Attendance allowance

[Motheranddaughter]

Does anyone have any experience in helping an elderly person claim this
Currently on state pension only
Health deteriorating quite a bit so we are doing shopping etc and paying for taxis and also at home more so fuel bills are through the roof
A friend mentioned Attendance allowance

Both my parents received attendance allowance my Mum's was fast-tracked because she was on Palliative Care but my Dad initially was on the lower rate and then we applied a year later and he is now on the higher rate.

The forms are quite lengthy to fill out. We actually used an Elder Care Consultant for both parents and whilst there was a cost she completed all the forms and we had no problems with our applications, therefore it paid for itself after a couple of months If you don't have the budget for that then I believe that the CAB can help complete the forms or Age Uk maybe able to help.

Attendance Allowance is not means tested it is based on the needs of who you are applying for.

Good luck, the application is a pain but the money does make a difference.

You can find out more here and download the form, or you can ring, I think it is DWP and they will send one.

https://www.gov.uk/attendance-allowance

I have helped hundreds of people claim AA. It is not about whether they need help with shopping, housework etc. The criteria for claiming AA is having difficulties with personal care several times a day or night or both. So things like getting into and out of bed, washing and dressing, managing medications , moving around the home, climbing stairs. The claimant doesn't actually need to have someone helping with these things but just have difficulties. It is also important to back up with medical letters/ GP summary report/ hospital letters/ OT report etc and prescription list. there is no mobility component as such for AA but they do look at what difficulties the person has moving around the house and any aids/ adaptions/ stairlift etc.

Also Age UK may be able to help with the form free of charge so worth asking your local branch.

Thanks
I manage all the prescriptions etc
They have a walking aid
Can’t walk outside the house

My Mum who was very ill and struggled to walk, was very weak and frail and was housebound. My sisters who lived locally did her shopping, cooking, cleaning and gave her personal care. She was refused it. Two months later she was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and prognosis was given as 12 weeks to live. Then she got it. It is hard to get.

I don't think it's hard to get as long as they have difficulties with personal care. So many people have this misconception that they should get it because they can no longer do the garden or the shopping which it's not what it was awarded for. It is an odd benefit because there is no points criteria like with PIP and no-ne does an assessment on these claimants. Occasionally they will ring the applicant to clarify something but most don't have this, it is based purely it seems on the medical evidence you send in and whether they contact your GP. I find most elderly people heading into their later eighties/ early nineties get it awarded no problem but I have had one 92 year old turned down. My elderley dad was turned down for significant hearing loss, they don't seem to consider the impact of that much. I have had much younger people late sixties despite serious debilitating health conditions and was turned down at appeal also ! Overall I think with the correct medical evidence it has to be the easiest benefit to claim compared to disability benefits for working age people. If awarded AA then this qualifies lots more people to pension credit also, especially if they live alone.
Caring carer - I'm sorry for your loss, as I say I'm at a loss as to how some decisions are made.

It is awful how some are turned down and there doesn't seem to be any logic to it. I have had one client turned down and he can barely breath and on Oxygen. It doesn't make sense. Sorry for your loss.

In my limited (claimed for both elderly parents) it all comes down to how well the claim form is completed.

The best way I can describe it is that all the questions should be completed in a 'worse case' scenario way.

For example, my father completed his form initially and it was rejected. He was a mentally competent, independent person who really didn't like asking for help and had never claimed any benefit, so he had underplayed what he struggled with. On his worse days he would be unable to get out of bed and clean himself properly after using the toilet but didn't put any of that on the form because he didn't have an actual carer to help with these tasks.

We appealed, which involved me writing more detailed information with his permission. We then had a telephone conversation with an adjudicator and it was awarded immediately and backdated to his first claim.

It is difficult to complete in an objective, worse case, way but imagine the worst day that someone has and write from that perspective.

I have just asked for a review for my mother's allowance and she's been awarded the higher amount, backdated for 6 months.

My mum gets AA. Citizens Advice mentioned she could claim while helping with something else and helped with the forms.

You mentioned a walking frame, so if memory serves things like "unable to stand without help" I.e. walking aid. Unable to walk inside without help I.e. walking frame.
Unable to leave property without assistance etc
Literally, think about each thing and break it down into what your person has to do to stand from a chair, get to the toilet, wash & dress in the morning, get into bed etc
Even if they 'manage' most of the time like my father did for a long time, it is something that they need help with.
HTH

Local Elderly charities can be great with helping with the forms, although I did fil claim (and blue badge) myself successfully.

Attendance allowance is not means tested - they don’t ask about income or savings. Lots of good advice above about imagining their worst day. Also be sure to state that their problems started over six months ago (if they did) so the payments start immediately.

The man from CAB came to Mums house and filled out the form with her and he told us he thought she would get it but on the first application she did not. They had to be awarded once she got a terminal diagnosis.

Hello so my 86 year old gran has been awarded low rate AA around sept last year how do I go about her getting the high rate
she practically needs everything doing ? Thanks @Babyroobs

Hi to qualify for higher rate she would need to have day and night time difficulties. If this is the case she can ring up Attendance Allowance and explain this and they will send her out a review form which is simpler to complete then the original form.

Can an elderly person claim when they struggle to communicate on phone and need help with post and understanding how to pay bills which arr increasingly online? And help in knowing how to get help.when they have medical issues (for example my Dad's needed an ambulance twice in past six months and another time a and e but I was there staying and could take him)

He also has trouble with time keeping and misses every appointment unless someone picks him.up. he appears to just get up and go, whatever the time is. We've bought him a big screen clock hoping that might help.

Basically he's needing increasing amounts of help. I'm.calling daily by phone/video call. Visiting every fortnight so post is read and he can pay his bills. Relying more on neighbours in emergencies. He's staying with us for three weeks at a time when he comes to take pressure off of me. He falls occasionally (last time he needed an ambulance)

Just wondering when it gets to a point he can claim and we can bring in regular help or.investigate options

And they only eat microwave ready meals because they can't cook without someone there beside them telling them what to do and because there isn't anyone unless I stay, ready meals are the only option.

He can make breakfast and he drinks water only, but yhats probably good for him

I don't know how to link to my post but if you look in the Elderly Parents section I started a post called "Is it Worth Applying for Attendance Allowance" I had a fantastic response which encouraged me to apply. About 3 weeks ago I received a decision to award my mum the higher rate.

@Stepbystep100 I put in an online claim for my late father in law, most of the questions are does the person need help with ordering and taking medication, cooking and eating and getting dressed, how far they can walk unaided etc. A lot of questions are repetitive, same questions asked in a different way. You can do a dummy claim online before submitting, yes it’s a long form, but worthwhile to get the extra amount. He used his money for a cleaner, as he wasn’t able to clean his house adequately himself and for taxis for medical appointments. Age UK can help, they can come to the house and do forms for you.