Just a gripe, that's all

[bobblehat]

This isn't to ask for advice, but I just wanted to gripe about the bloody 47 page long form I'm filling in to get an allowance for my mother.

I'm computer literate and intelligent and I'm hating this form. What kind of sadistic government makes people have to do this? Given a couple of months and a budget I could have this set out far more easily and far less complex and make it much easier for older people and perhaps those less computer literate to handle.

Right, rant over and back to Sunday morning for me.

 

[LadyA]

Rant away, Bobblehat! I'm sure you wouldn't be the first to be driven to distraction by those forms! And it's more than a nuisance, because I'm sure some people who would be entitled to the allowance, just give up because they can't wade through the forms.

 

[nitram]

I'm sure you wouldn't be the first to be driven to distraction by those forms!

I think some distracted people realising that they have filled in the same information somewhere else on the form and become frustrated don't put it in a second time.

This is a bad move as the application is effectively scored on a points system with points being given to each question.

 

[LizK]

If you're talking about the attendance allowance form, I quite agree! It took an employee form the Alzheimer's society and me an hour to fill it in. She was a great help to me. The good thing is that we've been getting the higher allowance for 20 months now, so it was worth the effort.

Liz

 

[canary]

Aaargh! Those b****** forms. It took me all day to fill in the one for my mum.
You have to make sure that you are filling in the form assuming its the worst day and also fill it in as if a different person were looking at each question. Make sure that you fill in the space at the bottom explaining more fully and giving examples.
Age UK and Citizens Advice will both help with the form filling.

 

[Rosnpton]

I've got to apply to the council for funding for mums care home.we run out of funds Dec-I did the form last year but they made us sell her 50% of an investment so refused help last year.
I intend doing what I did then-2 days off work,bottle of wine,take out and plough through them till finished! I'm sure some of the forms are made complicated in the hope you give up and don't bother!

Ros

 

[icu2]

Yes I agree that the Attendance Allowance form is laborious. i filled it out in July and sent it off and waited and waited. Eventually mid August I phoned but sorry . . . we have lost it, yes we received it but now we have lost it. Back to start again and fill in another. Still waiting in October. I sent in a letter of complaint but nothing, no reply. I have now written to my MP to protest about this.

 

[Cat27]

Yes I agree that the Attendance Allowance form is laborious. i filled it out in July and sent it off and waited and waited. Eventually mid August I phoned but sorry . . . we have lost it, yes we received it but now we have lost it. Back to start again and fill in another. Still waiting in October. I sent in a letter of complaint but nothing, no reply. I have now written to my MP to protest about this.

That is ridiculous.
Welcome to TP

 

[Spamar]

The great thing is AgeUK. Filled in OHs form, decided I qualified for something as well. I really can't thank them enough

 

[Lawson58]

This isn't to ask for advice, but I just wanted to gripe about the bloody 47 page long form I'm filling in to get an allowance for my mother.

I'm computer literate and intelligent and I'm hating this form. What kind of sadistic government makes people have to do this? Given a couple of months and a budget I could have this set out far more easily and far less complex and make it much easier for older people and perhaps those less computer literate to handle.

Right, rant over and back to Sunday morning for me.

I know exactly how you feel even though I am in another country. OH was unable to apply for the age pension until he had satisfied certain residency requirements and he is now able to do so. Except of course that trying to complete complicated forms is totally beyond him and impossible for an ordinary human when computer programs don't function as they are supposed to. And then when you get to the very end only to discover that because of the need to provide a particular document you couldn't complete the application online anyway!

So back to numerous pages of questions that I had to complete by hand.

Though the Australian govt. instructs you to take the application in to the nearest service centre, they no longer provide face to face service for aged people so it will be fascinating to see what happens when we show up.

This is all complicated by the fact that OH no longer has current photographic ID - no driver's licence, passport expired years ago and he doesn't even have a library card.

Obviously all of this is a way of cutting costs by the government but it must be totally overwhelming for lots of oldies who are not too savvy with computers. I personally consider it to be a form of elder abuse and I think my local MP might be getting a long letter of complaint from me, not that it will achieve anything but it might make feel a little better.

 

[icu2]

Yes I agree that the Attendance Allowance form is laborious. i filled it out in July and sent it off and waited and waited. Eventually mid August I phoned but sorry . . . we have lost it, yes we received it but now we have lost it. Back to start again and fill in another. Still waiting in October. I sent in a letter of complaint but nothing, no reply. I have now written to my MP to protest about this.

 

[mab]

Bobblehat,
I consider myself able and competent, but, like you, was flummoxed by these forms.
Luckily a lovely lady from StayWell (ex Age concern) came to our home and went through them, page by page, knowing exactly how to complete them!! Just a few weeks later we received the letter from DWP that AA had been granted, at higher rate, from the day that the forms had been requested.
Don't attempt it yourself.... let the experts help.
All the best x

 

[Moggymad]

Agree. I had Age Uk do mums AA forms also did a benefits check so that was very helpful too. They kept copies of the forms just in case! I now do the same, it helps sometimes when having to fill in yet another assessment form to see what I put last time!