Attendance Allowance should I appeal?

Chrissyan

Registered User
Aug 9, 2007
570
0
65
N E England
Dad was diagnosed with VAD in the third week of September. We had his application for Attendance Allowance turned down after 2 months in a letter dated 2 Jan 08. The reasons are: He does not need frequent attention with his bodily functions, or continual supervision to avoid substantial danger to himself & others through the day or the night. I only applied for the lower rate.:confused:

Dad can't manage or get to any appointments, do any kind of paperwork or housework, shopping, use the washing machine, manage his money etc etc and lately he seems to have stopped washing up so that's another chore for me.:rolleyes:

I have been made an appointee for what it is worth, is it worth appealing against this decision or will it just be a waste of time whilst he continues to live alone? I dread to think how ill do you have to be qualify for the higher rate of AA if the above is the criteria for the lower rate?:eek:

I was hoping to get this bit of extra money for him plus hopefully the council tax reduction & talk him into paying for a carer to come in just one hour at lunchtime each day whilst I am at work & check up on him & hopefully persuade him to have a hot meal with vegetables.
 

Grannie G

Volunteer Moderator
Apr 3, 2006
81,445
0
Kent
Chrissyann,
I believe you can get help filling in forms for Attendance Allowance. I`m not sure who from, but if you phone the AS Helplne I`m sure they will be able to tell you.
There are probably lots of things you will have forgotten to put down.

http://www.tameside-owl.org.uk/helpwithforms.htm

Have a look at this web site. Help the Aged will help with filling in forms even if you are not over 60.
 
Last edited:

jenniferpa

Registered User
Jun 27, 2006
39,442
0
It's not so much the living alone (I got the higher rate for my mother when she was living alone), it's what you put on the form. If you put down there what you've put down here, I think perhaps you didn't place the emphasis where it needed to be placed. Shopping, cleaning, dealing with finances: those aren't the issues that they want to see. What should be down there is things like: failure to eat, or eating unsafe food, failure to wash themselves leading to potential for infection, inability to take medication without prompting (personally I think that's a big one). That sort of thing. Did you have help to fill out the form? You really have to emphasise safety aspects rather than practical ones.
 

Chrissyan

Registered User
Aug 9, 2007
570
0
65
N E England
Thanks to both of you,:) I now know where I went wrong (yes I just filled it in myself) My emphasis was all wrong, I didn't concentrate on his mixed up medication, rotten food & not eating properly. Mind it was hard filling it in for him knowing he was going to read it through carefully & sign it. (He got tearful at the VAD diagnosis when he read it cos he had forgotten what he had) Maybe I should get professional help to appeal. Now I am an appointee do I need to get my Dad involved or can I just appeal without him reading & signing it does anyone know?
 

jenniferpa

Registered User
Jun 27, 2006
39,442
0
Hmm - I don't know. I do know that you can fill out the form for someone, sign it for them, and then explain why you've done it that way, but appealing - no I don't know. I think it might be worth your while to call the AS help-line tomorrow. Whatever you do, though, you really have to put worse case scenarios down - mine was a bit "stream of consciousness" to be honest, but seemed to do the job. Even if whatever it is doesn't happen every day, it needs to be put down.

Edited to add: does he have any physical disabilities (arthritis etc)? That's always worthwhile putting down. Also anything that he maybe CAN do but takes him an age. E.g. my mother could put her shoes on, but it took her several tries and maybe they wouldn't be on the correct feet. What you need to do is compare everything not to what most people of his age can do, but what most people can do, if you see the difference.
 
Last edited:

lesmisralbles

Account Closed
Nov 23, 2007
5,543
0
Can your Dad shower or bathe on his own

Hmm - I don't know. I do know that you can fill out the form for someone, sign it for them, and then explain why you've done it that way, but appealing - no I don't know. I think it might be worth your while to call the AS help-line tomorrow. Whatever you do, though, you really have to put worse case scenarios down - mine was a bit "stream of consciousness" to be honest, but seemed to do the job. Even if whatever it is doesn't happen every day, it needs to be put down.

Edited to add: does he have any physical disabilities (arthritis etc)? That's always worthwhile putting down. Also anything that he maybe CAN do but takes him an age. E.g. my mother could put her shoes on, but it took her several tries and maybe they wouldn't be on the correct feet. What you need to do is compare everything not to what most people of his age can do, but what most people can do, if you see the difference.

Toilet etc, take and prepare his own tablet's.
Put shoes and sock's on.
Get up to go to the toilet, during the day or night.
Barb X
 

jackie1

Registered User
Jun 6, 2007
238
0
Cheshire
Hi,

Certainly appeal, my husband was turned down for DLA the first time we applied and on appeal got the mid level for care and low level for mobility.

I have heard of too many people who were turned down the first time they applied.

Do get help, it is all about using the right words and highlighting the right bits. You must do it on a worst not best day.

The forms are a total nightmare, I'm sure they are designed to put claimants off!

Jackie

PS: I am still waiting to hear the result of the last application (over 2 months!) as I'm now up quite a few time in the night and his needs have increased significantly
 
Last edited:

alfjess

Registered User
Jul 10, 2006
1,213
0
south lanarkshire
Hi Chrissyann

Please get in touch with the welfare benefit section of the Alzheimers Society.

When I did, I was only wanting (A few years ago) meals on wheels, for my parents. Mum had fractured her arm.

Although I never did get meals on wheels for my parents, a representitive from the welfare benefit section of Alzheimers, visited. He had all the relevant forms with him, he helped complete the forms and then, lo and behold, Mum and Dad, were awarded all the benefits they were entitled to.

I would strongly advise getting in touch with the Wefare Benefits Section of The Alzheimers Society, they know exactly how to answer the qusetions and indeed how to ask the questions.

Please try again

Alfjess
 

Scoop

Registered User
Nov 20, 2006
99
0
If you fill the forms online he doesn't need to sign them ;)

It's not dodgy but he doesn't need to read it and get upset. When I filled Dad's in I was advised not to lie but put the worst case down.

Dad got the highest rate as he needs night care too, that seems to be the deciding factor for that

Scott
 
Last edited:

Skye

Registered User
Aug 29, 2006
17,000
0
SW Scotland
I found Princess Royal Trust for Carers very helpful with forms.

They fill in the forms for you, and they know exactly what to say. If you have a local branch, give them a ring. It does sound as if you should easily qualify.

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.

I'd give it a go.
 

Linda Mc

Registered User
Jul 3, 2005
1,879
0
Nr Mold
I have full allowance for my husband and he doesn't as yet need help with toileting but I put I had to make sure he had found his way to bathroom and back and that he was safe. They said as my sleep was disturbed I was entitled to the full allowance.

CAB will help you fill in the form or Age Concern. I filled in on behalf of my husand so your father has no need to know you are doing it again

Always keep a copy so you can refer to it. As others have said describe his worst days. Good luck.

Linda x
 

gigi

Registered User
Nov 16, 2007
7,788
0
70
East Midlands
Eric was refused AA at first appplication..once there was a diagnosis it made a difference..
Next time I filled in the form myself..as Jennifer said..
mine was a bit "stream of consciousness" to be honest, but seemed to do the job. Even if whatever it is doesn't happen every day, it needs to be put down.

that's exactly what I did..I used the form to get rid of my anger!! I compared what he used to do to what he could then do..how it had changed our lives..

this was almost 2 years ago..Eric got the maximum AA...

As for signing the form..I lied to Eric(I've got used to that)..

I told him because he couldn't drive this money would help to pay for taxis etc....he signed!

Appeal..definitely..

If you have to lie to your dad..do it..it is in his benefit in the long run..and he is entitled to this money!

I suspect they turned it down because your dad is still living "independently"..but he's not !!!

Go for it!

Love Gigi x
 

Margarita

Registered User
Feb 17, 2006
10,824
0
london
Now I am an appointee do I need to get my Dad involved or can I just appeal without him reading & signing it does anyone know?

if you have a POA or EPOA , now know as a LPOA yes you can sigh for him, is that how you became his appointee ?

( Or )

As any one can be an appointee for someone benefits , but can not legal sigh on they behalf if they do not have a POA or LOPA .







If you fill the forms online he doesn't need to sign them

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

Clive

Registered User
Nov 7, 2004
716
0
Hi Chrissyan

You need help in filling in the AA form. I had no idea what to do so I got the community psychiatric nurse to do mum’s

The bit I remember was she wrote that mum had no grasp of personal safety as she for example walked back from the post office with her pension in her hand through the local wooded park. I would never have thought of putting that on the form.

Best of luck

Clive
 

Margarita

Registered User
Feb 17, 2006
10,824
0
london
I suspect they turned it down because your dad is still living "independently"..but he's not !!!

My mother got it when she was living independently mum was not told she had AZ its all down to what you say in form .


my mother was only diabetic at the time so was on a lot of medication needed my supervision to administer her medication

Tell them the worse, then when your father see it or read it , tell him the truth that if you don't tell the system the worse he just get less money,
your only saying all this in form , so he can get more money ( it just make him feel better if you put it that way to him )

If it does not you can't force him to sigh it or your just get frustrated .


but if you do have POA or EPOA you won't have to tell him anything.
 
Last edited:

jenniferpa

Registered User
Jun 27, 2006
39,442
0
but if you do have POA or EPOA you won't have to tell him anything.

I'm not quite sure what you mean by this?

Edited to add: OK - I've seen your previous post. However I would disagree, actually. You can sign these forms with or without an EPA: you simply need to explain why you're signing them. Having an EPA (or being an appointee) is irrelevant for these purposes (although maybe not when it comes to appealing).
 
Last edited:

Margarita

Registered User
Feb 17, 2006
10,824
0
london
Originally Posted by Margarita View Post
but if you do have POA or EPOA you won't have to tell him anything.
I'm not quite sure what you mean by this?


I mean that you can fill out the AA form , sigh it and send it off, so your not telling him/ her how bad they really are .


Now I am an appointee do I need to get my Dad involved or can I just appeal without him reading & signing it does anyone know?

Do you get my point now in what I mean ?
 
Last edited:

jenniferpa

Registered User
Jun 27, 2006
39,442
0
And my point is - you can do that anyway, whether or not you have an EPA or an LPA. There's a specific part of the form you have to fill out: that's what I did. So if you were claiming from scratch you could do it that way. However, my concern is that we are talking appeal here. It's possible (don't know, just speculating) that an appeal has to be made by the original applicant (i.e. the father).
 

Margarita

Registered User
Feb 17, 2006
10,824
0
london
Edited to add: OK - I've seen your previous post. However I would disagree, actually. You can sign these forms with or without an EPA: you simply need to explain why you're signing them. Having an EPA (or being an appointee) is irrelevant for these purposes (although maybe not when it comes to appealing).

Edited to add: OK - I've seen your previous post. However I would disagree, actually. You can sign these forms with or without an EPA: you simply need to explain why you're signing them

I have to disagree , how do you work that one out ? Only way out of that would be to tell them to ring doctor , in why they can't sigh ?