not entitled to attendance allowance?

[jomc]

Hi
my MIL recently went into full time residential care.... the lady in the financial department of our council advised us to apply for the higher rate of attendance allowance (she was on the lower rate)
Anyway, my hubby spoke to another lady in the department today to go over some bits for assessment and the cost of the care etc etc ( we are funding the care home ourselves)
This lady told my hubby that because MIL is in full time residential care, she will no longer be entitled to attendance allowance.
Is this right? We knew for the first 12 weeks she would lose benefits as the council pay in full for that time period, but is it right that she will lose it completely?
Hubby will speak to them again on Monday but just wondering in the meantime if anyone has any experience of this...cant understand why the initial lady would tell us to apply for the higher rate
Many thanks

 

[jenniferpa]

No it isn't correct. After that 12 week period, your MIL will be self-funding and if you are self-funding you can get AA.

I swear, I don't who the second person was but they need training. That, or an ability to read. Personally, I would put in a formal complaint: if she's telling you this, who else is she misleading and about what.

 

[jomc]

thank you so much!
To be honest, we have found our local council awful to deal with...we get such conflicting information that we dont have much faith in them.
As if things aren't bad enough when you have to make the decision to place someone in 24 hour care, you then get people who have no clue what they are talking about!

Again, thank you!

 

[Mo_N]

Hi jomc,

My mum went into a care home following a spell in hospital. I telephoned the Attendance Allowance people direct & they were extremely helpful, reinstating the full rate allowance immediately as the care is self-funded.

I would suggest that your husband contacts them rather than speak to the local council.

This link may be useful

Attendance Allowance (AA)
Disability benefits helpline
attendance.allowanceenquiries@dwp.gsi.gov.uk
Telephone: 08457 123 456
Textphone: 08457 224 433
Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm


Hope you get it sorted soon as you don't need this additional worry on top of settling MIL into her new home.

Mo
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