How DLA and AA work
Whether or not you are entitled to DLA or AA is decided on how your illness affects you and what help you need - not on your diagnosis.
What rate you get is based on specific things which can sometimes seem very unfair. For example, you may find lots of things hard but not actually need any help, or only need help with things that aren’t counted.
When you are thinking about your case and whether or not you want to appeal, you have to look at what the criteria actually are - not what you think would be fair.
Attendance Allowance
Whether you are entitled to Attendance Allowance is based on whether you need help from another person to do every-day things like washing and dressing, enjoying pastimes, staying safe, or if you need help at night.
It doesn't matter whether or not you get any help - lots of people manage on their own - what matters is if you should really have help. If doing daily activities like getting up or washing causes you pain, takes you a long time, puts you or somebody else in danger, or if you simply don't do it, then that counts as needing help.
These benefits are awarded at different rates. What rate you get depends on what you need help with and how often.
• To get the higher rate of AA, you must need repeated help at night and during the day.
• To get the lower rate for AA you must need frequent help during the day, or for more than about 20 minutes at night, or someone with you most of the time to help you stay safe.
See Useful contacts for details of where you can find out more about AA.
Disability Living Allowance
Whether you are entitled to DLA is based on whether you need help from another person to do every-day things like washing and dressing, cooking a proper meal, enjoying pastimes, staying safe, or if you need help at night.
It doesn't matter whether or not you get any help - lots of people manage on their own - what matters is if you should really have help. If doing daily activities like getting up or washing causes you pain, takes you a long time, puts you or somebody else in danger, or if you simply don't do it, then that counts as needing help.
These benefits are awarded at different rates. What rate you get depends on what you need help with and how often.
• To get the higher rate for care, you must need frequent help at night and during the day.
• To get the middle rate for care, you must need frequent help during the day, or for more than about 20 minutes at night, or someone with you most of the time to help you stay safe.
• To get the lower rate for care you must need help for about one hour (in one go or spread throughout the day), or need help to cook a proper meal.
DLA also has a ‘mobility payment’ that deals with ability to walk and go places. You are likely to be entitled to the high rate of this mobility payment if you cannot walk or are virtually unable to. For example, if you struggle with even very short journeys such as walking around a supermarket. The lower rate of the mobility payment is for people who cannot go to places they don't know without help from somebody else.
See Useful contacts for details of where you can find out more about DLA.
If you are going to appeal without help from an adviser you will need more information than we can supply here. See 'Useful contacts' to find more detailed information. Some of the most useful information will be aimed at people with your disability or illness. Information about how to fill in a claim form will also be useful, as it will explain what is counted and the sorts of things you should focus on.
