Attendance Allowance AA) is for people over 65 who need help with care and supervision.
There is no benefit for people over 65 who need help with mobility.
AA is tax-free and it is not means tested so it won't affect your pension
or income support.
When you apply, remember that it is about the help you need,
not the help you get, so if no one actually helps you with your
care or supervision needs, you may still get benefit.
To get the lower rate of attendance allowance (£37), you must need one of the following kinds of help from another person because of your disability:
1) By reason of disability you need frequent attention during the day in connection with bodily functions, (this means things like bathing, dressing, toileting, breathing, eating, talking, etc)
2) You need continual supervision during the day to avoid substantial danger to yourself and to others because of your disability.
3) At night you need prolonged or repeated attention in connection with bodily functions.
4) At night you need someone to be awake frequently or for a long period of time, to watch over you to avoid substantial danger to yourself or others. You must have met this condition for the last 6 months.
To get the high rate (£55.30) of AA, you need to meet at least one of the day conditions and one of the night conditions.
The
Claim Pack
Section
1 (blue form)
This form is straightforward, covering information such as your name,
address, age, where you would like to be paid, what medicines you take,
etc. On page 12, you need to write the name and address of someone who
knows you and knows about your disabilities, this should be someone
like a social worker, carer, or health professional - make sure you
discuss it with them first.
Section 2 (pink
form)
Getting in
and out of bed (p3)
Help may include encouragement, instruction,help with lifting, rolling,
getting feet on/off floor,standing up from the bed, being lowered down
onto it, adjusting bedding. Equipment used could include hand grips,
hoist, stick/frame,etc
Try to measure accurately how long the whole process of getting into
bed and getting comfortable takes.
Problems when you
are in bed (p4)
This may include turning over, getting in comfortable position, help
with bedclothes/nightclothes help because of sweats or soiling.
Make sure you tell them exactly what help you need with all this (and
why) and how long it takes.
Equipment you use may include special pillows, hoists, equipment to
raise bedclothes off ankles etc
Toileting (p5)
Think about the help you need during the day and the night. Such help
might include using the stairs, getting to toilet, opening and closing
doors, getting on and off, reaching toilet roll/flush, washing and drying
hands etc changing incontinence aids cleaning self afterwards.
Bathing etc (p6)
Tell them about any problems you have cleaning yourself or looking after
you appearance.
You should include things like someone telling you when to bathe/wash/shave,
also help you may need with turning taps on and off, standing up, getting
into and out of the bath/shower, gripping or holding soap/flannel/razor/toothbrush/toothpaste
reaching for things, drying, hair-washing, cutting nails etc
Tell them about why you need the help.
Tell them about any equipment you use like bath mat, back scrubber,
grips, handrails, stuff for cleaning feet etc
Dressing/ Undressing
(p7)
Tell them about what help you need with this because of your disability,
include things like: bending to put on socks/tights, doing up buttons/zips,
reaching to put arms in sleeves, underwear etc Include problems with
getting or selecting clothes.
Equipment - Include anything you use to help you dress like shoe horns,
button fasteners, support rails/hoists, help from another person etc
Mealtimes (p8)
Tell them about any encouragement you might need to eat or drink.
Include what help you need with cutting up, bringing food/drink to mouth
steady hands, help with spillages and dribbling etc
Explain why
you use any special equipment like a level indicator, special cutlery,
suction pads to keep things grounded, straws, special cups/plates(e.g.
plastic) etc.
Medical Treatment
(p9)
Include any help you may need using medical equipment like nebuliser,
syringes, surgical stockings etc.
Tell them about help with medication such as encouragement/reminder,
getting water, getting pills, taking at the right time and right amount,
help dealing with the side-effects like nausea etc
Someone to watch over you
Include help you may need moving around, in traffic, in crowds, getting
through obstacles, getting lost/wandering off, safety (you and others)
(falling, hitting, traffic, violence, temper tantrums etc), sleepwalking.
Someone to watch
over you (p10)
Include help you may need in traffic, in crowds, getting through obstacles,
getting lost/wandering off, safety (you and others) (falling, hitting,
traffic, violence, temper tantrums etc), sleepwalking.
Moving about indoors
(p11)
Include any help you need getting in and out of chairs, (whether this
is painful for you), tell them about difficulties you have moving around
indoors, going up and down stairs etc
Dizziness, blackouts
etc (p12)
Include what the dizzy spells, blackouts fits or seizures are like,
how frequent, and when they are likely to happen. Also include what
help you need during the spell, such as someone to stop you swallowing
your tongue, someone to put you in the recovery position, someone to
wait until you come around and make sure you come to no harm. Tell them
what help you need afterwards and for how long - such as someone to
stay with you because you are confused or disorientated.
Falls/Stumbles (p13)
Explain why this happens - it may be dizziness, lack of vision, joints/limbs
giving way, anxiety, overheating, fits/seizures etc
Tell them where you are likely to stumble, this could include: an unfamiliar
place, walking too far/bad day, bad surface, changes of level, stairs/steps,
getting off pavements, where light is poor. etc
Tell them how often this happens and what the effect is on you - this
may include injury, confusion, dizziness, pain etc
Tell them what help you need when you have fallen or stumbled, this
may include: getting up, resting, finding way, getting home, moving
etc
Mental Health (p14)
Tell them about any mental health problems like negative self image,
anxiety, problems dealing with other people, depression, lack of motivation
etc.
Tell them what help or encouragement you need from other people because
of this. Communication Include things like understanding/being understood,
hearing, speaking, reading and writing, sign language, learning disability
etc
Communicating (p15)
Include things like understanding/being understood, hearing, speaking,
reading and writing, sign language, learning disability etc
Tell them what help you need and how often. If someone has to read letters
or make phone calls for you, tell them about this. Explain why you feel
you need help.
More Information
(p16)
Write here anything to support your claim that you have not explored
elsewhere. It may be general or summarising e.g. "I cannot socialise
or exercise alone". Or "before my disability I could do xyz, now I don't
do xyz because of it"
Write about pain - how it affects you how frequent it is etc Include
information on any equipment you use but have not mentioned elsewhere.
You may also give a snapshot of your daily life if you think this will
help them make a decision.