Care Home Attendance Allowance

[harvey]

Not sure if anyone can help with this one.
Following a rapid deterioration in my MIL following a fall, her GP declared that she was not safe to be in her own home and required 24/7 care. She is self funding and has been claiming the lower rate of Attendance Allowance for some time. Is she now entitled to claim the higher rate even though she is self funding and in a nursing home?
Polly

 

[ISHA1930]

Hi there,
Im new here, but my dad has recently gone into a sheltered place, and I immediately requested a review into his attendance allowance. He was then put on to the higher rate fairly quickly. Hope that helps. x

 

[jenniferpa]

Because she is self-funding she is entitled to claim whatever level of AA she's entitled to, if you see what I mean. Bear in mind that there is 6 month delay to go from one level to another and start the application sooner rather than later. If she wasn't self-funded then AA wouldn't apply but in your case, it does.

 

[harvey]

ISHA1930 & Jennifer, many thanks. Will now apply and see what happens.
Polly

 

[Saffie]

Jennifer, the SS fiancial assessor told me that AA does apply even when not self-funded. My husband will be self-funded for a short while -if the Deputyship ever comes through and our holiday chalet sale can go ahead! - but she even sent for the application forms herself as the SS will want to claim the AA for themselves once their funding kicks in and a the higher rate. He was on the lower before being admitted to hospital.

I also owe the payments received when he was in hospital as I didn't give it a thought for months and then they took ages to stop it. I have asked if I can pay it all back in one payment - I'd like it all cleared up before SS take our money! - but was told it doesn't work like that.

 

[Christin]

Hello Harvey, I am sorry to read about your mum

This link re Attendance Allowance may offer you some help.

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/CaringForSomeone/CareHomes/DG_10031411

It does state that:

Your local council is helping you with your care home fees.
It will be paid for the first four weeks (if you were already entitled to receive it before moving into a care home).

You local council is not helping you with your care home fees (self-funding).
It will usually continue.

It also give a lot more info so its definitely worth checking the link

Best wishes to you x

 

[Woodruff]

Not sure if anyone can help with this one.
Following a rapid deterioration in my MIL following a fall, her GP declared that she was not safe to be in her own home and required 24/7 care. She is self funding and has been claiming the lower rate of Attendance Allowance for some time. Is she now entitled to claim the higher rate even though she is self funding and in a nursing home?
Polly

I would think that your MIL would qualify for the higher rate now.....it is quite remarkable how GPs and hospitals are so keen on shifting patients into 24/7 care only for relatives to discover that they have to foot the bill themselves It is quite wrong IMO given the serious conditions of most of these patients...however, this is another argument already well documented.
Talk about being 'free and easy' with other peoples money......

 

[jenniferpa]

Saffie - that surprises me. Not that the LA wouldn't want to claim if for themselves but that the mechanism exists for them to do so. Perhaps there is now a way to to move the money from one public purse to another. I wouldn't be so sure though - fortunately that will be their problem not yours - it shouldn't affect you one way or the other once he goes to LA funding. Having read of some misguided people at the Pension service attempting to tell previous posters that "if someone is in a home even it they are self funding they can't get AA" (wrongly) I wouldn't exactly stake my life on anything a financial assessor had to say.

Who told you that you couldn't repay the overpay in one lump sum? The pension service? Again, they may be right but see my point above - they are not entirely reliable about such things. And I vaguely remember a member who had been overpaid having to fight tooth and nail to get a reasonable repayment scheme in place.

 

[Saffie]

Thanks for that Jennifer. Yes, it was the Pensions Dept that said it didn't work like that but they failed to say just how it did work! I really want it paid before the SS start contributing as it shoud be repaid from my husband's half of the money as he is the one it was paid to. As he went into a home this week, I think I'll try phoning the AA Dept to see what i can do.

 

[jenniferpa]

Thinking about it, I imagine that what will happen is that if they insist on doing it this way, (by small repayments) it would be deducted from any state pension he receives and the AA.

 

[wazzer]

Saffie
I have been in exactly the same position as you. My mother was overpaid AA when she went into a Care Home as I forgot to tell them. I was overpaid 12 weeks AA and I had to repay this. I paid this in one lump sum although the Debt Management Dept. of the Pension Service did offer an instalment plan which would have been taken weekly from their State Pension.

Kind regards
Ken.

 

[Woodruff]

Saffie
I have been in exactly the same position as you. My mother was overpaid AA when she went into a Care Home as I forgot to tell them. I was overpaid 12 weeks AA and I had to repay this. I paid this in one lump sum although the Debt Management Dept. of the Pension Service did offer an instalment plan which would have been taken weekly from their State Pension.

Kind regards
Ken.

My MIL was also overpaid AA despite hubby informing the Pensions people....in fact, he contacted them THREE TIMES about the matter but the money kept being paid into her account. We just put the amount on one side because we knew that they would be chasing it before long...and so they did, Dept Management were in touch. Absolutely appalling service from these people.......as if we don't have enough to worry about with the ramifications of MIL's dementia......