What to Do If You Miss the Six-Week Deadline After Calling for an Attendance Allowance Claim Form

If you have called the Attendance Allowance helpline to request a claim form, it is important to know that your claim will start from the date of your call only if you return the completed form within six weeks. But what happens if you miss this six-week deadline?

Understanding the Six-Week Deadline

The six-week period begins on the day you contact the helpline to request the form. This timeframe exists to ensure your claim’s start date is backdated to that call date. Returning the form within this window means your claim is treated as starting on the date you made the call, not the date the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) receives your form.

If you send your form after six weeks, the claim start date will usually be the date the DWP receives your completed form, not the date you called. This can affect when your payments begin, potentially delaying your Attendance Allowance award.

What You Can Do If You Miss the Deadline

• Still send the form as soon as possible: Even if you miss the six-week window, it is important to submit your completed claim form promptly. The DWP will process it from the date they receive it.
• Keep evidence of your call and form return: If you have proof of when you called the helpline and when you sent the form, keep these records. They may help if you want to discuss the start date of your claim with the DWP.
• Contact the Attendance Allowance helpline: Explain your situation if you believe there were exceptional circumstances that prevented you from returning the form within six weeks. The DWP may consider these on a case-by-case basis, though there is no guaranteed exception.
• Consider mandatory reconsideration: If you are unhappy with the date your claim starts or any other decision, you can ask for a mandatory reconsideration. This is a formal review of the decision by the DWP.

Practical Example

Suppose you called the Attendance Allowance helpline on 1 March to request a form but only returned it on 15 April (more than six weeks later). Your claim start date is likely to be 15 April, the date the DWP receives your form, rather than 1 March. This means your payments will start later than if you had returned the form within six weeks.

If you had a good reason for the delay, such as illness or difficulty understanding the form, contact the helpline to explain. While there is no automatic right to backdating beyond the six weeks, the DWP may take exceptional circumstances into account.

Summary

Missing the six-week deadline after calling for an Attendance Allowance claim form usually means your claim start date will be the date the DWP receives your completed form rather than the date you called. To avoid delays, return your form as soon as possible and keep proof of your call and submission. If there are special reasons for the delay, contact the helpline to discuss your situation, and remember you can request a mandatory reconsideration if needed.

Official reference: https://www.gov.uk/attendance-allowance/how-to-claim. Always check the latest official guidance. Related forms: Browse our form category.

Important: This article provides general information. Government rules, forms and procedures can change, and this article may not reflect the latest updates. Check current GOV.UK guidance or the relevant authority before relying on it. ITG & Co. is independent and is not affiliated with a government department.