Is my mum entitled to any help/benefits?

[lilaclady]

Mum lives alone and has been diagnosed with Vascular dementia - she has savings and currently receives nothing in benefits - is she entitled to any help at all?

Also if/when she needs to go into a care home she will be self funding = is there anything that she can claim at this point?

 

[canary]

Assuming she is state pension age she can claim for Attendance Allowance which is not means tested.
She can also apply for council tax exemption.

 

[Lucy44]

Mum lives alone and has been diagnosed with Vascular dementia - she has savings and currently receives nothing in benefits - is she entitled to any help at all?

Also if/when she needs to go into a care home she will be self funding = is there anything that she can claim at this point?

Hi there
I'm sure others more experienced will be along to offer advice, but as a newbie to all of this I can tell you that when my Mum was diagnosed I gott for my Mum attendance allowance, a discount on her housing tax and a blue disabled badge. None of these were means tested.

If you contact social services they can also carry out an assessment and she may be eligible for direct payments , but I think this is means tested.

There is a lot of help out there so explore everything
Kind regards

 

[Beate]

Everyone vulnerable adult at risk is entitled to help from social services, as they have duty of care. They should give her a needs assessment and you a carers assessment. She might have to pay for some or all of it depending on her finances but they can at least signpost to services in the area, like day centres or care agencies.

 

[Bill Owen]

Pip

mum lives alone and has been diagnosed with vascular dementia - she has savings and currently receives nothing in benefits - is she entitled to any help at all?

Also if/when she needs to go into a care home she will be self funding = is there anything that she can claim at this point?

see if you can have p i p . For her £552 a month not sure but look in to it.this only for her .it will take about 5 month to get has you will need to have a test after filling a foam. Spick to you socle worker.

 

[lemonjuice]

You can certainly claim Attendance Allowance now and keep it if she becomes self-funding on entry into a Home you should be eligible for the full amount.

There are 2 tiers depending on whether it's just day or also night care needed. (Unless things have changed) My health worker told me to paint 'worst scenario' cases on the form as the problems will only get worse.

With vascular dementia they often have problems with incontinence and although it is a few ears back before she went into a Home, but 'adult incontinence pads' were delivered regularly by the chemist, so you might approach her doctor.

 

[lilaclady]

I have downloaded the form for Attendance Alllowance - reading it through it seems be be aimed at people who are paying for care/help in their own homes - my mum is currently refusing all and any help so is it still worth me claiming as she will not be using the money for any specific help ?

 

[nellbelles]

The criteria is that you need help, it doesn't mean you have to actually have the help, I would apply for her now things could change very rapidly in the future.

 

[nitram]

Make an appointment with CAB or AgeUK for help in filling in the AA claim.
They know how to phrase everything to give you the best chance of success.

 

[Missy]

A few years ago I did the AA form for my MIIL although at the time she and FIL were refusing all help. (They did eventually agree to carer visits!)

Once she finally had to go in a care home she got the full rate once I had filled out the supplementary form. Same for my FIL.

 

[Spamar]

The full rate (higher) AA means that the person needs help both day and night. OH got his a couple of years before he went to a care home.
Nitrams advice is good, it's the way I went for our claims ( I have quite bad arthritis).

 

[curtainsgalore]

A few years ago I did the AA form for my MIIL although at the time she and FIL were refusing all help. (They did eventually agree to carer visits!)

Once she finally had to go in a care home she got the full rate once I had filled out the supplementary form. Same for my FIL.

We had to wait for 6 months after my Mum went into a care home to get the upper limit. The care home said to apply the day Mum went in so as the get what she was entitled to.


Sent from my iPad using Talking Point

 

[canary]

We had to wait for 6 months after my Mum went into a care home to get the upper limit. The care home said to apply the day Mum went in so as the get what she was entitled to.


Sent from my iPad using Talking Point

The symptoms have to have been there for 6 months before you can apply, or apply for the higher rate, but usually by the time they are going into a CH the symptoms have already been there over 6 months, so you dont actually have to wait.

 

[Selinacroft]

I have downloaded the form for Attendance Alllowance - reading it through it seems be be aimed at people who are paying for care/help in their own homes - my mum is currently refusing all and any help so is it still worth me claiming as she will not be using the money for any specific help ?

Do not be put off from claiming for this. It covers quite a broad range of help. My father is self funding but has been in receipt of AA since his stroke in 2009. He has not always had daily paid carers attending . Sometimes it has just been me and not always needed help with personal care. You must include everything you do on the form including shopping, help with financial paperwork, social outings, taking her to appointments and sorting out medication, housework, gardening - literally everything- it does not all need to be done by professional care agencies for her to qualify.
Dad was able to increase the rate in more recent times to the higher rate because he is at risk of trips and falls if left alone for long, gets up frequently in night, dementia etc on top of other health issues. As advised earlier just include absolutely everything on the form, take a copy so you don't forget what you have said and paint the worst case days not the good days.

 

[Beate]

They start paying at six months after symptoms but you can apply before that time is up - you'll just have to wait a bit for it to get started. I would urge anyone to get a claim in sharpish as AA is under threat of abolishment for new claimants! It might not happen but it's possible that it does, and as it's the gateway to Carers Allowance, it can pay doubly to apply.