The "Gateway" Test
In order to qualify for either the care or the mobility component you must first show that
-You are over 65 and
-You have had your care or mobility needs for at least six months before you apply and
-You have lived in Great Britain for at least 26 of the last 52 weeks and
-You have an unrestricted right to live in Great Britain and
If you do not meet all of the above it is unlikely (with some exceptions for EEC nationals and people living in EEC countries) that you will be awarded Attendance Allowance.
The Care component
The care rate is based on the amount of help that you need from other people
In order to qualify for the higher rate (currently 67.00 per week) you will need to show that-
you need frequent help from someone else in connection with your bodily functions during both the day and the night
or
that you need supervision from someone else during both the day and night in order to prevent danger to yourself or others
You will also recieve the higher rate if you need help with bodily functions during the day and supervision during the night or vice versa
In order to obtain the lower rate(currently £44.85 per week) you need to show that you require help or supervision either during the day or during the night
