The DWP have begun offering claimants the opportunity to claim attendance allowance (AA) online, but possibly only on a Monday.  As well as a limit to the numbers who can use it, the new system does appear to have some serious limitations.

The option to claim AA online has been quietly introduced by the DWP on their main Attendance Allowance page on Gov.uk.

The online option cannot be used, however, if you:

  • are an appointee
  • have power of attorney
  • are claiming under the special rules for end of life

Only a limited number of people can use the online service each week, though there is no indication of how many this is.

Applications become available on a Monday and, once they have all been used, anyone clicking on the online link will be taken to a page that explains that:

 “You cannot apply online today

This is because:

the service is still being developed

only a limited number of people can apply online each week

More applications will become available every Monday.

You can still apply by post.”

Claimants who do manage to get one of the online slots will quickly become aware of a number of issues with the new system.

Most importantly, it does not appear to be possible to save a partially completed form, meaning the whole application has to be done in one sitting.

In addition, there is no way of submitting additional evidence along with the online form. A message explains:

“We will contact you if we need any supporting medical evidence about your health condition or disability.”

There is also no obvious way of providing additional information about the difficulties you have with a given activity.

For example, in relation to the question:  “How do you manage to get in or out of bed?” there are tick box options such as:

“I have restricted movement due to my pain or mobility.”

“I hold onto things to get in or out of bed.”

But there is no additional information box to give further details about how long it takes, where the pain is, how long the pain lasts, examples of occasions when things have gone wrong or anything else.

There is a “Something else” box, but this is restricted to 200 characters and is intended for explaining a difficulty not listed, rather than giving more information about an existing option.

The online pages label the form as “BETA   This is a new service – your feedback will help us to improve it.”

For most claimants, it may be that the form’s disadvantages currently outweigh its advantages.  But we would be happy to receive feedback from anyone who does use the service.

You can find a link to the online AA claim form here.

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  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    Aaron Galbraith · 29 days ago
    Would an application for AA interfere with my ESA & PIP I already have ?
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    MA · 1 months ago
    I was really worried after helping my husband apply online because we couldn’t add extra information or evidence. However, my husband got the higher award and in record time (less than two weeks) so it might work better for some, especially if they have conditions where the need for support and assistance is fairly clear. The award was for two years so we will have to reapply, but I would be happy to use the online application again.
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    Al. · 1 months ago
    Not being able to save part/completed forms online, maybe take a screenshot? At least folk will then know exactly what they have said on that day/date.
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    Angela Brown · 1 months ago
    I used the online service several weeks ago to apply for AA for my husband.
    He was turned down.
    We have asked three times for a Statement of reasons to consider a Mandatory reconsideration.
    We still wait for that 
    Maybe we need a new application but ask for the paper form.
    What a fiasco 
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    Lesley · 1 months ago
    We applied online for Attendance Allowance all very straight forward. Got top allowance in a week and a half. Very quick very easy. 
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    Morgan · 1 months ago
    The Fraud Act 2006 defines fraud as a dishonest act that is intended to:

    Cause loss to another person

    Make a gain for oneself or another

    Expose another person to a risk of loss

    It's a simple law. Point two is relivent to anyone applying fir a job.

    When the application for asks for work history and reason for leaving last job you must tell the truth or you are committing fraud. So, I would write left job because of mental health issues that continue to date these in include but are not exclusive; anger management issues, suisidle idealation, depression, anxiety, self-harm, complex obsesive compulsive disorder, personal hygiene issues, social interaction issues, etc etc.

    No right minded employer will touch you. Also, if the DWP question your honesty in answering application forms or your CV. Ask them to confirm in writing that they wish you to lie 'so you can make a gain for yourself or others' and thus commit fraud.

    I need say no more. This approach protects you from being forced into a job that will have a negative effect on your mental or physical or emotional well being.

  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    JJ · 1 months ago
    This is from the Independent.

    From September, the way Personal Independence Payment (PIP) claims are assessed will change for people across the UK as new companies take over.

    The change will see all benefits that require a functional health assessment rolled into a ‘single assessment’ as part of the DWP’s Health Transformation programme. This means PIP assessments, as well as Work Capability Assessments for ESA and Universal Credit, will all be assessed in the same way and at the same time.

    The contracts also say that only therapists, nurses, physiotherapists and doctors will be able to carry out assessments. Paramedics will also be allowed to carry out PIP assessments. (This is a positive in my opinion)
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      sara · 1 months ago
      @Anon @Anon, yes, it was reported, but that proposal is not in effect, and no confirmation of its coming into effect, or when, has been issued. Just one of the ideas floated which have been seized on by media to stir up anxiety. My recollection, too, is that the policy, were it implemented, would apply to new claimants only.
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      Jon · 1 months ago
      @Anon If that's the case sounds like some of us could be transferred over to standard rate universal credit having to look for work requirement
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      Anon · 1 months ago
      @JJ It was reported a few months back that in order to qualify for the extra health element of UC you would have to be in receipt of PIP daily living element. By rolling the assessments into one means if you 'fail' the daily living assessment, and don't qualify for pip,  then you won't get the extra UC also. More people with health problems will be treated as ordinary claimants because they have been deemed not to need help with daily living activities. They will be subject to the job seekers committment.
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      sara · 1 months ago
      @JJ The Independent and others are wrong. The esa and pip assessments remain separate for now.  See
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    Onyx123 · 1 months ago
    Labour the new puritan party where work is good for the soul and idle hands does the devil's work. This is following on from the Tory Party who believe mental health problems are cured by having a 9-5 Job, cherry picking papers. Rachel Reeves has made similar claims.

    Listen to the rhetoric of Reeves it seems that I'll health and disability have all been caused by not working, pensioners have it too good and we need to cut the payments, tax any other money they have because life is too easy because they have stopped working.
    If Labour truly wanted to help disabled people they would remove the 20 meter rule to be able to get full mobility. I can't see that happening becsuse they could that rule with a swipe of the pen. And people with incurable diseases are left alone and are not made to re-apply for PIP via a review.
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    Anon · 1 months ago
    A welfare rights advisor at my local council completed the forms for my elderly mother, following a stroke. Age UK and other charities also have people who can assist the elderly to apply for AA.
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      lesley · 1 months ago
      @Anon
      Thank you Anon. I am 77 and still on D.L.A. just hoping that they don't change all of that too.
      Nothing surprises me with this lot.  I am ashamed to say that I voted for labour.  Thought that they would be a bit kinder but it does not seem that way.
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    JJ · 1 months ago
    I was doing some reading, trawling through recent news articles about Universal Credit/PIP and Rachel Reeves' late October budget. Remember it's speculation, hearsay and rumor not set in stone.

    Ex Labour MP, Jon Ashworth was speculating that Reeves will look at changing eligibility for Universal Credit (what does that mean? anyone can claim it be it for searching for work, top ups or not being capable to work), other articles talking about means testing PIP/DLA, another article mentioned creating another tier of eligibility for PIP so people with and I quote "less severe" issues would be on this "lowest tier".

    The above is what I've read but again nothing is set in stone so please don't take this as gospel.
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      rookie · 1 months ago
      @JJ You said it,  JJ,  'speculation, hearsay and rumor not set in stone'.
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    Eloise · 1 months ago
    I'm surprised Keir and Rachel haven't removed attendance allowance entirely yet . "Work is good for you" after all and the only help you need apparently!
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      lesley · 1 months ago
      @Eloise Yes, Eloise, I am sure they would get us all out digging roads if they could.
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    lesley · 1 months ago
    I would imagine that some people,including myself, would prefer to sent off for the forms and use hard copies.
    I am almost 77 and am afraid that I do not use a smart phone, in fact I do not use anything “smart”. Not even a smart meter. I opted out of smart and managed to a new meter but a legacy one.
    All my devices are hard wired in including this device I am using now. Plus my desk top. Not that I do not know how to use them. Just do not trust wifi. I also have electrical hypersensitivity.
    Nor do I trust making on line applications.
    Which is why I certainly would not apply for Attendance Allowance on line. 


    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      Jon · 1 months ago
      @wibblum It's just that I've never had a problem with the DWP I did lose my pip for a year but won it back and in between working I claimed JSA and had to do mandatory work for six months with no extra money
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      wibblum · 1 months ago
      @Jon "Have I had a bad experience with the DWP" ? Why do you want to know, exactly?
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      wibblum · 1 months ago
      @Jon With consequences today.
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      Jon · 1 months ago
      @wibblum Have you had a bad experience at the hands of the dwp
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      Jon · 1 months ago
      @wibblum Crashing the economy is yesterday's news 
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    Bud · 1 months ago
    https://apple.news/A-h-BpPttSTSJeXaClx8-LQ



    It’s not meant to be claimed. 
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    mrfibro · 1 months ago
    You cannot apply online today

    This is because:

    the service is still being developed!!!!

    Why put out a service that's not fit for purpose in the first place.  Why don't these idiots fully test run, and iron out any problems first.  Then roll out the online form, fully knowing that it can, will function flawlessly.
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      Kevin · 1 months ago
      @mrfibro What ? A IT System developed by the government is not working! Now there's a suprise
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    Robin Hood · 1 months ago
    Keir Starmer says it will take TEN YEARS to sort out this country- I can’t see him doing this job for FIVE YEARS if he’s going to change or make this country more and more expensive to live or even survive.
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      Kevin · 1 months ago
      @mrfibro 8 years of austerity, 8 years of Brexsh*t, 4 years of Covid, 3 years of Johnson's clowning, followed by Liz Truss's version of economics, and now Stammer is about to do the same all over again! Might as well not bothered to vote for any of our politicians 
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      mrfibro · 1 months ago
      @Robin Hood It's all just a big blame game, when labour gets booted out in a few years time, whoever gets in power will blame labour, and so on.  These politicians are all ring fenced, any wrong they do, they simply get away with it and are never made accountable for all their bad policies, and wrongful doings.
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      CarolK · 1 months ago
      @Robin Hood They are just copying what the Tories did when they came in 2010. 
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