks, but ordinarily 8-9 weeks. The upgrades ( going from lower to higher rate) seems to be taking longer. Maybe they are just prioritizing new claims. My friend has just waited around 12 weeks for her dad's to be upgraded.

It can take longer if they have to contact Gp or health professionals. Did you send medical evidence with the form?

I did, yes.

The other problem with all this (aside from AA being quite a well-kept secret😂) is that for some people, there are no 'reports' as such so I suppose the AA assessors will have to phone mum's care agency/GPs/district nurses. Her needs have grown over time and everything has had to be dealt with as and when needed with a mixture of input. I imagine a lot of elderly care is like that.
So I ended up giving them loads of info about medical contacts but couldn't provide anything in writing.
I'm sure they'll use that as a reason (excuse?!) for taking longer

A Gp surgery will print off a summary access request which will list a person's health conditions, medications and their visits to the GP. this is usually sufficient medical evidence. Higher rate is awarded when a person has day and night time difficulties or care needs, they need to have both to qualify , well that is the official criteria but loads of my clients have been awarded higher rate recently even when they have no night time difficulties. They seem to routinely awarded higher rate to anyone over 80 or so it seems. I literally help with hundreds of these forms a year, it seems like every older person I deal with is claiming it. The vast majority get awarded even when I think someone is borderline or may not qualify. Then I'll get the odd one which gets turned down even with loads of medical evidence that the person has some kind of horrible progressive disease and can't get out of bed ! Goodness knows I if anyone actually looks at the forms that i spend hours completing in much detail !

A care plan from the care agency would also be good evidence- so showing what care they do for your mum. I have sent these many times before as evidence but some care agencies seem to have gone to everything being on the carers phones now rather than paper care plans.

Thank you for the info Babyroobs. Wish I'd asked for advice here in December!

Thanks for starting this thread OP.
After finding out about AA on here a few months ago we finally sent the form off for my dad on 2nd January. It took my Mum about 2 months to fill it in for him. We have heard nothing so far, so it sounds as if still have some time to wait.

Sent off form in September and started receiving the allowance in November

I applied for my mum before Christmas. Received by them 24th December, granted 3 weeks later but this was under 'special rules'

Just to update, ours has been processed and backdated to the date of receipt (5 Jan). Lower rate, £68.
I wish I could remember which poster told me about this benefit - thank you so much!

Applied mid December and it was agreed last week, including backpayment to mid Jan.
My advice for what it's worth would be to phone asking for the appn form rather than printing off and sending, as apparently they then take the phonecall as the appn date for backdating purposes. So we missed out on a month of payments.
Still, good to know that the system does work.