Arthritis Care supports Attendance Allowance

A large number of people with arthritis have expressed concern to us about Government proposals to remove Attendance Allowance (AA) benefits, as part of a wider review of social care services.

Both AA and Disability Living Allowance (DLA) offer nationally-set, non-means tested benefits which are often vitally important to help keep people with arthritis active, independent and in work wherever possible.

Arthritis Care is opposed to any attempts to remove or subsume such benefits into mainstream social care services.

We have written to the Government asking for urgent clarification of these proposals, and we will be making a full response to the overall plans to review social care services in due course.

There is in any case no risk of AA being removed imminently: there are a number of stages these proposals have to go through before they might affect you, and people are invited to have a say throughout this process. 

At present, the government has made no explicit proposals to review DLA in the same way.

You can find out more about the Government's plans around the future of social care and support by going to the care and support website.

Have your say

Arthritis Care would like to hear your views on the Government's proposed changes to social care services, as this will help us to respond more effectively to the consultation.

Please email campaigns@arthritiscare.org.uk with your views, or write to: Policy and Campaigns Team, Arthritis Care, 18 Stephenson Way, London, NW1 2HD.

If you wish to express your concerns around Attendance Allowance or any other issues in these plans directly to the Government you can email careandsupport@dh.gsi.gov.uk or write to Care and Support Team, Room 149, Richmond House, 79 Whitehall, London, SW1A 2NS.

The consultation on the green paper closes on the 13 November 2009.