Hi, what is the correct benefit to apply for personal care under pension age?

RebeccaRachel

Hi, due to severe back pain and restricted mobility my sister needs personal care such as washing legs, feet, back, hair, drying hair, shopping,  laundry and house cleaning needs to be done for her, someone staying overnight when she is in much pain or high anxiety about it. We have been managing this between us as a family but really become too much and we cannot be as reliable as she needs. I understand funding can be applied for but unsure how to go about it. She is 63, so not pension age for about 14 months. Currently on Easter, housing and council tax benefits but that doesn't cover basic costs of living let alone paying for care.  Advice welcome please!! Thanks, Reb

RebeccaRachel

ESA not Easter! 

JennysDad

Easter A neat little typo, that, Rebecca @RebeccaRachel. A warm welcome to you.
I'm not a benefits advisor, sadly, but we do have some here who will be able to offer you some advice. It will probably be tomorrow (Thursday) when you start to get replies, but please bear with us and please don't hesitate to be in touch with us if there is anything else you think we might be able to help with.
Very pleased to meet you,
Warmest best wishes to you and to your sister,
Richard @JennysDad

RebeccaRachel

Thank you Jenny's Dad

poppy123456

RebeccaRachel said:

Hi, due to severe back pain and restricted mobility my sister needs personal care such as washing legs, feet, back, hair, drying hair, shopping,  laundry and house cleaning needs to be done for her, someone staying overnight when she is in much pain or high anxiety about it. We have been managing this between us as a family but really become too much and we cannot be as reliable as she needs. I understand funding can be applied for but unsure how to go about it. She is 63, so not pension age for about 14 months. Currently on Easter, housing and council tax benefits but that doesn't cover basic costs of living let alone paying for care.  Advice welcome please!! Thanks, Reb

Hi,
It will be PIP that she would need to apply for. For this it's not about a diagnosis but how those conditions affect you daily. She would need evidence to support her claim because they very rarely contact anyone for evidence. There's an online PIP self test that she can complete, it doesn't mean she'll score those points or be awarded as that will depend on evidence sent to prove those descriptors apply to her. She can start a claim off by ringing the PIP help line. They will ask her some simple questions and then send her the PIP2 forms to fill in. These have to be returned within 1 month. Expect to have a face to face assessment as most people do.

See the online PIP self test here. http://www.mybenefitsandwork.co.uk/pip/indexxx.php

More about PIP here. https://www.turn2us.org.uk/Benefit-guides/Personal-Independence-Payment/What-is-PIP

RebeccaRachel

Great Poppy, thank you x