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Older people get the benefit of new rulesThe Guardian , April 7, 2001
From Monday, the minimum income guarantee means that older people on a low income will have at least £92.15 a week, or £140.55 for couples. Under current benefit rules, single people aged between 60 and 74 receive just £78.45 a week, rising to £89.05 for those over the age of 80. Couples have been getting £121.95. Older people will now be able to have £6,000 in savings before benefits are affected, and up to £12,000 before they fall outside the eligibility band. Until now, these figures have been £3,000 and £8,000 respectively. Income support is not granted automatically: people have to apply for it. Age Concern is launching its Your Rights week (the charity's annual campaign to inform older people about their entitlements) to coincide with the benefit changes. A spokeswoman says: "These changes mean that an
additional 100,000 people will be eligible for income support, so, with
these higher levels, it's more important than ever for people to find out
whether they can claim. Age Concern estimates that up to 670,000 older people miss out on benefits each year. One of the benefits most commonly overlooked is the attendance allowance, which is awarded to people who are physically or mentally ill or who need supervision from someone else, for instance if help is needed in washing or moving around the house. "Most people think they have to be completely disabled to qualify for this allowance, but in fact you just have to have impaired movement. It also does not require a medical, which is why it is particularly important to fill out the form for this benefit correctly and to describe your precise needs correctly. Many people downplay their physical limitations. Again, Age Concern will help people fill out their form," says the spokeswoman. There are two weekly rates for the allowance: £37 if you only need help during the day, and £55.30 if you need assistance by day and night. Normally you must meet the conditions for six months before you can claim, although exceptions are made for the terminally ill. Also on Monday, new rules on long-term care kick in, allowing a three-month payment holiday for permanent care home residents. Currently, people can be in a home for up to 52 weeks without the value of their house being included in the calculations as to how much they should be paying, provided they are only temporary residents. This new regulation means that elderly people, whom it has already been decided will need to be cared for in a home on a permanent basis, will be able to stay for the first three months without the value of their house being taken into consideration for the calculation of fees, which can cost up to £25,000 a year. "This will be useful in terms of assessing whether the person is happy in that home and whether they are getting the right amount of care, without having to make any difficult decisions about having to sell a house," says the Age Concern spokeswoman. "But it is not nearly enough in general. It does nothing to address the issue of free personal care, for instance, which would affect far more people." Older people are still fighting battles on other financial fronts. The Employers Forum on Age says that they are still being discriminated against when it comes to work. Almost two years after the government published its code of practice on age diversity, just one in four employers is adopting the guidelines. Only half of employers have, or are planning to, put in place policies specifically aimed at recruiting older workers. Paul Suff, author of the report Employing Older Workers, says: "Most employers are aware of the need to recruit older workers, yet few have been imaginative in adapting their workplaces. Most have simply added age to the existing equal opportunities policies without establishing monitoring mechanisms and few are attempting to tackle their own complex occupational pension rules." Minimum income guarantee claim line 0800-028-1111; Age
Concern 0800-009-966. Your Rights 2001-2, which explains all the
allowances older people can claim, is available from Age Concern for £4.50. Higher rate £55.30 Care component Highest rate £55.30 Income support/housing benefit/council tax benefit Single person £92.15 Invalid care allowance Incapacity benefit £69.75 Severe disablement allowance Basic rate £42.15 |
