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I didn't quite believe this until I looked into it for a guy who's 81 and struggling a bit with car costs as he needs to buy a compliant one, etc. I mentioned it before but it's worth setting out. You & your partner could lose £300,000 or so + inflation, if you delay, really. It's not means-tested or taxed.
The benefits available have changed over the years. A key one, mobility allowance, stopped in 2013. "Use the Personal Independence Payment PIP instead" they said. Another scheme was supposed to come along to replace that with Disability Living Allowance DLA, which is still running for those who qualified for it back in the day. You can't apply for DLA now.
But there is an age after which you can't claim PIP, which is the age when you draw pension. Currently 66.
PIP has two elements, Daily Living and Mobility, and there's a lower and upper level for each.
One you reach pension age, Attendance Allowance is supposed to replace PIP, but it only covers the Daily Living part, not the Mobility part.
If you get awarded either part of PIP before Pension age, it continues, forever.
To be clear - If you wait until you've reached pension age, You cannot claim PIP or increase the level you're on. AA would only take over the DL part and it's harder to get.
Harder - to get the lower level of PIP DL, you only need to say you need some sort of aid like a support to do 4 basic things such as cooking, washing, dressing, or using a loo. But to claim AA you need to say you need help to do them , more than quite a lot of hours a week (30?), which is a much higher bar. (Even if you actually have nobody Attending you.). For the higher level of AA you would need help at night as well.
Is it worth it - yes. The lower level of PIP DL is most of the money for that part.
The lower level of PIP Mobility is only £26.90 a week but it's indexed, so look it up. It automatically gives you a blue badge, access to the scrappage scheme and/or 4 years' grace on driving in the ULEZ , and a 50% discount on car tax.
The higher PIP Mobility level is currently £71 a week. Massively important if you need it though, is that it gives you access to the Motability scheme, which provides you with a car, forever, paid for instead of the £benefit. It includes insurance, servicing, tyres and charging point installation. (Better cars need a cash input). Also 100% car tax whether taking Motability or not.
To qualify for lower Mobility PIP, you have to have trouble walking to 50m, with or without an "aid". For the upper level, that's 20m. There are powerful "but also's" though. You have to be able to do it at at least half normal walking pace, and whenever you want, and safely, and repeatedly. That gets complex so you'd need to look it up. There's a lot about it online, but if/when you get into a Mandatory Reassessments or Tribunal, there are many details, it will take a matter of hours to read all there is.
So at (currently) 65 you could snag yourself a free car for life, but leave it to 66, you're on your own and no cash. The cash amount (if you don't take the car) at £71 a week, which for say 20 years would be £73,840. The Lower part of Daily Living PIP comes to £70,824, though you would probably be able to claim AA at some point when you satisfy the higher bar.
It's obviously not "fair", so everyone exaggerates, and the Dept of W and P pushes back, so you have to exaggerate to allow for the push-back....
It's easier than it was to apply, in that they're understaffed so they practically never come to you or ask you to go to them. It's all online/ on the phone - at least to start with.
If this is you, then try posting here if I can answer any Q. I'm not an expert but I can point you to some sites or may have seen an answer somewhere.. Start with .gov, but many others such as Citizens' Advice site.
One tip - A report from a sympathetic GP could help a lot.
If there's anything unclear/wrong here other than the numbers which WILL change, let me know by PM and I'll edit the post.
The benefits available have changed over the years. A key one, mobility allowance, stopped in 2013. "Use the Personal Independence Payment PIP instead" they said. Another scheme was supposed to come along to replace that with Disability Living Allowance DLA, which is still running for those who qualified for it back in the day. You can't apply for DLA now.
But there is an age after which you can't claim PIP, which is the age when you draw pension. Currently 66.
PIP has two elements, Daily Living and Mobility, and there's a lower and upper level for each.
One you reach pension age, Attendance Allowance is supposed to replace PIP, but it only covers the Daily Living part, not the Mobility part.
If you get awarded either part of PIP before Pension age, it continues, forever.
| Lower weekly rate | Higher weekly rate | |
|---|---|---|
| Daily living part | £68.10 | £101.75 |
| Mobility part | £26.90 | £71.00 |
To be clear - If you wait until you've reached pension age, You cannot claim PIP or increase the level you're on. AA would only take over the DL part and it's harder to get.
Harder - to get the lower level of PIP DL, you only need to say you need some sort of aid like a support to do 4 basic things such as cooking, washing, dressing, or using a loo. But to claim AA you need to say you need help to do them , more than quite a lot of hours a week (30?), which is a much higher bar. (Even if you actually have nobody Attending you.). For the higher level of AA you would need help at night as well.
Is it worth it - yes. The lower level of PIP DL is most of the money for that part.
The lower level of PIP Mobility is only £26.90 a week but it's indexed, so look it up. It automatically gives you a blue badge, access to the scrappage scheme and/or 4 years' grace on driving in the ULEZ , and a 50% discount on car tax.
The higher PIP Mobility level is currently £71 a week. Massively important if you need it though, is that it gives you access to the Motability scheme, which provides you with a car, forever, paid for instead of the £benefit. It includes insurance, servicing, tyres and charging point installation. (Better cars need a cash input). Also 100% car tax whether taking Motability or not.
To qualify for lower Mobility PIP, you have to have trouble walking to 50m, with or without an "aid". For the upper level, that's 20m. There are powerful "but also's" though. You have to be able to do it at at least half normal walking pace, and whenever you want, and safely, and repeatedly. That gets complex so you'd need to look it up. There's a lot about it online, but if/when you get into a Mandatory Reassessments or Tribunal, there are many details, it will take a matter of hours to read all there is.
So at (currently) 65 you could snag yourself a free car for life, but leave it to 66, you're on your own and no cash. The cash amount (if you don't take the car) at £71 a week, which for say 20 years would be £73,840. The Lower part of Daily Living PIP comes to £70,824, though you would probably be able to claim AA at some point when you satisfy the higher bar.
It's obviously not "fair", so everyone exaggerates, and the Dept of W and P pushes back, so you have to exaggerate to allow for the push-back....
It's easier than it was to apply, in that they're understaffed so they practically never come to you or ask you to go to them. It's all online/ on the phone - at least to start with.
If this is you, then try posting here if I can answer any Q. I'm not an expert but I can point you to some sites or may have seen an answer somewhere.. Start with .gov, but many others such as Citizens' Advice site.
One tip - A report from a sympathetic GP could help a lot.
If there's anything unclear/wrong here other than the numbers which WILL change, let me know by PM and I'll edit the post.
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