Attendance allowance

[tealover]

Delighted to say that I got a letter this morning to say Mum has been granted Attendance Allowance at the higher rate, with effect from 26.09.2014

Really pleased with this as it will help Mum's funds last a little longer towards her care......but I was of the opinion that it was backdated to the date when it was deemed necessary that Mum needed full time care and she started to pay for it. She has not been in her own home since March, and was moved into a Care Home from a MH Hospital Ward, on 22nd May.

But to those of you yet to fill the form in, it was my first attempt and I just gave them all of the facts, held back on nothing, and have not had any queries raised by them either. Probably took around 2 weeks to get a response which I consider very good.

 

[jeany123]

I am sure I have read on here somewhere that you need to have needed the help for 6 months before it is paid,

 

[nitram]

AA is paid from the date of application with the overriding condition that the need has continued for at least six months.

 

[tealover]

ah, thank you both so much, that explains the date that they have started it from!

Thank you x

 

[flossielime]

We only got it from the date of the application for both dad and mother in law.

 

[nitram]

"...We only got it from the date of the application for both dad and mother in law..."

That means that the need had existed for at least 6 months prior to that date, if the need had only existed for 5 months payment would have commenced 1 month after application.

 

[Pickles53]

There are special rules if the person has a terminal condition which means that the six-month delay is bypassed. GP needs to fill in a form DS1500 and send it in to DWP. They made decision very quickly on this for my mum and she is now receiving the higher rate from the date the form was received.

 

[Nebiroth]

Really pleased with this as it will help Mum's funds last a little longer towards her care......but I was of the opinion that it was backdated to the date when it was deemed necessary that Mum needed full time care and she started to pay for it. She has not been in her own home since March, and was moved into a Care Home from a MH Hospital Ward, on 22nd May.

But to those of you yet to fill the form in, it was my first attempt and I just gave them all of the facts, held back on nothing, and have not had any queries raised by them either. Probably took around 2 weeks to get a response which I consider very good.

No, it's only backdated to the date of the initial application and the claimant must have had the needs specified in the claim form for a minimum of six months prior to the application date. This requirement is waived for people who are claiming under the special rules which apply to claimants who are terminally ill and who are not expected to live more than six months. They bypass the application process so long as there is written medical evidence and receive higher rate almost immediately.

Well done on a successful claim, it also appears that claims are being processed far more quickly, the ones I did for my mum and dad took far longer to process.