Question about attendance allowance application

[Leigh45]

Sorry if this is a bit long-winded, but please bear with me!
My mum is in a care home and is self-funding. When I applied for attendance allowance, she was living at home - this was just before Christmas. However, things took a sudden turn and she moved into a care home for respite care at the end of December for four weeks. After the four weeks was up, she decided she would like to stay in the care home, and she is still there.
Once I knew she was going to stay in the care home, I phoned the attendance allowance helpline and told them that she had moved into residential care. This was some time in February that I called them, although I can't remember the exact date.
Anyway, last week the attendance allowance decision came through and she has been awarded the allowance at the lower rate. I was a bit surprised as I thought as they knew she was in a care home, she would get the higher rate as she is now having 24 hour care.
So I rang the attendance allowance helpline again and they said they would send me a form to appeal the decision.
So - sorry, this is a long time coming - but here is my question:
Does my mum have to have been having 24 hour care for 6 months before she is entitled to the higher rate? Or can I apply for this now? I remember that when I filled in the original form, they stipulated that she had to have had these symptoms for 6 months.

I don't want to risk filling in the appeal form and making this mistake as I don't want to have her payments stopped.

Does anyone have any experience of this?

Thanks.

 

[deehod]

Sorry if this is a bit long-winded, but please bear with me!
My mum is in a care home and is self-funding. When I applied for attendance allowance, she was living at home - this was just before Christmas. However, things took a sudden turn and she moved into a care home for respite care at the end of December for four weeks. After the four weeks was up, she decided she would like to stay in the care home, and she is still there.
Once I knew she was going to stay in the care home, I phoned the attendance allowance helpline and told them that she had moved into residential care. This was some time in February that I called them, although I can't remember the exact date.
Anyway, last week the attendance allowance decision came through and she has been awarded the allowance at the lower rate. I was a bit surprised as I thought as they knew she was in a care home, she would get the higher rate as she is now having 24 hour care.
So I rang the attendance allowance helpline again and they said they would send me a form to appeal the decision.
So - sorry, this is a long time coming - but here is my question:
Does my mum have to have been having 24 hour care for 6 months before she is entitled to the higher rate? Or can I apply for this now? I remember that when I filled in the original form, they stipulated that she had to have had these symptoms for 6 months.

I don't want to risk filling in the appeal form and making this mistake as I don't want to have her payments stopped.

Does anyone have any experience of this?

Thanks.

I had to fill out the forms again to get the higher rate when my mother in law went to a care home. Jyst had to emphasis the 24 hr care. She needed.

 

[canary]

You dont have to have 24/7 care, to get the higher rate, you have to have the need for 24/7 care. It is the needs during the night that trigger the higher rate.
So if your mum has needed care during the night (even if the care wasnt actually there) before she moved into the care home, then she she is eligible.

 

[Leigh45]

You dont have to have 24/7 care, to get the higher rate, you have to have the need for 24/7 care. It is the needs during the night that trigger the higher rate.
So if your mum has needed care during the night (even if the care wasnt actually there) before she moved into the care home, then she she is eligible.

Thank you Canary - when I originally applied for attendance allowance, she was living at home and didn't need any care during the night. However, things took a downturn very soon after I had posted the application, which is why she moved to a care home and she now does need 24 hour care. She has had a fall in the night since she has been living there. But my question is - do I have to wait until she has needed 24 hour care for 6 months, as this is how the original form was structured?
Thanks

 

[Leigh45]

I had to fill out the forms again to get the higher rate when my mother in law went to a care home. Jyst had to emphasis the 24 hr care. She needed.

Thanks deehod, I'm still not sure if I need to wait 6 months before I can claim for this higher rate.

 

[try again]

Lol, made that phone call this morning. Have to say I was impressed as I only reapplied for her two weeks ago (hospital and NHS care home in between).
But it was at the lower rate and the social service assessment was that she could not go home with the 4 visits per day.
But did sigh then laugh and say that it seems impossible to complete a task in one go.
Hopefully the blue badge renewal today will go through (different council).
Just want to cross one thing off my to-do list

 

[canary]

But my question is - do I have to wait until she has needed 24 hour care for 6 months, as this is how the original form was structured?

Oh, Im not sure.
I think the answer is probably yes, but I would recommend that you phone the Alzheimers Soc help line - 0333 150 3456 - they will open tomorrow at 9.00am

 

[ClaireeW]

There is a qualifying period of 6 months. This is taken from the gov.uk website

[Eligibility​

You can get Attendance Allowance if you’ve reached State Pension age and the following apply:

• you have a physical disability (including sensory disability, for example blindness), a mental disability (including learning difficulties), or both
• your disability is severe enough for you to need help caring for yourself or someone to supervise you, for your own or someone else’s safety
• you have needed that help for at least 6 months (unless you might have 6 months or less to live)]

It would seem that her "night needs" (which, when added to the lower rate of AA will make her eligible for higher rate) only started when she went into care. You state in your post that she didn't need any care when she was at home. Therefore the 6 months might only be deemed to start from the day she entered respite, or the day she entered "permanent" care. So you may have to wait a while for an award. Don't know if you can put in the claim now, and they just won't pay until the 6 month period has been fulfilled.

 

[Pearlio]

Sorry if this is a bit long-winded, but please bear with me!
My mum is in a care home and is self-funding. When I applied for attendance allowance, she was living at home - this was just before Christmas. However, things took a sudden turn and she moved into a care home for respite care at the end of December for four weeks. After the four weeks was up, she decided she would like to stay in the care home, and she is still there.
Once I knew she was going to stay in the care home, I phoned the attendance allowance helpline and told them that she had moved into residential care. This was some time in February that I called them, although I can't remember the exact date.
Anyway, last week the attendance allowance decision came through and she has been awarded the allowance at the lower rate. I was a bit surprised as I thought as they knew she was in a care home, she would get the higher rate as she is now having 24 hour care.
So I rang the attendance allowance helpline again and they said they would send me a form to appeal the decision.
So - sorry, this is a long time coming - but here is my question:
Does my mum have to have been having 24 hour care for 6 months before she is entitled to the higher rate? Or can I apply for this now? I remember that when I filled in the original form, they stipulated that she had to have had these symptoms for 6 months.

I don't want to risk filling in the appeal form and making this mistake as I don't want to have her payments stopped.

Does anyone have any experience of this?

Thanks.

Hi, hope all is well. Yes you do need to meet the criteria for 6 months before your mum would receive the higher rate of AA, but you can place the claim at any time, its the payments which would be delayed u til a 6 month period of higher rate needs. But the criteria would be met from when mum needed the night care, not from when she actually received that care. Hope this helps