Attendance Allowance......

[yelenots]

My elderley mother was self funding in a Rest Home until mid June when whe had a major stroke. She was in hospital for 26 days before transferring to nursing care......I have been advised that her attendance allowance has stopped now until October. Is this correct? I though it only stopped if she had stayed in hospital over 28 days? Because of this she doesnt have enough money to pay for the nursing home - dont know what I'm going to do!

Thanks

[themas]

The rule is that AA is only paid for 28 days if the claimant is in hospital or in a care home where any of the "qualifying costs" - accommodation, personal care or board - are paid out of public funds.

From your post I assume this is the case with the care home your mother is now in. She should be assessed by Social Services to determine how much she will have to pay, & the remainder should be paid from public funds - partly by the NHS (for her nursing care) & the rest by Social Services. [There are some circumstances where all the costs are met by the NHS but they involve cases where extremely complex & changing nursing needs occur.]

I don't understand what you have been told - that AA has stopped until October. It will not be reinstated unless she again becomes fully self-funding.

[yelenots]

Thanks for you reply Themas but my Mum has been self funding right from the start (apart from the 12 week disregard) therefore as she wasnt in hospital for more than 28 days I dont think it should of been stopped! Cant get any sense when I phone so I have just written to them!

[themas]

I had assumed that the home she is now in (you say it is a nursing home) is not the same one as she was in before the stroke (which you say was a rest home - this is not the same as a nursing home), & that there was some public contribution to nursing etc. costs.

However, whether she is back in the original home or in a different one, if she is fully self-funding in the home she is now in I agree with you - AA should continue, & should not have stopped at all.

[yelenots]

Thank you for your help :-)