Social services 'follow up' #2

[northumbrian_k]

I have rearranged a planned visit by the welfare rights man on Monday next week because of a clash with another commitment. We will not be seeing him now until the end of August – he is coming to help us apply for attendance allowance – but very helpfully he has suggested that by applying now this could be back-dated. As a former bureaucrat I am sure that I could do the form myself, despite its ridiculous length, but having a third party to ask questions about what my wife does/can or doesn’t/can't do will hopefully cause less tension. As I have told her, if we are entitled to a benefit that is not means-tested then we might as well have it. We’ll be joining the benefit culture.

 

[Jessbow]

Surely you know her well enough to complete the form on her behalf? Wont she get even more upset if Joe blogs says ''can you wash up?' she says yes an you contradict her??

 

[Steve115]

While very long the form is quite straightforward though can be repetitive. In the main it is about what her needs are and how they are achieved, which I assume is via yourself. It really needs to reflect everything that you do/have done even though you may not be required to do these things every day. The award is to your wife to do what she wants with in terms of getting support, buying products, disposables etc. Getting AA will also enable you to claim Carers Allowance if you do not get it already.

Don't forget you have paid for this during your working life. It is a safety net, so you should apply and use it.

 

[Spamar]

I think it's better to have someone who knows what they're doing to complete the form. They can use all the buzz words as well. AS did OHs, though AgeUK did the one for the higher allowance as AS had stopped providing the service by then.
Anyway, who like filling in repetitive forms?

 

[Oh Knickers]

NK,

Age UK or your local CAB can also help.

 

[northumbrian_k]

Thanks all for your replies. There are pros and cons to doing it myself versus having someone to go through it with us. Certainly, I have done far more complicated things so could do it without assistance. But if it comes as a follow up to that nice lady who came a few weeks ago (who she can remember) and is presented as an entitlement (just like our free TV licence) then I think all should go well.

 

[Sammyjo1]

We recently had someone from AgeUK come to help us fill out the form. I know I am perfectly capable of filling it in myself but having someone else as a facilitator made the discussions a lot easier and she knew what questions to ask.

She was a delightful person and OH remembers her visit with pleasure. I am sure if I had filled in the form without her, it would have been much more contentious

 

[northumbrian_k]

Attendance allowance form filled in

The welfare rights man has been and it all seemed to go off well. He asked only the minimal number of questions needed for him to complete the form (supplemented by information already gathered by the social services lady) and did so in a very matter of fact and non-threatening way, which touched only lightly on my wife's dementia. The only point of issue which was quickly passed over was when he said to her that she has memory problems, which she of course denied. I showed him relevant paperwork from the memory clinic which stated clearly the diagnosis and medication so he understood the real situation. My wife now wonders about those people who should be getting the allowance but maybe don't know about their 'entitlement' (she thinks it is age-related like the free TV licence).