DLA & AA

Disability Living Allowance (DLA) and Attendance Allowance (AA) are one of not many non-means tested state benefits. Most of my service users are entitled to a certain level of DLA as they are under 65 and AA for over 65s. (rates for 2010-11)

Disability Living Allowance is in two parts - the care component and the mobility component. You may be able to get just one component or both.

Care component Weekly rate
-Highest rate £71.40
-Middle rate £47.80
-Lowest rate £18.95
Mobility component Weekly rate
-Higher rate £49.85
-Lower rate £18.95
Attendance Allowance Weekly rate
-Higher rate £71.40
-Lower rate £47.80

Below is a research summary I receive to update myself with social policy areas. Have a read and try the link at the bottm for further details.

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SPRU undertook qualitative research for the government to understand more about the impact that Disability Living Allowance (DLA) and Attendance Allowance (AA) have on people’s lives, as relatively little was known about this. The research team talked to professionals and advisers who were in touch with people who claim, as well as to claimants themselves.

Findings showed a wide range of ways in which DLA and AA are currently enabling elderly and disabled people to afford to pay for services and items they need. It was found that the benefits:

·         have preventive roles in helping people avoid moves into residential care or nursing homes, and maintaining or avoiding deterioration in health.
·         have a key role in reducing potential demand for formal services. This happens by enabling people to find their own solutions, both in the market place, and in accessing services from voluntary organisations, which are often not cost-free for users.
·         recipients also believed that the gifts and ‘treats’ they were able to give to relatives and friends who gave practical care and assistance, helped to maintain the channels of informal support within families and communities, on which they depended.

For child recipients of DLA, parents were using the benefit in ways that will enhance their child’s future life chance and opportunities. They were paying for tuition, physiotherapy, speech and language therapy, and equipment to encourage learning and stimulate response, all with a view to the future development of the child. In some families, DLA was being used in ways which support and strengthen family life.

A further research aim was to inform the possible development of quantitative research instruments for measuring the difference made by DLA and AA and recommendations were made for this.

The research report, appendices and summary are available from:

http://php.york.ac.uk/inst/spru/pubs/1747/

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