What evidence is needed for Attendance Allowance-advice welcome!

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I am wondering if this might be something we can apply for, for my dad. He is mid 80s, had a spell in hospital last year with emergency complications from a hiatus hernia. He then got pneumonia, Covid and a urine infection and after several weeks in hospital was released but has remained weak, wobbly and quite confused. He has glaucoma and related medication for that, has had both eyes operated on with cataracts but still struggles with vision and is no longer able to drive. He can’t walk far and walks mainly with a stick (though wants to walk without!). Struggles to do simple tasks, eg make a sandwich, struggles to put clothes on the right way round and struggles with depth perception/word retrieval-it sounds like cognitive decline but nothing is particularly in writing. I did write to the GP saying all this who sent round. A practice nurse to take blood and as him who the prime minister was (!), but nothing really happened and I don’t know what’s written in his notes?

He’s got lots of medication for the hiatus hernia (they decided not to operate as it would be such a risk at his age) and also for the glaucoma. At the moment, my mum is doing pretty much everything for him but she is also mid 80s and struggling. If they could get a cleaner I think this would take the pressure off her a bit.

Is attendance allowance appropriate/likely? What evidence would we need?

For my mum we sent opticians reports stating her bad eye sight. And glaucoma. Dates of scans for her hands as she has arthritis.

So I would send any reports about his eye sight and also discharge letters from his hernia and if anything says the risk of operating.

The main bit if on the form stating the amount of time it takes him to do normal tasks and the help he requires.

Hope this helps

We also sent medication list and cross referenced what each medication was for what condition.

This might be helpful.

www.ageuk.org.uk/information-advice/money-legal/benefits-entitlements/attendance-allowance/what-to-include-in-your-attendance-allowance-application/

Definitely get the wheels in motion to apply. You could also ask the GP to advise how to apply for a Social Care Assessment.

My relative did it on line, just a few months ago and the claim was successful. Didn't have to send medical proof, l expect it was checked out with her GP.
But she did put down absolutely everything. With very great detail. Every little thing that she needs to do to keep safe and how she manages day to day.

I sent hospital discharge docs which listed medications. I also detailed a number of other conditions and issues that I didn't prove proof for. I went into plenty of detail and was given the advice to write about how things are on worst days/nights. Don't downplay anything.

Thank you for the replies-this is really useful.

I presume the person who we would claim for needs to be fully supportive of the claim? I’m not sure he would be as he is quite proud and would rather do without claiming anything , but it would help my mum who is currently having to do everything around the house and she hasn’t got great mobility herself (broke her arm in a fall so can’t do things she could before!

I applied for it online for an elderly relative last year, when, following a fall, we needed to get in two live in carers - one for the day and one for the night. She was awarded the higher rate.

I didn’t provide any proof but I assume that they checked with her GP. The fact that she was 96 probably helped too.

After a couple of months I phoned to let DWP know that she no longer had a night carer and I assume that she has now moved onto the lower rate.

As PP I used the age uk information to complete the attendance allowance form.

when answering questions state how he is at his worst. Think about overnight, could he stay in his own or does your mum need to be there to make sure he is ok?

it’s a long form but when complete it really helps.

after he starts to receive the benefit he can apply for others. Again, I think this is mentioned in the age uk link further up this thread.

Put what he has difficulty with. So cataracts and glaucoma = poor vision= risk of falls, can't cook safely. It's more what the disability prevents him from doing that is the important bit rather than the disability itself...
If he gets up at night yo the loo, risk of falls with poor vision,
Mobility problems...can't stand to cook, at risk of falls, struggles to get up at night. Really focus on how the disability affects their ability to live safely as this is what it is based on. Does he have hearing difficulties...can't hear doorbell, can't hear fire alarms/smoke detectors. Age UK has some great advice on it's website...I've applied for 4 people over the last few years and succeeded each time.

The other thing to apply for is a blue badge. Even if he doesn't have his own car. It makes life so much easier for anyone who is taking him places or to appointments. There is a small charge - I think we paid about £20 for mum's - but it is so helpful.

I applied for my mum (with her permission). We detailed all the things she found hard and all the adaptations she had to make things easier. Eg walking. Getting in and out the bath or bed. Taking medication. Form filling.
Could you phrase it with dad as help to take any pressure off mum or money to put towards things as and when needed. (Mobility devices etc.)

His hospital discharge letter would do as evidence.

Otherwise just make sure you answer the question being asked on the application- I've seen lots of people waffle in their answers rather than clearly answering what the question is asking. Also don't let your parents exaggerate his abilities- no 'on a good day i can walk to the shops 'if there hasn't been a good day for weeks.

There are some very good guides online with example answers.

When I completed the form for my nan, I didn't have to send anything. I answered the questions, and I believe they may have records online.

He does have to sign it (as he has mental capacity), so good idea from PP to phrase it as money to help with daily living costs and for your mum to use. The vast majority of people who claim it use it for taxis, cleaners, etc etc not carers (at least not initially). A useful document which you can get from his GP is his patient summary, it includes all his medical conditions and issues in one place, along with his medication. Although this may not include eyes/ears etc.
Remember to keep all answers relevant to the question and about personal care needs. Do not say anything about cleaning/gardening/tidying as although that is what lots of people use the money for it is not an eligibility criteria.

Yes he definitely sounds eligible. Just a heads up about mobility. Mobility out of the house is not covered in Attendance Allowance, so it is (sadly) irrelevant if he cannot walk a distance. However mobility within the house IS relevant. So, if appropriate, make sure to reference things like struggling to get out of an armchair, even using the arms, or flopping into a chair when sitting down rather than sitting down carefully, using furniture to steady himself while walking around inside, using thinks like radiators, towel rails or basins to steady himself when getting onto or off the toilet and any issues about safety accessing and using a shower or bath.

Yes he will need to agree to the application and sign it. Try framing it as money to keep him independent and for use to pay for things he might struggle with like gardening. But totally agree with the poster above who says you can't include things like gardening or housework in the application. You can however use the money for anything at all, useful or totally frivolous, once its been awarded.

Do you have POA for him? You should get this now if you don't to help him should he lose capacity or just to help with financial things. The DWP send everything to me as attorney now even though dad still has capacity as he can't remember how to use online banking anymore

With my parents we completed the hard copy forms - if you ask for the hard copies when you submit the claim is backdated to the date the forms were requested which gained a few weeks. We had a lot of help from Citizens Advice to ensure the forms were filled in effectively, and they do this regularly, so are worth asking - I was happy to complete the form, but they definitely improved the application. Having CAB help also focused my parents on what they should/n't declare and to be honest, not overconfident in what they could do. We did send prescription lists, consultant letters, etc., as we had them. I'm not clear on your timings, you cannot apply until 6 months after the condition started which can be frustrating when things change e.g. my father has the lower level but would now be eligible for the higher level but we can't apply until the summer. That and blue badges definitely help them a lot. The person applying has to sign the application and once successful you have to notify if admitted to hospital again (hopefully not) as the payments are paused.

JellicleCat make a very important point that mobility or lack of it outside the home doesn’t count. But emphasise the need to steady oneself inside by holding on to furniture etc.

I had a phone call from the DWP or whoever deals with the applications, and she was very kind and supportive. I assume my ‘permanent’ health problems had been checked with my GP, I had been asked the address of my practice.

One of the first questions she asked was did I go to bed during the day. I was actually in bed having a nap when she rang, which amused her.

At the end of our conversation I asked if she thought I would qualify, and she said definitely but couldn’t specify which level. About a week later I had a letter saying I head been granted the higher award. All very painless and a very helpful tax free boost.

I've just applied for DH who is now receiving the higher rate. I phoned and requested the form in December, so the first backdated payment was nearly £700 that we would have missed out on if we had applied online.

I keep all DH's paperwork in a file, so I pulled out his prescription list, the letter from the consultant confirming his cancer diagnosis and treatment plan, diagnosis letter from his neurologist and the letter ftom the council confirming the adaptions they were coming to fit in the house. Basically what we had to confirm what we were saying.

At 32 pages the form is daunting, but a lot of it is just information; name, address, DOB, GP details, and yes or no questions like "Are you in a care home?" I completed all that and then sat down with DH and went through the "Can you do this?" sections. The decision was made two weeks later, despite the acknowledgement saying it would be 12 weeks.

We had to return the form by a specific date, but that date was about a month after receipt, so there was no rush.

Apply OP. It's definitely worth it.

Mum filled the form in online in great detail and had it refused. We contacted Citizens Advice and a very helpful guy completed the form whilst we were speaking to him on the phone. We then got it accepted and backdated. Might be worth you contacting them.

See if you can get an appointment with the frailty team. Here they will come out and do the form with the patient.

Good luck with that! When my DF had stage 4/terminal cancer and evidence from the oncologist my DM couldn't get it. As they didn't expect anything and it would be a bonus and advised to apply for they just accepted the decision. The typical older generation who worked hard and wouldn't want to feel as taking but thought well ok, only because I as DC filled in the form and only asked for signatures so as not to burden them with the process.

The form is long and detailed but not complicated.
You need all relevant medical info; meds/surgeries/diagnoses etc.
You need to paint the picture of the applicant on their worst day whilst staying strictly truthful because you give permission for the GP to be contacted for verification.
I applied for - and got - higher level payments for both my parents. They both knew what was written as they had to sign the forms, tho I had to explain to mum about the worst case scenario situation as above.

citizens advice came to mums house and did the form and also a blue badge one. brilliant help.