Benefits discriminate against pensioners.
Why can’t you get more help for disab... - Lung Conditions C...
Why can’t you get more help for disabilities when on attendance allowance.
Written by
mick5
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43 Replies
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Yes this is true. You used to be able to get help for mobility issues as pensioners but they stopped that a few years back. Probably because it cost too much money!
I thought so . You would think that they would have some sort of tier system. Even though I have lung cancer as well as cops they don’t want you to live to well.
The rates for attendance allowance & the daily living component of PIP are identical (£60 standard, £89.60 higher rate.) But with PIP you can also get a mobility allowance. I presume the rationale for not including this in AA is that everyone loses mobility as they age 🤷♀️
CDPO16 in reply to
I get PIP but even though my mobility has worsened considerably since I was first awarded the benefit as a result of worsening COPD, I am unable to get the higher mobility rate because I am over pension age.
in reply to CDPO16
Do you get the lower mobility rate? Can’t you reapply for the higher one? I thought you could, regardless of age
CDPO16 in reply to
I get the lower rate but as I said there is no increase allowed once you are past pension age.
in reply to CDPO16
Gosh, I didn’t know that. Dreadful age discrimination x
You are correct, but if you claim a care component after 65 you can get a reveiw of your mobility award. But you cannot claim pip care or DLA care after 65 anyway. Its that catch 22 the never endin g red tape fiasco. Not fair by any means but the way it is sadly. Another thing you cannot site age discrimination as there is a regulation to allow discrimination in benefits for over 65s They have us all ways , I get top rate mobility as I had it before a certain date and I can claim a reveiw of my DLA care but I can't claim attendance allowance . Everbodies circumstances are different. Even in respect of pensions. Hope these facts help some
I get the higher rate of attendance allowance plus state pension.
That's good Mick but still frustrating about the lack of benefit for reduced mobility. It would have gone some way to paying for your new mobility scooter. I do feel for older disabled people who may not be able to fund their own modes of getting about.I get lower rate PIP (1 point short of the higher rate, but not appealing), and lower rate mobility both of which I am grateful for. I was awarded those before reaching my pension age otherwise I too would have had to apply for Attendance Allowance.
in reply to CDPO16
I am 71. I was awarded the higher element of mobility pip six months before my 65th birthday. This gives me a car. It may be worth asking for a reassessment, especially if you have the lower mobility element. So far the govt have not withdrawn pip from older people or converted it to attendance allowance but I don’t trust them not to decide to do so.
CDPO16 in reply to
After my last review late last year when my PIP was reassessed and, thankfully renewed, I received a letter from the DWP clearly stating that an increase to the higher mobility rate was not allowed because of my age. I am grateful for what I get LP and don't intend to appeal. We can afford to run our car and I don't care to rock the boat.
in reply to CDPO16
I suspect that this is the first step to taking away higher mobility rate from all over the pension age.
CDPO16 in reply to
I think it more likely that the benefit will end by being awarded to fewer people over a period of time before being stopped for new applicants. To take it away would cause an outcry whichever party was in government and those people who have it now will eventually shrug off this mortal coil. It's also the elderly who in the main always vote in elections.The answer of course is raising taxes which no government seems to want to do not even to ensure proper social care funding sadly.
Enjoy your evening x
hypercat54 in reply to
And not just to save money Hanne? 😃
in reply to hypercat54
Oh, definitely to save money! I should’ve put “rationale” in inverted commas. It’s a false, and unfair, presumption which suits the Treasury
hypercat54 in reply to
Exactly whilst they give themselves big raises.
katieoxo60 in reply to
Hi Hanne62, you hit the nail on the head. Its presummed that mobility loss is normal in old age what a joke. I know people over 90 who can walk and dance faster than me. 😀
Look at The Queen, not dancing that I know of, but still mobile, driving (albeit on her private estates) and horseriding. My mother could still walk the legs off me well into her eighties.
Yes the Queen is an example of active older people just like the Queen mother & Prince Phillip. It is wrong to presume those with mobility issues only have it due to age, young or older. Most have some disability and should not be penalised because they are older as the regulations do.
Hi Mick I am 80 this year and except for incapacity benefit for short time off during sickness, I have NEVER received any benefit apart from my rightful state pension. A relative advised me to apply for Attendance Allowance because of my health situation, which I have started to learn about. Low and behold everyone seems to know about. I do not get the point you are making. Could you explain a bit more. ?£60 a week to many is an absolute fortune, fingers crossed
Attendance Allowance is a benefit paid to people who need help with aspects of daily living. It is designed to go someway towards a person paying someone to help them to do something that they can no longer do for themselves totally independently. It isn't means tested and is paid monthly into a bank account. Applications are by filling in a lengthy form and most of the time, but not always, a telephone interview. Interviews were face to face before the pandemic but have been done by phone since.
Yes it is truly disgraceful, the lack of financial support for pensioners and disability is awful. The system is horrible regarding to payments for people who really need it. And younger people who are still able to work get more than people in need, it's definitely unfair for people who struggle and those who get it all are not working and even go in holiday and cheating the system.
Sorry but as someone who receives PIP and was recently working I feel your comments are a little unfair.Yes up until 6 months ago I worked but the additional money of PIP ensured that I was able to work part time and keep my job far longer than if I had been forced for economic reasons to continue full time. My body would simply have not coped with the strain and I would have lost my job. Thus meaning I would have had to rely on other benefits. PIP meant not only was I able to work (in a highly specialised role) but also contribute via taxes and national insurance to others.
Finally my PIP ensures that I am able to purchase items required specifically to help my care and mobility needs.
I am NOT saying that Attendance Allowance is 100% fair but am responding to your comments in relation to PIP and people working.
Am sorry if I have caused an offence to any one I not saying that people aren’t entitled to the benefits they receive and can’t really see where I have caused offence. What I am trying to say is some benefits are not equal even though the amounts are the same. People who get pip dla can get more help than pensioners on AA not necessarily monetary but services. If I could show yo a letter from my council which says that as I am not entitled to other Benefits other than AA I do not qualify for occupational grants to help me with adaptions to my home. If people think I am a scrounger let them. I worked in the building trade for 50 years with only 18 months missing in my stamps in all that time. I did not want to end up with an auortic aneurism , copd, sarcoidosis, now lung cancer, bone cancer and cancer of the adrenal gland . So if people out there don’t think people like us need extra help they know what they ca do. Sorry moderates.
Sorry some thing bugs me . can you explain to me why and how have I caused offence to you. Have I said somewhere that you weren’t entitled to pip.
I was responding specifically to comments made by MELNEL not to your specific post. In fact I made it clear that I don’t think Attendance Allowance is necessarily fair.I used to work in social services and I don’t know why you can’t receive any support for adaptations. Personally I think you should appeal the decision. At least to have it explained to you why you are not eligible. When we made adaptations decisions were NOT made around age of person. If someone who was 35 or 75 years needed an adaptation then no difference. The only criteria was about savings a person had. Then adaptations were “means tested”.
Are you entitled to pension credits?
Bevvy these benefits are all for different reasons , you are correct PIP is to help workers continue to work and pay for services that help them do that. The confusion arises at retirement as if you received them before 65 they continue after 65 but you cannot claim attendance allowance. So PIP recognises that you are disabled as does DLA no matter what age. But AA does not work that way it only recognises your age related needs but uses the disabled standards to assess people. Not sure thats clear but this post certainly has stirred some good responses The system is not fair I think is agreed by all.
The only benefit I can get is attendance allowance.would not mind changing it to one of the other benefits. I need financial help to convert my bathroom, I need some hand rails,I would like a front door ramp. I would like some help with the car but because I only get attendance allowance I do no qualify. Even tried to get a grant from council but was told I would have to pay for all work up to nearly £9000.00 if I had another benefit instead of AA the work would be done free. Ps I have been told by the disability dept I would also need a stair lift.
Have you asked your doctor to refer you for an Occupational Therapy assessment? Some equipment can be provided by the NHS if there is an assessed need. It is unlikely, however, to include everything you have listed but may include aids to daily living that would help.
I will ask but looking into what they try to do it will probably kill me quicker.most of the aids they supply won’t help me.
dear mick the local authority ie.the council will put in extra bannisters toilet aids a shower grab rail and seat up to one thousand pounds I only found this out this summer and rang them not occupational therapy they fitted them all in two weeks.do try it does help.I think a little offence may have been caused when someone said they even go on holiday.sounded a bit like if you are disabled or low income that you shouldn't have a holiday.I'm sure that wasn't the intent.my husband has hypoxic brain damage which means he cannot read or understand many thing right away also empysemia and heart failurewe also had to adapt house put in a toilet ect downstairs nearly six thousand pounds I managed to remortgage but this means we will probably never now own completely our house but I had to do it.life is not easy is it I am my husbands carer and I have in the last four yrs had breast cancer with radium treatment ,a very rare skin cancer which required three yrs of follow up which would have ended Dec this year but first visit after lock down Dr found more skin problem I have surgery on Wednesday this week.I am also in wheelchair most of the timebase need a new knee and a new hip. so if you need more help go to citizens advice and keep trying .I hope you get things resolved.good luck.
Life is not fair at times, I often wonder why those who have there own homes have to find funding themselves. Am amazed at how many of you who are severely disabled or ill continue to manage. Every best wish that your op on Wednesday goes well . Now you have been in touch with council maybe you may get help and thank you for passing on the info to others , many people don't realise what they can get and every little helps even a small thing like a grab rail to steady you. Enjoy the rest of your day x
Thank you for your very kind reply .my husband and I have been married almost sixty yrs.so we are very blessedx
I have just had my DLA( (disability living allowance, now replaced by PIP) raised to the highest care level. This has been done because my doctor sent an S1500 form in for me. Sounds good, but this is a form that doctors can send in if they consider you to be terminally ill. So I say, be careful what you wish for.
I don’t qualify for pip or dla if I had one or the other I could get more help.
in reply to mick5
Very few pensioners get DLA or PIP, as AA is meant to be the older person equivalent of that. I don’t know your circumstances, and it may well be you can’t get any other financial help, but have you tried an online benefits calculator like entitled to or turn 2 us to make sure you’re getting everything you’re entitled to? Whilst on AA, depending on your personal situation and any assets or savings you may have, you may be eligible for other financial help and benefits, like pension credit, council tax support, and possibly help towards housing costs. Your council should also pay for any adaptations to your home under the cost of £1000 each, which usually easily includes ramps and grab rails etc., as long as you’ve had a home assessment and it determined that these adaptations are required for you to continue living at home. For larger adaptations, there are grants available independent of the local authority. This NHS link covers the home assessment and adaptation information, including links to two independent organisations that may be able to help with grants:
There is an article in the current Radio Times about Pension Credits. Sounds as if they might be worth investigating,
The problem is historical. If you 'worked', you could claim benefits related to sickness. However, if you are old, then you can only claim benefits related to old age / pension
I’m hoping to apply for the lower rate. I had three fractures in my back three years ago and in the last six weeks I’ve got another four. I’m finding it hard to do my housework and ironing so if I get it that is what it will go towards. I was told I should get it.
