Pension Credit etc. etc. Help please!

susanandliam

Registered User
Dec 10, 2012
119
0
somerset
Hi,

Can someone advise please as I'm confused?!

Finally got Mum into a home in Cornwall this week and have been ringing round to advise various people regarding her change of circumstances.

I rang the pension service who had sent a letter regarding Mums Winter Fuel payment to notify them and after a lot of questions was asked whether Mum had sold her own property, mum is self funding.

I said no and as Mum had only moved into a care home this week I had quite enough to contend with!

The advisor said that Mum was getting Pension Credit and that if Mum's flat is sold I should let them know as this credit will then stop.

I'm very stressed at the moment so didn't understand and the advisor wasn't very helpful anyway, to be honest she made me feel that I wished I hadn't phoned up!

Can anyone throw any light on this? Why do they need to know if we sell Mum's flat if she's self funding and why would the pension credit stop if the property does get sold?

I would appreciate any advice as I don't know anything much about the benefit system!

The other thing is Mum is getting attendance allowance at the lower rate and when I rang them they told me this will continue. I did ask as Mum's alzheimers has worsened whether she might be eligible to received the higher rate and was told to assess this I would need to reapply and then there is always a risk that they take the allowance altogether!!

:eek:
 

marionq

Registered User
Apr 24, 2013
6,449
0
Scotland
Last thing first. I understand that AA may be stopped and replaced within the benefit system so that might be what she was trying to tell you. I believe if you get your new assessment in quickly before this policy goes through you might get the higher one. Phone Alz Soc for advice.

None of this benefit stuff or house sale needs to be dealt with immediately. Give yourself a few days break to calm down and then take it gently. Good luck.
 

nae sporran

Registered User
Oct 29, 2014
9,213
0
Bristol
I would find your local welfare advice centre to get better advice, your local Social Services might be able to point you in the right direction as part of a needs assessment. When OH had to sell her house to pay off debts she had to account for every penny and provide proof she now had less than £10k in the bank. You get no pension credit if you have savings of more than that.
Hope any of that helps you susan.
 

susanandliam

Registered User
Dec 10, 2012
119
0
somerset
Last thing first. I understand that AA may be stopped and replaced within the benefit system so that might be what she was trying to tell you. I believe if you get your new assessment in quickly before this policy goes through you might get the higher one. Phone Alz Soc for advice.

None of this benefit stuff or house sale needs to be dealt with immediately. Give yourself a few days break to calm down and then take it gently. Good luck.

Thank you!

She made me feel bad saying is this the first opportunity to tell us of the change in circumstances and things are hard enough as it is!
 

susanandliam

Registered User
Dec 10, 2012
119
0
somerset
I would find your local welfare advice centre to get better advice, your local Social Services might be able to point you in the right direction as part of a needs assessment. When OH had to sell her house to pay off debts she had to account for every penny and provide proof she now had less than £10k in the bank. You get no pension credit if you have savings of more than that.
Hope any of that helps you susan.

O.K. thank you!
 

tigerlady

Registered User
Nov 29, 2015
427
0
Age UK have loads of factsheets on benefits and funding and attendance allowance etc

Here is one link to attendance allowance, but from there you will be able to go to the other links to answer your questions.

Better still, get an Age UK representative to come out to see you and help you fill in a new attendance allowance form,as I am sure your mum would qualify for the top rate as she is in a care home and self funding

http://www.ageuk.org.uk/money-matte...dance-allowance/what-is-attendance-allowance/
 

Beate

Registered User
May 21, 2014
12,179
0
London
Call the AA helpline and ask them to send you the form you need for applying for higher rate while having lower rate already. It's a much shorter form and easy to fill in. You will need to tell them the date from which her needs changed and they will start paying six months from that date.

https://www.gov.uk/attendance-allowance/how-to-claim
 

Shedrech

Registered User
Dec 15, 2012
12,649
0
UK
Hi susanandliam
just wanted to back up what Beate has sad - I put off applying for the higher rate AA as I couldn't face filling in yet another long application, thinking it would be just like applying initially for the lower rate - and it is a very much simpler form - so well worth sending for and filling in when you have the energy and time
 

Beate

Registered User
May 21, 2014
12,179
0
London
It's only a consultation so far but if it happens, apparently it will only be axed for new claimants, so if you've got it you can keep it. Apparently. Not trusting this government on anything.