Attendance Allowance

[pottersusan]

Does anyone know if us unpredictable diabetics can get Attendance Allowance?

 

[FM001]

No harm in trying🙂

 

[Pumper_Sue]

Does anyone know if us unpredictable diabetics can get Attendance Allowance?

Attendance allowance is for over 65's try DLA 🙂

 

[Copepod]

The key requirements for Care Component of DLA (Disability Living Allowance) is reasonably needing help from another person for personal care and / or supervision or being unable to cook a meal for one person.

To get Lower Rate Mobility Component, you need to have need for guidance or supervision in places that are unfamiliar for you; to get Higher Rate, you need to be unable or virtually unable to walk.

It's always best to seek advice / guidance from an advisor when filling in application form - Macmillan are very good for people with cancer, which can bring extra issues, such as fatigue.

All these comments apply to adults (aged 16 years or over) as rules are different for children, and as Sue has already pointed out, Attendance Allowance is for people who first claim when they are 65 years or older.

 

[Ellie Jones]

It really depends..

There's unpredictable and there's unpredictable.. To a certain extend our diabetes is unpredictable to various degree's, otherwise we would be easy to manage..

As an adult you would need to prove that the unpredictability means that due to sudden changes combined with hypo unawareness means that you require the assistance of 3rd party to over see you, in case you drop without warning..

But always worth asking, they can either say yes or no

 

[sweetsatin]

Does anyone know if us unpredictable diabetics can get Attendance Allowance?

As mentioned above you can only claim AA if over 65, but you can try claimig DLA
A word of advice through my own experience, if claiming DLA keep a copy of everything as follows:
1 Keep a photocopy of everything you send the DWP.
Most especially, keep a photocopy of your completed claim form and keep it safe. i do know how difficult and expensive this can be, but if you don?t you may regret it because:
Your claim form may be lost by the DWP... it does happen.
Records of telephone calls, letters from you and your claim form will be shredded by the DWP... Shredding may happen within a few months of documents being received. The longest the department is now likely to hold onto your claim pack is fourteen months.
Even if your claim is successful the award will either be for a limited period, perhaps as little as one year and you?ll have to apply again towards the end of that period, or it will be for an indefinite period but it may still be reviewed every few years.
Having your previous claim form to refer to may save you a great deal of time.
If you?re not happy with the result of your claim it will be harder to challenge the decision effectively without a copy of your original form.
Keep every letter you receive from the DWP.
Put them all in a folder in date order along with copies of letters you?ve sent them.
Keep a note of any phone calls to or from the DWP.
Ask for the name of anyone you speak to and keep a note of it, along with the date and the subject of the call.
Try not to feel embarrassed or awkward about this as DWP staff are used to giving their names.
In the very unlikely event that anyone refuses to give you at least their first name and the section they work on, ask to speak to their Supervisor.

Hope this helps.

 

[hyper-Suze]

Does anyone know if us unpredictable diabetics can get Attendance Allowance?

Hi Susan,

I tried and filled out a form a while back, I was trying to get DLA to afford a gym membership and with the angle that a gym membership would keep me fitter, lower my BS and insulin requirements as well as other health improvements, which with T1 is always a benefit to avoid! My angle was that if I could lower my need for meds and improved health then I would be less likely to go blind or have nerve damage and lose a limb and thus avoid then needing the higher rate of DLA! It was in their interests and benefit to award the lower amount to prevent the higher one down the line!

But, as the questions on DLA are merely a Yes/No answer to activities which the majority of us 'unpredictables' can do, my form, I guess, looked pathetic!!!

If you manage to 'put some meat on the bones' of the form and are successful, come back and let me know what you put on it!!!!

 

[Pumper_Sue]

Hi Susan,

I tried and filled out a form a while back, I was trying to get DLA to afford a gym membership and with the angle that a gym membership would keep me fitter, lower my BS and insulin requirements as well as other health improvements, which with T1 is always a benefit to avoid! My angle was that if I could lower my need for meds and improved health then I would be less likely to go blind or have nerve damage and lose a limb and thus avoid then needing the higher rate of DLA! It was in their interests and benefit to award the lower amount to prevent the higher one down the line!

But, as the questions on DLA are merely a Yes/No answer to activities which the majority of us 'unpredictables' can do, my form, I guess, looked pathetic!!!

If you manage to 'put some meat on the bones' of the form and are successful, come back and let me know what you put on it!!!!

There's plenty of room on the form to add extra info and you can also add info on sep sheets of paper.
But DLA is not for buying gym membership. Exercise you def do not need to pay for as you can go for a walk 🙂 DLA is for personal care and mobility if applying for the mobility section.

 

[MeanMom]

Does anyone know if us unpredictable diabetics can get Attendance Allowance?

Correct me if I'm wrong Susan, but I assume you mean you need 'extra' care because of being different from the 'usual' T1(if such a thing exists), ie because of the removal of your stomach spleen etc. In which case it is worth a try but would suggest having a chat with your team and leaving it a week or two to see how things settle down so you know what 'extra' help you do need. You might also want to look into someone getting careers allowance for you

'ordinary' T1 adults with no other health issues would IMHO be very unlikely to get DLA as lots of older children with T1 are struggling to get it/having cases reviewed under current financial climate

Good luck with the form!

 

[Copepod]

Re MeanMom's comment:
"You might also want to look into someone getting careers allowance for you" - true, but there are many conditions that need to be met to get Carers Allowance.

A person can only claim Carers Allowance if they are aged 16yrs to retirement age AND providing a minimum of 35 hours per week for a person (child or adult) who gets Middle or Higher Rate Care Component of DLA or Lower or Higher Rate of Attendance Allowance AND they're not earning too much (which isn't very much at all!) In some cases, even if a claim for CA doesn't result in payment of money, it can help with other aspects eg qualifiying to help with housing costs, council tax etc.

 

[Flutterby]

DIAL will help people fill in these forms and they are very good at picking up anything that the DWP may pick up on, the are good at wording things in a way which will get more attention from those who read your form. Google your nearest branch and ring for an appt. they helped me after my stroke. I only get the lower rate because of being unable to cook a hot meal for one due to confusion and general nuttiness (!) it's always worth a try.x

 

[cheeffy]

Strong possibility

QUOTE] well I am and I do, but also you maybe entitled to DLA on the lowest level as diabetes is for life so embrace it and enjoy the challenges

 

[pottersusan]

You folk are the fount of all knowledge!

I can feel some form filling coming on, but it may have to wait until I'm suffering from insomnia!

Thanks for all the info. 🙂

 

[Pumper_Sue]

You folk are the fount of all knowledge!

I can feel some form filling coming on, but it may have to wait until I'm suffering from insomnia!

Thanks for all the info. 🙂

Hi Susan,
your best bet is to take it to someone like CAB to fill it in for you. From what I understand it all depends on how you cross your T's and dot your i's. Write down your worst day and how it affects you. This will help them help you. 🙂

 

[ypauly]

Surely just by putting the truth on the forms you will get what you are entitled?

Money saving expert has a benefits check up service.
http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/family/benefits-check

 

[trophywench]

Pauly, if that were only true you'd be able to claim sickness benefit all the time you are sick and continuously signed off work as such by your GP.

Fact is after 6 months, you can be having panic attacks every hour then cry for an hour then have to sleep for another hour, and have completely unmanageable BG's because of it, but because you can still mostly put the kettle on, wash yourself and touch yer toes, you are fit for work and they expect you to claim JSA and look for a job. I couldn't actually go anywhere on my own - I'd try and go somehwere not far on the bus but I'd brick it and my husband would have to come and fetch me. Great when your CV says 'I used to be able to do this that and the other, but now I can't do anything' Hard to sell yourself really.

You then have to lodge an appeal. The appeal may not take place until after you have actually retired and claiming your State pension. No matter though you still have to attend .......

The whole system is DEEPLY flawed.

 

[ypauly]

Pauly, if that were only true you'd be able to claim sickness benefit all the time you are sick and continuously signed off work as such by your GP.

Fact is after 6 months, you can be having panic attacks every hour then cry for an hour then have to sleep for another hour, and have completely unmanageable BG's because of it, but because you can still mostly put the kettle on, wash yourself and touch yer toes, you are fit for work and they expect you to claim JSA and look for a job. I couldn't actually go anywhere on my own - I'd try and go somehwere not far on the bus but I'd brick it and my husband would have to come and fetch me. Great when your CV says 'I used to be able to do this that and the other, but now I can't do anything' Hard to sell yourself really.

You then have to lodge an appeal. The appeal may not take place until after you have actually retired and claiming your State pension. No matter though you still have to attend .......

The whole system is DEEPLY flawed.

But ultimately it's the truth that will get you what you're entitled. I understand all those appeals things as my mother and my father when he was here had to do them for years (they arn't new) but are intended to weed out the ones who are "pulling a fast one" and I do know at least one of those who seems to get everything including cars despite being fitter and healthier than me.

I just believe honesty is the best policy and certainly wouldn't advise or encourage the telling of lies on official forms, even an embelishment of the truth is wrong in my eyes.

 

[am64]

But ultimately it's the truth that will get you what you're entitled. I understand all those appeals things as my mother and my father when he was here had to do them for years (they arn't new) but are intended to weed out the ones who are "pulling a fast one" and I do know at least one of those who seems to get everything including cars despite being fitter and healthier than me.

I just believe honesty is the best policy and certainly wouldn't advise or encourage the telling of lies on official forms, even an embelishment of the truth is wrong in my eyes.

....oh ypauly you are so true to your avatar ... please stop reading the newspapers 😎

 

[ypauly]

....oh ypauly you are so true to your avatar ... please stop reading the newspapers 😎

Where does it say I have read a newspaper? I havn't. Any benefit thoughts I have come from my real life experience and yes I really do know people that get things they shouldn't and even what lies they have tols to get them.


I hope that anybody that is in need gets what they need, and only have to tell the truth to get it. That's what our welfare system is for.

 

[am64]

Where does it say I have read a newspaper? I havn't. Any benefit thoughts I have come from my real life experience and yes I really do know people that get things they shouldn't and even what lies they have tols to get them.


I hope that anybody that is in need gets what they need, and only have to tell the truth to get it. That's what our welfare system is for.

yep its true ...and they are wasting taxpayers money ...i know of folk in these woods who claim for grants etc for their student kids pretending they are seperated and use the 'buy'to let investments as alternative address ...these BTW are earning >?800,000 a year ..silly money ....they also know all the tax dodges and are the tightest when it comes to donating to charity ...
what is incredible really is the cost to the taxpayer for this 'cull' of benefits cheats
regardless of actual need, the target figs for refusal in the first instance for the new ESA is 75% ...if you go to appeal which can take approx 1 year now the success rate is 60% ..but to appeal takes an awful lot of energy and effort which is the last thing that alot of those who are truely unwell can do without support from folk such as the CAB ...
Alison M pointed it out in a thread a while back ..i will try and find a link ...

ps ..you could always 'shop' those getting things they shouldn't do ....?😎