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DLA lifetime award

Posted , 4 users are following.

kathleen48070
kathleen48070

three years ago I was awarded DLA , I was over 65 .it was for indefinite  time limit .. Is this the same as lifetime limit?  My condition won't change. ( heart failure)  it worries me because my husband is seriously ill with lung cancer and he has been awarded AA under special rules .  If I lose it my income will be disastrous. 

0 likes, 14 replies

14 Replies

  • nadnad
    nadnad kathleen48070

    Posted

    Hi , there's no time limit for life but in England ,Wales and Scotland dla stop at the age of 65 you can apply for a benefit called attendance allowance and this should be for life as your husband is claiming it , you may receive a form because Ian Duncan smith is changing everything . Good luck 
  • kathleen48070
    kathleen48070

    Posted

    Thank you for your reply. I was sixty four when I was awarded DLA . I  am now 67  I still get high level for both components. It's my husband who gets the AA . I was really wondering when I would be sent for a medical . 
    • nadnad
      nadnad kathleen48070

      Posted

      Hi, I don't think they will send you for an assessment as you are 67 years old and heve a heart failure . They will contact your Gp if they need to but just relax for now ,you are not going to be left without income ,the AA don't  assesse them because of their age and the AA there's 2 type of income the one of £55.00 a week or 82.30 a week . And if you want you can check on the dwp website . .best of luck and just relax and take care 
  • sarah87162
    sarah87162 kathleen48070

    Posted

    My understadning is this. They are working from 8th April 2013.

    If you were already 65 then, they will not re assess you and you will continue to receive payments.

    If however you were still 64 then, you will be re assessed for a benefit called PIP.

    If you are not awarded PIP and you are 65 or over when you are assessed, your claim for PIP can be counted as a claim for another benefit which I think is Invalid Care Allowance.

    They do make things complicated but hope this makes some sense and is helpful to you.

    Sarah

    • kathleen48070
      kathleen48070 sarah87162

      Posted

      Hello Sarah , I have had my papers out and I was on the benefit in 2012 . It says I don't need to claim pip and I will continue with DLA as long as my condition doesn't change.  I have been in it for three years therefore.  

      My hubby is on special rules AA. 

      Thank you you so much for your comment. 

    • les59996
      les59996 kathleen48070

      Posted

      As for your DLA award, the simple answer, as has already been said, is that if you were 65 or older on the 8th April 2013, you will continue to get DLA..

      However there is no such thing as a 'lifetime' award anymore. They became known as 'indefinite' awards. The difference is that with a lifetime award it will continue until you advise of a change of circumstances. An indefinite award means that whilst it will continue until you tell them otherwise, the DWP can at any time it choses, come along and require you to prove that you are still entitled to it.

      It was done that way to stop people being awarded on a long term basis with no future checks being made to see if you are still entitled. I have recently come across an 86 year old having to prove continuing entitlement to DLA that they have had since the early 1990's. 

    • sarah87162
      sarah87162 les59996

      Posted

      That all sounds fine. The only thing I do not understand is I thought DLA was going to be completely scrapped. If people were over 65 on 8th April 2013 and therefore continue to be paid the benefit ,what is the benefit going to be called?
    • les59996
      les59996 sarah87162

      Posted

      DLA has certainly not been scrapped. It still exists for claimants that are under age 16 and for those that were 65 on the 8th April 2013. It's replacement, PIP, will affect only those who are 16 or over and for those that weren't 65 on the 8th April 2013. I am currently 67 (will be 68 in May 2016) but as I wasn't 65 on the 8th April 2013, I will have to transfer over to PIP at some time by 2017.
    • sarah87162
      sarah87162 les59996

      Posted

      Thanks I am in same position.

      I am 65 on 10th November this year.

      What a shame that you only missed out on this by a month!

      They took at date in April and you were 65 in the May.

      I suppose rules is rules and they have to set a date but you were very unlucky.

      Let me know how you get on with your PIP assessment.

      Sarah

    • les59996
      les59996 sarah87162

      Posted

      The new range of additional postcodes were published a couple of weeks ago - mine is now in it for conversion to PIP. I have to be honest that although I have been getting DLA (High Mobility & Middle Care) since the mid 90's, I don't hold out much hope for getting a PIP award. You never know,but those descriptors (tick boxes) just don't seem to fit me. 
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