The impact of claiming Attendance Allowance.
In last week’s blog we discussed Attendance Allowance, explaining who is eligible and the amounts to which you may be entitled. This week, we’d like to share the story of a couple who successfully claimed Attendance Allowance – with the help of Phil Bremner, our Macmillan Welfare and Benefit Adviser – and the difference it made to them in terms of enabling them to access other benefits.
Phil completed an Attendance Allowance normal rules claim form for “John” in August 2023 and he has now been awarded High Rate Attendance Allowance of £101.75 per week.
“John” lives with his wife, “Yoko”, who already gets Attendance Allowance for a long-term condition at the Low Rate of £68.10 per week.
They both receive modest state pensions, have no other income and have savings of around £8000. They were struggling with bills and the usual increased expenditure for people with a cancer diagnosis.
Before John was awarded Attendance Allowance they only received a small amount of rent rebate and some council tax rebate. They did not qualify for Pension Credit.
As they both now receive Attendance Allowance (the means-tested threshold increases a lot where two people in a household receive Attendance Allowance), they now qualify for Pension Credit. Phil has made a claim on their behalf which will mean they should be entitled to Pension Credit of £165 per week which will then result in them not having to pay any rent or council tax.
The end result of Phil claiming normal rules Attendance Allowance for “John” in August 2023 means that their weekly income will have increased by around £326 per week once all the other benefits are in place. This also means they will qualify for extra winter fuel payments.
Whilst accessing this extra support won’t always be available to people with additional income or substantial savings, sometimes accessing Attendance Allowance can act as a ‘key’ to unlocking other benefits.
For more general information about what Attendance Allowance is, please read our recent blog.
If anyone would like to know more about the criteria for Attendance Allowance normal rules please get in touch with Phil Bremner by email at benefitsadvice@hdft.nhs.uk or call 01423 557318.