Money and legal matters 7 - welfare benefits
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Introduction
The structure of the benefits system
Benefits for people with dementia and their carers
Attendance Allowance and Disability Living Allowance
Carer's Allowance
State Pension Credit
Income Support (for people under 60)
Incapacity Benefit
Social Fund
Claiming social security benefits
Challenging decisions
Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit
Council tax discounts and examptions
Civil partnerships
Summary
Both the carer and the person with dementia may be entitled to benefits from the Department for Work and Pensions and to other help such as Housing Benefit, Council Tax Benefit or council tax exemptions and discount schemes, administered by local authorities. The benefits system is complicated, however. It is a good idea to get expert advice.
Caring for someone with dementia can be costly, especially if you are thinking of giving up your job. There are hidden costs, such as extra heating and clothing, continence aids, washing and cleaning, extra bedding or hospital visits. There may be charges for services, such as help at home or a day centre.
The Department for Work and Pensions has a freephone Benefit Enquiry Line for People with Disabilities (on 0800 88 22 00 or, for textphone users only, 0800 24 33 55) which can advise confidentially on all benefits for people with dementia and carers and can complete forms for you over the phone.
A Citizens Advice Bureau or a Welfare Rights adviser from the social work department can also advise and help with forms. These services do not hold personal records, but will look at your circumstances and advise on which benefits you may be entitled to.
If you have applied for benefit and been refused, seek advice. Often decisions are wrong and it may be possible to challenge the decision or apply again if circumstances change. Again it is a good idea to get expert advice about this.
The structure of the benefits system
The government department responsible for the day to day administration of social security benefits is the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).
There are different executive agencies of the DWP, each responsible for different types of benefits and claimants. Which one you deal with depends on your age and the type of benefit that you are claiming.
Since April 2002 Jobcentre Plus has been responsible for administering benefits for people under the age of 60. In some areas this service is still being provided from two different offices - a Jobcentre and a local Social Security Office. It is anticipated that by 2006 Jobcentre Plus will cover the whole country.
The Pensions Service administers benefits for those 60 or over. This is essentially a telephone-based service provided from regional Pension Service Centres in Dundee and Motherwell. For people who need face-to-face advice or a home visit, there are local Pensions Service Staff.
The Disability and Carers Service is responsible for the main disability benefits, Attendance Allowance and Disability Living Allowance. They are also responsible for Carer’s Allowance.
The Veteran’s Agency, an executive agency of the Ministry of Defence, is responsible for the administration of war pensions.
If you are appealing against a decision regarding a claim your appeal is administered by The Appeal Service, which is another executive agency of the DWP. The Department of Constitutional Affairs administers appeals relating to war pensions.
Direct payment of benefits
The Government have introduced a new method of paying social security benefits. The new method is called Direct Payment (this is a different scheme from the direct payments mentioned in part 8 later in this guide, which relate to Social Work services) and is intended to replace payment by order book and giro cheque with direct payment into a bank account or the new Post Office card accounts. For many people this may be a more convenient way of receiving benefits.
However, for some people who have dementia this may not be an appropriate way of paying benefit. A person with dementia may be unable to manage a bank account or Post Office card account or even open one if they haven’t already done so. If no one has legal authority to do so, say through a power of attorney, then no one can open an account on behalf of someone else. It is not appropriate to have the person’s money paid into an account held by you or another person unless it is a joint account held with the person who has dementia.
This method of payment began being rolled out some time ago and, by now, order books and girocheques should have been replaced by direct payment. For more on direct payment of benefits, see Collecting pensions and benefits, chapter three.
Benefits for people with dementia and their carers
There is no specific benefit for people who have dementia; here we list the main benefits which are available. These benefits can be paid to the person with dementia and their carer, or other member of the family, provided they meet the qualifying conditions.
Attendance Allowance and Disability Living Allowance
Attendance Allowance (AA) is for people with disabilities who are 65 or over who need help with personal care (attention), or who need someone to be with them to help keep them safe (supervision). People who have dementia usually have significant personal care and supervision needs. Some carers may also qualify because they have attention or supervision needs of their own as a result of illness or disability.
People under 65 should apply for Disability Living Allowance (DLA) before they reach 65. This is a similar benefit, which helps not only with attention or supervision needs but also with mobility needs. If someone qualifies for DLA, they will continue to receive it even after the age of 65. Attendance Allowance does not cover mobility needs, so it is very important to claim DLA as soon as possible if someone is approaching this age, as the person could receive more benefit for the rest of his or her life. However, the mobility component of DLA cannot normally be claimed for the first time after the age of 65 even if the person is getting the care component.
Many of the kinds of attention or supervision a person with dementia might need would qualify him or her for AA or the care component of DLA; for example, help with eating, taking medication, dressing and undressing, using the toilet or being mobile at home or continual supervision to avoid putting themselves or others in danger. It does not matter whether the claimant actually receives the help; all that matters is that he or she needs it. Nor does the help need to be physical; it may be that the person can manage physically with most care needs, but need encouraged or reminded to do so. This kind of verbal help is just as important as physical assistance.
AA and DLA are tax-free and not means tested, so someone can get benefit no matter what other income or savings he or she has. It does not matter whether or not the person is already getting the help he or she needs. Both of these benefits are non contributory, so you do not have to have paid National Insurance contributions to qualify.
A successful claim for AA or DLA can often result in the person becoming entitled to other benefits, such as Pension Credit, Income Support, Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit, or to higher amounts of these benefits. Getting AA or DLA never causes someone to lose other benefits.
Before someone can be paid AA or DLA, his or her care needs must have existed for a ‘qualifying period’. For AA this is six months and for DLA it is three months. The person must also expect to continue to need the help for six months in order to get either benefit.
However, there are special rules if someone is terminally ill with a progressive disease and is not expected to live longer than six months. In this case, the person automatically gets the higher rate of AA or of the care component of DLA without having to satisfy the six or three month qualifying periods. For the mobility component of DLA, the basic conditions still have to be met, but the qualifying period is waived. Most people with dementia will not generally be treated as terminally ill under this rule. If someone is terminally ill, a claim can be made on behalf of the person without his or her knowledge and can usually be processed within a few days.
Attendance Allowance
AA is paid at two rates for people who need supervision or attention from someone else because of disability:
- the lower rate of £44.85 a week – if the person needs frequent attention or continual supervision during the day or the night.
- the higher rate of £67.00 a week – if the person needs frequent attention or continual supervision during the day and at night needs prolonged or repeated attention for help with personal care, or needs someone to be awake for a prolonged period or at frequent intervals in order to avoid danger.
Disability Living Allowance
Disability Living Allowance (DLA) is for disabled people, including people with dementia, who are under 65 when they claim. Some carers may also qualify because of their own disability. DLA has two parts: a care component for people who need attention or supervision, and a mobility component for people who have difficulty walking, or who can walk but need someone with them when walking outdoors.
DLA care component
There are three rates of DLA care component. The top two (highest and middle) rates are the same as the two rates of Attendance Allowance, plus:
- the lower rate of £17.75 a week – if the person needs attention for a significant portion of the day, or if he or she is unable to prepare a cooked main meal (if the person with dementia could not do this safely, he or she should qualify). A significant portion of the day means that someone reasonably requires help for one period of about one hour, or several periods that add up to about one hour.
DLA mobility component
The mobility component of DLA has two rates:
- the lower rate of £17.75 a week – if the person can walk but needs guidance or supervision most of the time in order to walk outdoors (for example, if he or she gets lost); many people with dementia who are under 65 should qualify for this rate
- the higher rate of £46.75 a week – if the person is unable or virtually unable to walk, or has no legs and feet, or is deaf and blind.
This benefit is for the carer. Carer’s Allowance is £50.55 a week and is for people aged 16 or over who spend at least 35 hours a week caring for someone. However, it overlaps with some other benefits, which means you will not always be better off by claiming it. Carer’s Allowance cannot be paid to someone who is in full time education (more than 21 hours a week of supervised study) or someone who is gainfully employed and earning more than £95 a week after certain expenses. To qualify for Carer’s Allowance, the person you are caring for must be receiving Attendance Allowance, Disability Living Allowance care component at the middle or highest rate, or Constant Attendance Allowance because of industrial or war disablement.
Provided you have satisfied the qualifying conditions, your claim for Carer’s Allowance can be backdated automatically by up to 3 months but only if you ask.
By claiming Carer’s Allowance you may become entitled to the carer’s premium of £27.15 a week through Income Support, Housing Benefit or Council Tax Benefit. If you are claiming Pension Credit this is called a carer’s addition. You will normally be credited with National Insurance contributions and will not have to sign on. There is a danger that if you claim Carer’s Allowance that the person you are caring for may lose some benefit (the severe disability premium of Income Support, Housing or Council Tax Benefit or severe disability addition of Pension Credit). It is a good idea to get expert advice before claiming.
Carer’s Allowance is one of a group of benefits known as overlapping benefits. These include retirement pension, incapacity benefit, contributory-based jobseekers allowance, maternity allowance, widowed mother’s or widowed parent’s allowance, widow’s or bereavement pension and severe disability allowance. You cannot normally receive more than one overlapping benefit at the same time. If both benefits are the same rate only one is paid; if not, the higher is paid.
Nevertheless, many carers may still benefit from claiming Carer’s Allowance, as it is a qualifying benefit for the carer’s premium (carer’s addition in Pension Credit) mentioned earlier. The rules about age were changed in October 2002 to allow people aged 65 or over to claim Carer’s Allowance. Most people age 65 or over will have a state retirement pension and are unlikely to be paid Carer’s Allowance because of the overlapping benefit rules described above. However, they may receive extra help from Pension Credit, Housing Benefit or Council Tax Benefit. If they are not in receipt of any of these benefits they may qualify for the first time by claiming Carer’s Allowance. Carers who are 65 or over and not claiming Carer’s Allowance should seek advice to check if they will benefit from this change in the rules.
Carer’s Allowance can be paid for a further eight weeks following the death of the person being cared for.
What is Pension Credit?
Pension Credit has two parts, a Guarantee Credit, which ensures a minimum income for people who are 60 or over and a Savings Credit for people, aged 65 or over, who have made modest provision for their retirement such as savings or occupational or private pensions, including the state retirement pension. Claimants can receive the guarantee credit and the savings credit either separately or together.
Guarantee Credit
The Guarantee Credit has two elements. These are as follows:
Standard minimum guarantee
The standard minimum guarantee provides specified amounts that the government has decided people over 60 should have each week to live on (£124.05 for a single person; £189.35 for a couple). This standard minimum guarantee can also be increased to include additional payments for people who have: severe disability, caring responsibilities, or eligible housing costs (certain mortgage interest payments).
Savings Credit (only people 65 or over)
Until Pension Credit was introduced many older people with modest savings or second pensions were often unable to qualify for its predecessor income support. The savings credit provides a financial payment designed to reward those people aged 65 or over who have made provisions for their retirement. You may receive up to £19.71 a week if you are single, £26.13 a week for a couple. In order to qualify for the savings credit you must have ‘qualifying income’ above certain levels. Qualifying income includes income from the state retirement pension, private or occupational pensions. Capital also helps you qualify for a savings credit.
Payment may also be backdated automatically, provided you ask, for up to a maximum of 12 months from the date of claim as long as qualifying conditions were met throughout the 12 months.
From 6 October 2008, the government proposes to change this backdating period from 12 months to three months.
How do you claim Pension Credit?
Claims for Pension Credit can be made in writing, or by telephone to the Pension Credit claim line on 0800 99 1234. For people with speech or hearing difficulties the number is 0800 169 0133.
How can I find out more?
You can find out more about Pension Credit and if you are likely to qualify by contacting Alzheimer Scotland’s Welfare Rights Service on 0141 418 3936. The Welfare Rights Service can advise you on your entitlement to Pension Credit and any other benefit that you may be entitled to.
Income Support (for people under 60)
Income Support was replaced by Pension Credit for people who are 60 or over, on 6 October 2003. If you or your partner are 60 or over you should read the section on Pension Credit.
Income Support is the main benefit for people on a low income. It is means tested but not taxable. You can claim Income Support if you do not have capital of more than £8,000 (this is increased to £12,000 if you are claiming Income Support and have a partner who is over 60), or £16,000 (if you live in a care home) and if you are not working, or working on average less than 16 hours a week (24 hours a week for a partner). Capital below the lower limit of £3,000 (or £10,000 if you live in a care home) is ignored. Capital over the lower limit but under the upper limit will result in a reduction from your benefit of £1 per week for every £250 or part of £250 above the lower limit.
Even if you are only entitled to a small amount of Income Support it is worth claiming, because it can act as a ‘passport’ to other benefits such as Housing Benefit and free NHS prescriptions.
Income Support is made up of some or all of:
- personal allowance – to cover normal expenses for you and your partner if you have one
- housing costs – to cover mortgage interest payments. These are normally paid after a 8 – 39 weeks waiting period from the start of the claim, depending on when you took out the mortgage. There is no waiting period if you or your partner are aged 60 or over.
- premium payments – extra payments for people whose expenses are likely to be higher than normal. There are a number of different premiums and you or the person you care for may be entitled to more than one. The disability premium, severe disability premium and carer’s premium are some examples.
The carer’s premium will continue for eight weeks after your caring role ends either temporarily or permanently for any reason at all. During the eight-week extension of the carer’s premium you will continue to be exempt from the requirement to be available for work. After this, Income Support stops, unless you qualify for it for a reason other than being a carer, and so you may need to claim Jobseeker’s Allowance.
There are no longer extra allowances for children paid by Income Support. If you are responsible for a child you should claim Child Tax Credits from the Inland Revenue.
Incapacity Benefit can be paid to someone of working age who is not able to work because of illness or disability and has paid enough National Insurance contributions. If not, he or she can still claim Income Support.
Incapacity Benefit is not means tested. However, if your entitlement started on or after 6 April 2001 it may be reduced if you receive over £85 a week from one of the following pensions:
- personal pension
- occupational pension
- public service pension
- permanent health insurance arranged by an employer which provides payments for ill health or disability after your employment ends, unless you paid more than 50% of the contributions.
One-off pension payments (lump sums) are ignored. No deduction will be made if you are in receipt of the highest rate of the care component of Disability Living Allowance.
If the person with dementia has had to stop work, he or she may get Statutory Sick Pay through his or her employer for the first six months of the illness. When this ends, or if the person does not qualify for Statutory Sick Pay, he or she can claim Incapacity Benefit. He or she will need a certificate from the doctor, and a claim form from the employer if he or she has one.
The person’s ability to carry out his or her own regular job if he or she has one (and cannot get Statutory Sick Pay), or to do any work if he or she has not been working, will be assessed. If the medical certificate says that the person has dementia, or if the person is receiving the highest rate of Disability Living Allowance care component, he or she should not be called to a medical examination and may be exempt from any further assessment.
Incapacity Benefit is due to be replaced by Employment Support Allowance in October 2008. Meanwhile, for new claimants, Incapacity Benefit is paid at three basic rates, depending on how long you have been unable to work. It may include extra benefit for dependants who live with the person claiming. The basic weekly short term lower rate of £63.75 if under pension age or £81.10 if over pension age is paid for the first 28 weeks; the short term higher rate of £75.40 if under pension age or £84.50 if over pension age is paid for weeks 29–52 and the long term rate of £84.50 is paid after the first year of illness, or after 28 weeks if the person gets the highest rate of Disability Living Allowance care component or is terminally ill. The top two rates are taxable.
Long-term Incapacity Benefit cannot be paid beyond State pension age, 60 for a woman and 65 for a man. Short-term Incapacity Benefit may be paid at retirement pension rate from State pension age for up to 52 weeks of incapacity.
The person may be entitled to an age addition if they are receiving Long Term Incapacity Benefit and were under age 45 on the first day of incapacity for work. This includes days of Statutory Sick Pay.
Incapacity Age Addition is paid on one of two scales, depending on the person's age on the first day of incapacity: the lower rate of £8.55 if the person was aged between 35 and 44 inclusive; and the higher rate of £11.10 if the person was aged under 35.
Someone getting Income Support, Pension Credit or income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance may be entitled to help from the Social Fund. The Social Fund includes Community Care Grants, budgeting loans, crisis loans, cold weather payments, winter fuel payments and funeral expenses. You don’t have to be on benefit to get a crisis loan.
Community Care Grants
Community Care Grants can help people who are on Income Support or Pension Credit or income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance with extra costs such as furniture, clothing or removals. If someone has savings the amount of the grant may be reduced. To apply for a Community Care Grant ask the Department for Work and Pensions for a form.
You or the person with dementia may be able to get a Community Care Grant if it is needed:
- to help the person return to or remain in the community following a stay in long term care or a hospital
- to help with travel expenses to visit the person, for example in hospital or a home, or to attend a relative’s funeral
- to ease exceptional pressure on the family.
Some examples are:
- to help the person move closer to friends or relatives
- to help the carer move nearer to the person
- to help with the costs of:
• a heater or special furniture
• an extra bed and bedding if you need to sleep in separate beds
• replacement furniture, for example after a flood or fire
• clothing and footwear, for example if there is excessive wear and tear or rapid weight gain or loss.
Interest free loans
The Social Fund may also provide interest free loans for certain items. For information about these, contact your local Department for Work and Pensions.
Funeral expenses
You may be able to get help with funeral expenses if it is reasonable for you or your partner to be responsible for them and you get one of a list of income-related benefits. Capital available to you from the person’s estate, a lump sum from an insurance policy or occupational pension etc, a pre paid funeral plan, a contribution from a charity or other person, or a funeral grant from the Government for a war disablement pensioner are deducted from an award of funeral payment. Any capital you have apart from those mentioned will not affect how much funeral payment you get. If the person leaves an estate you will have to pay back some or all of the payment from this. Ask the Department for Work and Pensions or District Registrar for a form.
If you are not eligible for help from the Social Fund, the local authority may arrange and pay for a funeral. It will recover the cost first from the person’s estate and the balance (if any) from the person’s husband or wife.
Cold weather payments
Someone who gets Pension Credit (guarantee or savings credit), Income Support or income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance which includes certain premiums, including the pensioner, disability, higher pensioner and severe disability premiums, or who gets extra money for a child under 5 with these benefits, will get a cold weather payment (£8.50) automatically for any week in which the average temperature station in the area is, or is forecast to be, at or below freezing for seven days in a row. People living in care homes are not normally entitled to cold weather payments.
Winter fuel payments
A winter fuel payment is a tax free lump sum of £200, paid annually to households which include someone who is aged 60 or over in the week beginning on the third Monday in September of a particular year (this is called the ‘qualifying week’). It is intended to help with winter fuel bills but, unlike cold weather payments, does not depend on the weather. People living in care homes are not normally entitled to winter fuel payments.
In previous years, age-related payments have been added to this lump sum for households where there is at least one person in the household aged 80 or over in the qualifying week. There is, however, no guarantee that age-related payments will be made in future years.
Claiming social security benefits
You can get claim forms for Attendance Allowance, Disability Living Allowance, Income Support, Incapacity Benefit and other social security benefits from your local Department for Work and Pensions office (see Further help), advice agency or by telephoning the Benefit Enquiry Line for People with Disabilities on 0800 88 22 00.
The forms for Attendance Allowance, Disability Living Allowance and Incapacity Benefit are long and complex, and it is a good idea to get advice on how to complete them. Give as much information as you can, and give examples of problems the person has had if you can. If you have more information, write it down and send it with the form. Most advice agencies will help, or the Benefit Enquiry Line can provide help and advice on completing the forms.
If you have applied for a benefit and been refused, don’t be put off. If you think the decision is wrong, you can ask for an explanation. If you still think it is wrong, the decision can be looked at again. You can request a revision, supersession or an appeal. The rules about these are very complex and choosing the wrong method of challenging a decision could mean you lose backdated benefit, so seek advice.
Remember that the time limit for challenging decisions is one month from the date of the letter notifying you of the decision. This limit can be extended only in certain circumstances, so seek advice promptly.
Ask for help from an advice agency such as a Citizens Advice Bureau or welfare benefits project (see Further help).
Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit
Anyone on a low income and paying rent or council tax can claim Housing Benefit or Council Tax Benefit from the local authority. This may apply to you as well as to the person with dementia. It does not matter if you are earning or on a pension or benefits. If you or your partner are receiving the guarantee credit of Pension Credit you qualify automatically for full Housing and Council Tax Benefit regardless of any savings you may have. If you are 60 or over and not in receipt of the guarantee credit of Pension Credit you may still be able to get help with rent or council tax. However, savings over £6,000 (£3,000 if under 60 and not in receipt of Income Support) will affect the amount of Housing or Council Tax Benefit you receive and there is a £16,000 upper savings limit.
Ask your housing office for a claim form. If you claim Income Support or Pension Credit you will be given the Housing Benefit claim form at the same time. The local authority should let you know within 14 days of receiving your completed application form whether you qualify. For details of how Housing Benefit works see the book Your Rights (see Further reading).
Council tax discounts and exemptions
Discounts for people who are severely mentally impaired
If the person with dementia is ‘severely mentally impaired’, he or she may be able to get a council tax exemption if he or she lives alone, or a discount if he or she lives with other people. This means that the council tax for the house will be calculated without taking him or her into account.
You can obtain an application form from your local authority council tax office. The form must be signed by a doctor and returned to the council tax office with proof of the qualifying benefit.
A council tax discount is awarded if the number of people counted as resident in a house is less than two. In calculating the numbers of residents, some people must not be counted (they are referred to as ‘disregarded for the purpose of a council tax discount’). These include people who have a severe mental impairment, people aged under 18, student nurses, full time students, and certain carers.
- If the person lives alone and is severely mentally impaired, the house will be completely exempt from council tax (and water and waste water charges).
- If the person lives with one other adult who is not disregarded, the discount will be 25%.
- If he or she lives with one or more adults and they are all disregarded, the discount will be 50%.
- If he or she lives with two or more other adults who are not disregarded, there is no discount.
Carers’ discounts
Some carers can be disregarded for council tax. To be disregarded as a carer you must not be the partner of the person you care for. You must live with him or her and provide 35 hours per week of care and the person must be getting the highest rate of Attendance Allowance or Disability Living Allowance Care Component. Ask for a form from your local authority council tax office.
Other reductions of the bill
If the person’s home is specially adapted because of his or her needs the house may be moved down into the next valuation band, so there will be less to pay.
Even if your property is on the lowest band, band A, your council tax will be reduced by one sixth.
If the person goes into long term care leaving the house empty, the house will be exempt from the council tax.
People with a low income may be able to get help of up to 100% of their council tax through Council Tax Benefit. Council Tax Benefit can be paid along with a council tax discount.
To apply, ask your local authority council tax department for forms.
See Further reading for more information on the council tax.
The Civil Partnership Act 2004 creates civil partnership, a new form of legal relationship which may be formed by two persons who are:
- the same sex
- not already in an existing civil partnership or lawfully married;
- not within the prohibited degrees of relationships
- both aged sixteen years or over.
The Act came into force across the United Kingdom on 5 December 2005.
Civil partnership gives same sex couples the ability to obtain legal recognition for their relationship for the first time. Same-sex couples who form a civil partnership will have the same rights as married couples in a wide range of legal matters.
The Department for Work and Pensions will treat same-sex couples who enter into a civil partnership the same as married couples. State pension benefits which are currently equally available to spouses will be extended to civil partners. Civil partners receiving income-related benefits will be treated in the same way as members of a married couple. Surviving civil partners will also be treated in the same way as widows and widowers in terms of entitlement to bereavement benefits.
Unmarried same-sex partners who live together will be treated the same as unmarried opposite sex partners. This means that they will be jointly assessed for benefits.
Both the carer and the person with dementia may be entitled to benefits.
It is a good idea to get expert advice.
If you have applied for a benefit and been turned down, get expert advice on how to challenge the decision or apply again if circumstances change.
Attendance Allowance (AA) is for people with disabilities who are 65 or over who have care needs, including people with dementia.
Disability Living Allowance (DLA) is for people under 65 when they first claim, and can help with care and mobility needs.
Carer’s Allowance is for the carer.
Income Support is the main benefit for people under 60 on a low income; those aged 60 and over may be able to claim Pension Credit.
Incapacity Benefit is for people of working age who are medically incapable of working.
Someone getting Income Support, Pension Credit or income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance may be entitled to help from the Social Fund.
Community Care Grants can help people on Income Support, Pension Credit or income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance with extra costs such as furniture, clothing or removals.
You can get claim forms from your local Department for Work and Pensions office.
If the person with dementia is ‘severely mentally impaired’, he or she may be able to get a council tax discount, and the carer may be able to get a discount too. Council Tax benefit may also be available.
People on low income and paying rent can claim Housing Benefit from the local authority.
Dementia - Money and Legal Matters: index page
Useful links related to this chapter:
Alzheimer Scotland's Welfare Rights Service
Department for Work and Pensions
Freephone 0808 808 3000