Attendance Allowance

Charlie

Registered User
Apr 1, 2003
161
0
Please can anyone tell me if the Attendance Allowance is lost or reassesed when someone moves into a care home? What are your experiences.

We are contacting the social services to discuss changes of address etc but it would be good to have a heads up on attendance allowance first.

thanks
 

jenniferpa

Registered User
Jun 27, 2006
39,442
0
Are you in England? Because if so AND you are self funded you keep the AA. The only time you wouldn't get it is if the person was hospitalised for more than 30 days. (Actually there's a calculation that is done if there a multiple hospital admits, but essentially it's 30 days).

Scotland is different, but I think Wales is the same.
 

Grannie G

Volunteer Moderator
Apr 3, 2006
81,443
0
Kent
I don`t know if the law has changed in the last 5 years, but when my mother went into a home she lost her Attendance Allowance, even though she was self funding.
 

jude1950

Registered User
Mar 23, 2006
182
0
Lincolnshire
Hi,
The attendance allowance is payable only if you are completely self funding If the local authority is paying for any of the care then the attendance allowance stops after the first four weeks of being in care.
Judith
 

Clive

Registered User
Nov 7, 2004
716
0
Hi

If you are in England and self funding you get AA, (but you then put it towards paying the care home fees.)

If you have to move into a care home you probably should be claiming the higher rate of AA.

Best wishes

Clive
 

Charlie

Registered User
Apr 1, 2003
161
0
thanks for all the replies!
Just one more questions related to judes reply
"The attendance allowance is payable only if you are completely self funding If the local authority is paying for any of the care then the attendance allowance stops after the first four weeks of being in care.
Judith"

Would this include nursing fees? Mum gets nursing fees at mid band (about £80)?
Would this change the eligibility for attendance allowance?

OK......Just checked the factsheet:

http://www.alzheimers.org.uk/Caring..._and_nursing_care/info_nursingassessments.htm

It says:

What impact does this assessment have on attendance allowance and other benefits? None. The introduction of NHS care in care homes does not affect the level of attendance allowance or benefits received by residents.

Hopefully answered my own question but just adding the reference for anyone looking at this in the future.
 

Clive

Registered User
Nov 7, 2004
716
0
Hi Charlie

I have claimed this NHS funded nursing care for mum and the application is slowly plodding through the system but I am not confident of success.

Would I be correct in assuming that your mother qualifies for the mid band nursing care because she is in a Nursing Home with health complications in addition to Alzheimer’s ?

Mum’s in an EMI residential home; and I am worried that this rules out her application for the NHS funded nursing care even though she no longer walks or feeds herself and is incontinent.

I am hoping for a decision from the PCT this month.

Regards

Clive

PS

Presume you get the top rate of AA
 

dave b

Registered User
Nov 21, 2006
63
0
staffs
clive thanks for the input
mom has just gone into a home (self funded)what is this higher form of AA &
how do we apply for it? any ideas?
 

Margaret W

Registered User
Apr 28, 2007
3,720
0
North Derbyshire
Do the moderators think we need a stickie on the outline of funding and state help? The stickie can probably not cover every circumstance, but at least the basics.

This thread was about AA, and as far as I can ascertain it is payable in full if a person is self-funding, apart from the hospitalisation deduction.

Regards

Margaret
 

Clive

Registered User
Nov 7, 2004
716
0
Hi Dave

The Attendance Allowance I was referring to is the standard benefit for people aged 65 or over who are ill or disabled and need help with personal care or supervision. You will know that the person gets £43.15 if they need help in the day OR the night. Alternatively they get £64.50 if they need help BOTH in the day and night.

Many people eventually get round to claim at the lower rate, but due to the stress of caring, forget to upgrade to the higher rate. If your loved one is getting to the stage where an EMI home is appropriate, or is already in an EMI home, then it is reasonable to suppose that they should receive the higher amount of £64.50

The claim form can be got by ringing 0800 88 22 00. (If you are self funding you keep getting AA so it helps with the Home fees).

In this thread Charlie tells us that his mum is also getting NHS-funded Nursing Care at mid band (about £80) which is a completely different thing and is, I believe, paid directly to the Nursing Home by the NHS (and also reduces the fees).

Regards

Clive