Attendance Allowance should I appeal?

[jenniferpa]

I "work it out" by having done it successfully.

On Page 5 of the instructions it says you must indicate on page 2 of the form why you are signing for someone else. Among reasons you can sign are because you have an EPA, but also if the person is too sick to sign for themselves and several other reasons. I used the "too ill or disabled" option with no difficulty.

In the OP's position, I think I'd call the DWP and actually ask. I have found them quite helpful (very helpful compared to some bodies) making the point that you are an appointee and that you want to spare your father distress by not push his deficits down his throat.

 

[Margarita]

I used the "too ill or disabled" option with no difficulty.

so did they ask for more
proof after you sent the form to them ? when you put *too ill or disabled" option *


Just that in 05 when I had to do re apply for my AA , as they stop it when she left England in 02 . It did not have that part or I would of done it that way, or may be I just miss that part .


then i found out that EPOA let me fill in all forms sigh thing for mum , was so much easy



Just sound to complicated that why that all

 

[jenniferpa]

Not directly. It's possible (probably maybe) they were in touch with her doctors. The only direct communication I had with them after I sent the application was the cheque and the letter saying the AA had been awarded. I sent the application in in October of 2005.

 

[jackie1]

Hi sorry to but in,
My husband is unable to write because of alzheimers and I have always given that reason as to why I sign and complete all the forms on his behalf. I have never had this queried, the first DLA form I filled in was in early 2006. I do have POA as well.
Jackie

 

[Margarita]

That sounds all positive



So with appealing your going to have to talk to them on phone



Only thing now from 05

is data protection act , and phoning them up talking about they AA on they behalf Or may be not ?

 

[Skye]

Maggie, Jennifer's absolutely correct.

When we applied for AA lower level, the AS link worker filled in the form and signed it. My support worker from PRTC did the application for higher level, and signed it. There was no query in either case. They just put that Johnwas incapable of signing.

 

[Chrissyan]

Just to clear up the appointee bit which can't be as common as I thought. I filled the whole AA form in in my own handwriting including Dad's bit which he read & signed. The DWP could see it was all the same writing all through both our parts so they phoned & asked me if I had completed the form for him. I told them yes so they sent out someone for a home visit to Dad (I had to be there)from The Pension Service ( a customer liaison officer) to make me Dad's appointee. I have a completed & signed form BF57 from the Pension Service as a result which states that I am responsible for dealing with Social Security Benefits, pensions & allowances & HM Revenue & Customs on Dad's behalf. They now send his state pension information straight to me. I never asked for or even knew about this. It just happened. Not a bad thing mind.

This is totally separate to his EPA which is lodged with his solicitor with a clause in it saying it can only be used when his GP deems him not capable. I haven't gone down that route yet so it is not in effect.

I have just noticed on the AA rejection letter that I had only one month to appeal from the date of the letter so have well & truly missed that deadline. I will just apply again filling in a new form surely they can't stop me doing that. I will probably get help as so many of you have suggested but I least I know now to concentrate on his not eating properly, confusion over taking his meds etc rather than he can't do his shopping etc. Of course he has got worse anyway in the last six months.

Thanks to you all for your input, I now know what I am doing. I should have asked advice on here before I completed it the first time.

 

[Margarita]

Now that does really positive.


getting someone in authority to fill it out for you if your not sure how to do it yourself .

I also found sending my copy of EPOA to them , because it got me pass the data protection act when it come out , so could talk to AA pension credit on my mother behalf .

 

[gigi]

I have a completed & signed form BF57 from the Pension Service as a result which states that I am responsible for dealing with Social Security Benefits, pensions & allowances & HM Revenue & Customs on Dad's behalf. They now send his state pension information straight to me. I never asked for or even knew about this. It just happened. Not a bad thing mind.

Chrissyan..this happened to us too(although we are husband and wife)
Didn't realise you were out of the appeal date for AA..just reapply..which is what I was advised to do..and did ....and point out what your dad can't do..how much input he needs..we tend to play these things down..don't!!!
Say it how it is..every last bit..because that's how it is..

Love Gigi x

 

[Margarita]

Just to clear up the appointee bit which can't be as common as I thought. I filled the whole AA form in in my own handwriting including Dad's bit which he read & signed. The DWP could see it was all the same writing all through both our parts so they phoned & asked me if I had completed the form for him. I told them yes so they sent out someone for a home visit to Dad (I had to be there)from The Pension Service ( a customer liaison officer) to make me Dad's appointee. I have a completed & signed form BF57 from the Pension Service as a result which states that I am responsible for dealing with Social Security Benefits, pensions & allowances & HM Revenue & Customs on Dad's behalf. They now send his state pension information straight to me. I never asked for or even knew about this. It just happened. Not a bad thing mind

Now that what they did to me also , send someone around after we return from Gibraltar , even thought I had EPOA , but while I was in Gibraltar I sent the DWP My EPOA so I could deal with my mother pension from out they in Gibraltar on the phone .

They now send his state pension information straight to me.

after they came around I also get all state pension information straight to me .

 

[Scoop]

Only thing is with that they send you the form back all filled in and they have you sigh it .

Nope, you type their name and declare it is the signature of the person, they never have to sign, we told Dad what we were doing and he was happy with it but it meant he didn't have to read all the stuff we had to do for him and upset him - after all he doesn't remember most of it!

Scott

 

[forgetmenot]

yes appeal. I took the DWP to a tribunal and won. It cost them more money than it did in the amount my mother was entitled to it. It is horrible that we have to fight on behalf of those we care for, as they cannot fight for themselves. Stick it out to the end. It is the principle that counts. Many people do not people like you and me to fight for them.

 

[Margarita]

Nope, you type their name and declare it is the signature of the person, they never have to sign, we told Dad what we were doing and he was happy with it but it meant he didn't have to read all the stuff we had to do for him and upset him - after all he doesn't remember most of it!

oic that does sound good and less
complicated , you must of sorted out all the passwords for his Government Gateway User ID as they have to send it all to his address for security reasons Or the other way if clicking *your filling out the form for someone else * ?

I've done the Government Gateway User ID for myself to get information that I needed , but not done it that way for my mother .

 

[Scoop]

Mum manages to hijack most of the post that comes through, if not it either confuses him and he'll be carrying it around for ages or he rips it up before it's opened!

Don't remember having to wait for the Gateway stuff before filling out the AA forms.

Still far easier than the handwritten method!

 

[Chrissyan]

Update

Just to let you know I did phone the local Alzheimer's Society and asked for help filling in the Attendance Allowance Form. They called me back & asked me to contact Age Concern instead. I rang them immediately but had to wait to be seen especially with Easter & so on. A lovely lady from Age Concern has just left after completing a second application form for me. She has taken it with her back to the office to photocopy & post.

She wasn't too confident we will get it as my Father has no physical disabilities or health worries which is ridiculous as there is nothing more rehabilitating than mental illness but fingers crossed. I wonder if it will take two months to get a decision again.

 

[Nebiroth]

You don't have to be physically disabled to qualify.

Indeed, one of the *the* most important qualifying criteria is that the person is or would be at risk (for example, they forget to take medication, or become confused about it and take too much, or at the wrong times).

 

[Chrissyan]

Nebiroth: You know that, I know that, the lady from Age Concern knows that but I am just not sure the DWP does.

 

[Skye]

Chrissyan, The Alzheimer Scotland link worker filled it in for me. I didn't think John would qualify, he was physically very fit, and quite with-it at the time. She said yes, we'd qualify because of his language problems, because he needed someone with him when he went out, to 'interpret'. We got it without any problem.

 

[Chrissyan]

I will let you all know what happens this time but if he doesn't get it it's not the end of the world, he is not hard up, it's just I wanted to offset the money against getting a carer in for him for an hour once a day. I thought it would be easier to get him to agree if he was getting extra money especially towards this rather than paying it out of his own pocket.

 

[CHESS]

The higher rate, as Scott says, is for people who need help with toiletting, etc., during the night, so you wouldn't get it as long as your dad is living alone.

Just to clarify: you don't actually need to be GETTING the help, just to show that you NEED the help. Strange state of affairs! I know of several people who live alone and still get the higher rate of attendance allowance.