Hi, for the last 4 years I’ve been a carer for my 90yo Mum, who has various health issues which has recently got a lot worst. She does claim Attendance Allowance, but I was wondering if there’s any benefits I can claim for to help me, I do work full time and always thought I wouldn’t qualify for help, but people keep telling me there is. Would I be entitled to carers allowance and using the car Mobility scheme which would be a great help to get my Mum about.
I’ve tried using the benefits calculator and PIP & DLA keeps getting mentioned but apparently my mum can’t claim for them as she gets Attendance Allowance, is that right.
Your best bet is to have a look at the CarerUK website which has a section on Financial Matters - including a Benefits Calculator. You can also email and get personalised help from an expert.
As Mum is over Retirement Age she will not be eligible for PIP. I am not expert on Benefits, although others on here have vast experience and will be able to guide you - I am sure @bowlingbun and @Charlesh47 would be able to give more guidance.
If you need to vent your feelings or ask general advice etc a good place to check out is the Roll Call thread on here. It’s where many of us have a chat/moan/laugh
and you will always be assured of a warm welcome. I am 63 and care for my husband, Graham who is now 68 and suffered a stroke at New Year 2021 - at that point our lives changed, even though it was a ‘mild’ stroke. He then suffered a cascade of other health problems - as a result we had to close our business very suddenly and are now reliant on savings, AA and my income is just CA. Certainly not what either of us envisaged!
Hi Chris, thank you for your reply, I will take a look at Financial Matters, I will also get myself over to the Roll Call thread. Sorry to hear about your partner, Graham, and you’re right, these things do change lives.
Welcome to the forum. Does mum have over £23,000? Yes/No?
If not, is she just getting pension and AA, or getting income related benefits as well?
(Sadly PIP which includes a mobility option is not available to pensioners, so unfair. DLA is the pensioner equivalent. Is mum mentally frail? If so she can get exemption from Council Tax.
Most important of all though is whether mum is properly paying for everything? If you are using your car for her benefit, does she contribute to the costs of the car, for example?
I arranged for mum to have DLA but she hoarded it and never gave dad any of it to go towards their joint expenses in retirement?
If your mum has substantial savings and you are caring for her then she should be giving you some of her money as a weekly allowance, you are a lot cheaper than a care home.
If you live together, is the house owned or rented. If rented from the council or housing association, you might be given 4 weeks notice when she dies or moves into a care home. Sadly, this has happened to others on the forum.
My mum doesn’t have £23k and we haven’t looked at DLA. She has dementia which has got a lot worst over the last 3 weeks. She also has cataracts in both eyes.
Not intended I know, but your last paragraph made me go cold, we live in a council house, have done for over 50 years in the same house, I know when she dies, I will have to get out, but I didn’t know it could happen if she was put into a care home.
I have tried swapping the tenant names over from my Mum’s to myself, but was told it could only be done once, which was the case when my dad died 30 odd years ago, to my Mum’s name. I’m hoping when the time comes they would re-house me into something smaller.
I may have misled you I’m afraid, many apologies, Attendance Allowance is now the benefit for those over pension age claiming for the first time, not DLA. However, if mum has under £23,000 she may well be entitled to additional money, and if she has dementia, is exempt from Council Tax (if she is paying it?) on the grounds of severe mental impairment.
Sadly, you are unlikely to be rehoused by the council.
Sometimes, they may bend their rules, this has happened on the odd occasion, but not often. This is why I mention it now, to give you time to negotiate with them, if possible.
It is dreadfully unfair. If I didn’t mention it and you didn’t know, it would be a million times worse.