Attendance Allowance Question from @Roddy

Alex_Alumni

@Roddy I'm posting this in our Benefits and financial support category, as you posted it on my wall by mistake, don't worry. Hopefully our members can help with your query below: 

"Hi everybody, I hope I'm posting this in the correct place...

I have a question about DWP benefits which I hope somebody may be able to help me with please. 

I'm a single man and I currently receive Universal Credit and the standard rate of PIP. I am due my first state pension payment in March, and I've notified UC about it. It is my understanding that I'll no longer be entiteld to PIP, but I'll probably(?) be entitiled to Attendance Allowance instead(?)

My question is: Will this be automatically be done by the DWP or do I have notify PIP and go through entire process again of making a claim for Attendance Allowance, which as most of us will know is nothing short of a fiasco even at the best of times (if it's the same procedure as claiming PIP is!)

Many Thanks, in advance."

poppy123456

Your PIP will continue for as long as you remain entitled to it. Reaching state pension age doesn't change that or stop any PIP award.

calcotti

You will get a final UC payment after for the UC period in which you reached pension age.

PIP continues.

If you live alone, nobody claims Carer's Allowance or Carer element of UC for looking after you, you should check entitlement to Pension Credit. The calculation would include an extra amount called a Severe Disability Premium. PC would top up your State Pension. 
https://www.gov.uk/pension-credit-calculator
https://benefits-calculator.turn2us.org.uk

If you are renting and were getting help with rent in your UC then you need to now claim Housing Benefit from your local authority.

If you are claiming council Tax Reduction this will be reassessed to take account of your changed income but all be calculated under pension age rules.

Roddy

@Alex_Scope @poppy123456 @calcotti
 Thank You Very Much Ladies 
All of your advice is greatly appreciated. 

L_Volunteer

Please don't hesitate to let us know if there's anything else we can do to support you @Roddy

Roddy

That's very kind of you @L-Volunteer. I dare say I'll probably need some more advice at some point. Most of the advice online seems to be contradictive to me, and isn't easy to understand. It's even more confusing when people say one thing and another tells you something else... I've been lied to before by so-called "helpful staff" at DWP. 
   

poppy123456

Roddy said:

I've been lied to before by so-called "helpful staff" at DWP. 
   

It’s important to remember that when you ring DWP you don’t actually speak to anyone from DWP. You’re speaking to someone from a call centre who have very little benefits knowledge. They are sat reading from a screen. They are not the ones you should be asking for benefits advice from because they are not benefits advisors.