Attendance, Carers and Disability Living Allowance

Attendance Allowance

This is a benefit payable to people aged 65 or over, who have attention or supervision needs, but are not either in hospital, or living in a residential care setting

Entitlement requires a level of disability, which results in a need for frequent attention from another person, either because of difficulty with bodily functions (ie eating, drinking, mobility, seeing, hearing etc), or because supervision is required in order to prevent substantial danger to the claimant, or others

The disability condition must be met continually for a period of 6 months

Claimants must also be ordinarily resident in Great Britain and present in Great Britain both at the time of the claim and for 26 of the preceding 52 weeks

Depending on the degree of disability, the benefit is potentially payable at one of two rates:

• Higher Rate: £79.15 per week
• Lower Rate:  £53 per week

Higher Rate Attendance Allowance is also available to those who are terminally ill.

If your ageing parent is a permanent resident in a care home and their place is wholly or partly funded by a local authority entitlement, Attendance Allowance can be affected.

Disability Living Allowance (DLA)

This is available to people aged under 65, who have attention or supervision needs similar to the qualification criteria for Attendance Allowance.

Rates

DLA potentially comprises a care component which is paid at one of three rates depending upon the degree of disability:

1. Lower Rate:  £21 per week
2. Middle Rate: £53 per week
3. Higher Rate: £79.15 per week

and/or a mobility component, which is potentially payable at two rates:

A. Lower Rate £19.55 per week

B. Higher Rate £51.40 per week.

Higher Rate care component generally requires that the need for frequent attention, or supervision, exists throughout the day and for prolonged periods at night

The Higher Rate is also available to those with a terminal diagnosis

Middle Rate generally requires some level of overnight need for attention, or supervision

The mobility component is payable at Lower Rate where someone cannot walk outdoors without guidance or supervision from another person.

Higher Rate mobility component generally requires that a claimant is unable to walk, or has at least a very limited ability to walk

Although your ageing parent must normally be aged under 65 to claim DLA, once it has been awarded, DLA it can be paid beyond age 65

It is usually better to claim DLA, because it potentially offers the mobility component

The level of disability threshold required for Lower Rate DLA is below that required for Lower Rate Attendance Allowance

If your parent is a permanent resident in a care home and your place is wholly or partly funded by a local authority, entitlement to the care component of Disability Living Allowance can be affected

Carer’s Allowance

This is a benefit available to a person who gives “regular and substantial” care to a person, who receives either Attendance Allowance, or the middle rate Disability Living Allowance care component

The carer does not have to be related to, or live with, the person being cared for, but the carer must be aged 16 or over and must not be employed, or in full-time education.

Only one person can qualify for Carer’s Allowance for caring for the same disabled person and a carer can only claim one Carer’s Allowance even if they care for two or more people.

Carer’s Allowance is paid at a flat rate of £58.45 per week, but this benefit may be reduced if the carer receives certain other state benefits, including State Pension