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Attendance Allowance
What is Attendance Allowance?
How do I know if I will qualify?
Attendance Allowance (AA) is a benefit available to people who are in receipt of a State Pension and have some support or supervision needs.
We often get asked the question "how do I know if I will qualify?" Whilst we are not the decision makers (that is DWP) we will have a good understanding of your situation following our initial chat.
If we think it is unlikely that you will qualify, we will let you know. We don't want to waste yours or our time. We will also let you know what other options are available to you. There is no cost for any of this initial assessment and advice.
If we think you may qualify, we will arrange a home visit for you/your family member to complete a full assessment and complete the application process for you.
If you are successful, you will be awarded the benefit from DWP.
It is paid every 28 days, normally at the same time as your State Penson.
The high rate (2023) is currently £407 every 28 days.
It doesn't cost you anything of your own money to apply.
Millcare conduct this process on a no win no fee basis.
We want you to be fully confident that if the claim is unsuccessful, you have nothing to pay.
Our consultants have never lost a case and we have successfully supported our clients claiming in excess of £13M.
What type of support/supervision needs must I have?
I live on my own. Can I still qualify?
Some examples that you need to demonstrate are:
You need some support from someone to get dressed
Someone has to help you with your medication.
You have had some falls
You are a bit unsteady in the shower
You sometimes forget things
These are only a few of the examples.
Even is someone does not help you, you can still qualify.
If it takes you a long time to get dressed or you are in pain getting out of a chair are examples.
Some peoples conditions and challenges can fluctuate.
The best advise and guidance we can give to everyone is to pick up the phone and speak to one of our consultants.
They are experts in this process and will fully advise you.
FAQ's
We've compiled a list of FAQ's to help guide you to your options and choices.
Can the Council complete this for me?
Some councils will have some staff that can complete benefit applications for people. A lot of these positions have gone over the years as councils cut on costs.
You would have to go to their offices with all your paperwork.
We tend to find over the years that some people who complete these processes are under skilled or under motivated to make the claim successful. They will receive their wages whether your claim is successful or not.
If your claim is turned down, you need to wait a further 6 months before you can submit a new claim.
Can I complete the application myself?
Yes.
You need to contact DWP and ask them to send you an application form. This needs to be returned to them within 28 days.
Once you see the form, you will see that it can look a bit daunting with 52 areas to complete.
Statistics show that DWP turn down 58% of applications.
If your application is turned down, you will need to wait 6 months and then present different information to DWP.
In reality, you may have qualified had the form been completed correctly.
As we do this as a No Win No Fee process, why take the risk?
I claim PIP. Can I claim Attendance Allowance as well?
No.
Personal Independence Payment is a similar benefit for people under State Pension age.
Some people may have been assessed for support needs prior to getting to State Pension age.
They carry this benefit into retirement
You cannot be in receipt of both PIP and AA.
I live in a care home, can I still apply for AA?
It depends on your financial situation.
If you are classed as a self funder (you are paying for your own care in the care home) then you are eligible to apply for AA (as long as you are not in receipt of PIP).
If the Government (Council) contribute to your care home costs, you cannot apply for AA as this would indicate that the Government is paying twice towards your care support.
What does no win no fee mean to me?
This means it costs you nothing of your own money.
If we are not successful with your application, it costs you nothing anyway.
If we are successful, we invoice you for 1 month of the award. You do not pay this until the money has landed in your bank.
We want you to be very secure and confident in our processes.
How long does it take?
Time can vary, depending on DWP's assessment timings.
Normally however, it is within 8 weeks from start to finish.
Once we receive your call and we have conducted an initial assessment over the phone, we will normally conduct a home visit within a week.
The assessment takes around 2 hours with another 2 hours for us once back in our offices quality checking the document.
We send the forms to DWP and normally in around 6 weeks they will have written to you with a decision.
Any award tends to be in your bank account soon after. Your payments from DWP go into your bank on the same day as your State Pension.
FAQ's continued
I already have an active claim with DWP or another organisation has completed it for me. Can you still help?
If you are already awarded Attendance Allowance and you have a question about it, you need to call the Attendance Allowance help line at DWP on 0800 731 0122.
Unfortunately, unless we have completed the forms for you, we will unlikely be able to help.
We would not have been part of your assessment so we would not have been party to what was written on your claim form.
Do you come to my house to complete the application?
In the majority of cases yes.
We recognise that we can reduce the stress on individuals by seeing them in their own homes.
Additionally, our assessment is more accurate as we can physically observe you and any equipment that you might use.
For us to be able to complete a home visit, you need to be living within an hour of our office location (Greater Manchester).
I don't live within an hour of your location. Can I still get support?
Yes - sometimes.
This will depend on your individual ability to use a phone or a computer.
For some people, we may still be able to conduct the assessment.
For some that may struggle using a phone, it may still be possible with the support of a family member or friend who is with you at the time.
I have received my decision letter from DWP. It states that I have been given the award for two years and not for life. Why?
Sometimes DWP assessors can determine that they think you may improve within two years and offer a time limited award.
This can be for situations where someone may have a temporary condition such as a broken bone and there is an expectation that this may improve within two years.
At around the 18 month point into your award, they will contact you inviting you to re-apply.
What is the main benefit of using Millcare to complete your application?
Their are multiple benefits for Millcare completing your application form for you.
* We will complete the process in the comfort of your own home. You don't need to travel to anywhere when you may likely have challenges with your mobility.
* It will cost you none of your own money whether you have the application completed by Millcare or another organisation
* We are motivated to do the best job for you as we operate a no win no fee process.
* The accuracy of our assessments is a lot higher as we see you in your own home and understand the exact challenges you may have.
* We are 100% successful with all our applications.
* There is no lengthy waiting times. Some organisations such as CAB are quoting 13 weeks waiting time. Millcare would have already completed the full process and the money would already be in your account before an assessment is offered.
* We pride ourselves on doing a good job and ensuring societies most vulnerable receive the support that is due.
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