Benefits advice for patients and carers

The Lodge Cancer Support Centre can offer benefits advice with our Citizens Advice Benefits Advice clinic (funded by Macmillan) held Monday to Thursday. After an initial assessment phone conversation you may be offered follow telephone or face-to-face appointments according to need. They can provide entitlement advice for work related benefits and help with some form filling of health related benefits.

Alternatively, for general advice on benefit entitlement you can contact:

• Macmillan Helpline on tel: 0808 808 0000
• CAB Devon Advice line on tel: 03444 111444

For specific benefit enquiries please see the contact numbers in the table at the bottom of this page.

• Turn2us – for information on income-related benefits, tax credits, Council Tax Reduction, Carer’s Allowance, Universal Credit and how your benefits will be affected if you start work or change your working hours https://benefits-calculator.turn2us.org.uk

• Policy in Practice – for information on income-related benefits, tax credits, contribution-based benefits, Council Tax Reduction, Carer’s Allowance, Universal Credit, how these are calculated and how your benefits will be affected if you start work or change your working hours https://www.betteroffcalculator.co.uk/free

• entitledto – for information on income-related benefits, tax credits, contribution-based benefits, Council Tax Reduction, Carer’s Allowance, Universal Credit and how your benefits will be affected if you start work https://www.entitledto.co.uk

Health related benefits

If you have a long-term health condition (such as cancer) you may be eligible to claim a health-related benefit if your condition means you have difficult with every day tasks or getting around.

If you are over 16 and haven’t reached State Pension age you may be eligible for Personal Independence Payment PIP (see below).

If you are over State Pension Age then you may be eligible for Attendance Allowance.

Personal Independence Payment (PIP)

Who can claim

To be eligible for PIP you must be aged between 16 and your State Pension age.

You must also:

• find it hard to do everyday tasks or get around because of a physical or mental condition – you can make a claim whether you get help from another person or not
• have found these things hard for 3 months and expect it to continue for another 9 months
• usually be living in England, Scotland or Wales when you apply
• have lived in England, Scotland or Wales for at least 2 years – unless you’re a refugee or an immediate family member of a refugee

There are exceptions to these rules if you’re terminally ill or in the armed forces.

PIP is not based on the condition you have or the medication you take. It is based on the level of help you need because of how your condition affects you.

You’re assessed on the level of help you need with specific activities. It’s hard to say if the level of help you need will qualify you for PIP. But, if you get or need help with any of the following because of your condition, you should consider applying:

• preparing and cooking food
• eating and drinking
• managing your treatments
• washing and bathing
• managing toilet needs or incontinence
• dressing and undressing
• communicating with other people
• reading and understanding written information
• mixing with others
• making decisions about money
• planning a journey or following a route
• moving around

The help you get may be from a person, an aid (such as a walking stick or guide dog) or an adaptation to your home or car.

Claiming PIP

Making a claim for the benefit Personal Independence Payment (PIP) can take a long time. It can often take up to 4 months from starting the application to getting your money (if you’re terminally ill your claim will be processed more quickly).

For normal PIP applications, ring the PIP New Claim Line on 0800 917 2222 to register the new claim and you will then be sent a form for completion. Complete the form with the help of family and friends if necessary. If you require help to complete the application form contact the Lodge or the following organisations:

• CAB Devon Advice line on Tel: 03444 111444

• Torbay Disability Information Service, 4th Floor Union House, Union Street, Torquay TQ1 3YA Tel: 0300 456 8373

• Kingscare (Newton Abbot and Kingsteignton only) Tel: 01626 357090

• Disability Support, Torbay Coalition of Disabled People South Devon, 1 Lymington Road, Castle Circus, Torquay TQ1 4BW Tel: 01803 215871 | Web: www.dstorbay.org.uk

Attendance Allowance (AA)

You need to be State Pension age to claim Attendance Allowance.

Who can claim

You should apply for Attendance Allowance if you have a disability or illness and need help or supervision throughout the day or at times during the night (even if you don’t currently get that help):

• with your personal care – for example getting dressed, eating or drinking, getting in and out of bed, bathing or showering and going to the toilet
• to stay safe

You should also apply if you have difficulties with personal tasks, for example if they take you a long time, you experience pain or you need physical help, like a chair to lean on. It might help if you compare how you do the personal tasks now to how you used to do them.

Attendance Allowance isn’t just for people with a physical disability or illness. You should also claim if you need help or supervision throughout the day or night and have:

• a mental health condition
• learning difficulties
• a sensory condition – for example if you’re deaf or blind

Special rules apply if you’re terminally ill.

You must have had care or supervision needs because of your disability or illness for at least 6 months before you can get Attendance Allowance.

You don’t need to have had a diagnosis for your condition to apply for Attendance Allowance. For example, you might still be having tests or appointments to find out what’s wrong with you. As long as you’ve needed help or supervision, or you’ve had difficulties, for 6 months because of your condition you can claim Attendance Allowance.

You can save time with your claim by applying before the end of the 6 months but you won’t get any money until then.

Claiming Attendance Allowance

For normal AA applications, these can be applied for online at: https://www.gov.uk/attendance-allowance or the form can be downloaded. You can also phone the Attendance Allowance helpline on 0800 731 0122 to be sent a form. Complete the form with the help from family and friends if necessary.

If you require help to complete the application form contact the Lodge or the following organisations:

• CAB Devon Advice line on Tel: 03444 111444

• Torbay Disability Information Service, 4th Floor Union House, Union Street, Torquay TQ1 3YA Tel: 0300 456 8373

• Kingscare (Newton Abbot and Kingsteignton only) Tel: 01626 357090

• Disability Support, Torbay Coalition of Disabled People South Devon, 1 Lymington Road, Castle Circus, Torquay TQ1 4BW Tel: 01803 215871 | Web: www.dstorbay.org.uk

• Brixham Does Care (Brixham residents only): Old Market House, Town Hall, 1 New Road, Brixham TQ5 8TA, Tel: 01803 857727

• Age UK Torbay Tel: 01803 555181 other areas Tel: 03332 412340

• AA helpline on Tel: 08007 310122 and request a home visit

DWP contact numbers