David’s story: improving life for the family after a stroke

David was 75 when he suffered a stroke. David had left sided weakness, exhaustion and some speech and memory difficulties. He had previous history of emphysema, asbestosis and colitis. Having been relatively active before his stroke, David was struggling to come to terms with his current situation. David was having difficulties with some aspects of his personal care – showering, dressing and moving around and was relying more on his wife for assistance with day to day care requirements.

David was referred to CARF service by his stroke nurse. A home visit was arranged where a specialist adviser went through a full benefits check to make sure that David knew about everything he and his wife were entitled to. At this visit, a claim for Attendance Allowance (AA) was also completed

Happily, David was awarded AA at the higher rate of £81.30 per week. The award also meant that David and his wife could now claim Pension Credit and Council Tax Reduction. Both were awarded Pension Credit at £14.40 per week and a Council Tax Reduction of £14.83 per week. This resulted in a total household financial gain of £110.53 per week – and a significant improvement to the quality of life David and his wife can now enjoy.