“Thank you all so much for your help. I would never have made it on my own.”
Rory, aged 83, is a widower who lives alone in a private rented flat. He came to one of our community outreach sessions in Blaenau Gwent to make an inquiry about Attendance Allowance.
Rory had prostate cancer in 2022 and is still in recovery. He also has diabetes and suffers from chronic back pain.
Attendance Allowance helps with extra costs if you have a disability severe enough that you need someone to help look after you. In order to qualify you must have reached state pension age and be mentally or physically disabled.
Rory was initially reluctant to make a claim for Attendance Allowance as he felt that he was not eligible for the award. Rory explained that he had looked through the form and read the accompanying guidance notes and did not think that the form applied to him.
However, our adviser reassured Rory that he may be eligible and encouraged him to apply.
Our adviser then helped Rory to complete and send off the relevant application forms.
A few weeks after making the application, Rory emailed us to say that he had been awarded the higher rate of Attendance Allowance. These payments have increased Rory’s income by £101.75 per week (or £5,921 a year).
Rory was extremely grateful for all the support that he received from Citizens Advice. He said: “Thank you all so much for your help. I would never have made it on my own.”