claiming carers

nannytone_2

tHANK YOU IN ADVANCE FOR TAKING THE TIME TO READ MY POST!


Here we go........................


I am registered blind and receive low rate care and mobility. My in laws are both elderly and quite poorly, my mother in law has emphasema and my father in law was burnt badly as a young man and has no fingers on one hand, and no feeling in the other. Shr receives high care and mobility and he receives low care ( though I am going to ask for this to be reconsidered as he has been diagnosed with an inoperable aortic aneurism)

Both social services and medical professionals say that my mother in law needs to be in residential care, as even with a good care package, they are struggling to cope. My husband and I do all the housework ( hoovering, dusting, bed changine, washing and ironing etc plus their shopping and paying all their bills, as they refuse to use direct debits! )

Their social worker says that i shoyuld claim carers for looking after his mother, but as i am in peceipt of DLA myself, I'm not sure if it would affect my entitlement. Can i be claiming for care needs myself if I'm in a position to care for someone else? Social services didn't know the answer so I'm asking you!!

Thanks you for reading my waffling!

nannytone_2

The father in law also gets high mobility....i missed it off because I was waffling so much!

von

Have a read of this link to check eligibility for Carers Allowance - there is also a link to how it affects other benefits

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/caringforsomeone/moneymatters/DG_10012522

cabbage

HI

there is nothing to stop you claiming carers allowance providing you provide 35 hours of care or more per week, are not earning more than £95 per week, not a full time student and are 16 or over.

This shouldn't affect your dla claim but can reduce the amount of benefits your MIL/FIL receives. I often do dla applications for couples who claim carers for each other.

I must point out though that hoovering, dusting, washing and ironing, shopping and paying bills are not classed as care needs. Care needs = help with bodily functions such as reading, communicating, washing, drying (the person not the clothes), helping in/out of bed, supervising them to ensure their safety, going out with them in unfamiliar places, helping them with hobbies, helping them get dressed/undressed, helping with medication/treatment, cooking and a whole lot more.

Carers allowance is also an overlapping benefit so if you are getting another benefit that overlaps with carers DWP will pay the higher of the two. The most common overlapping benefit is state retirement pension. However, to counter balance that you may get a carer's premium added to whatever benefit(s) you are getting.

My advice is to take their dla notification letters and other benefit entitlement letters and go to CAB or your local authority's welfare rights service and get them to do a benefit check on you and your mil/fil and yourself and then do a what if calculation for you claiming carers allowance and see what difference it makes. Then get them to help you with the Carers Allowance form if you still want to claim.

nannytone_2

Thanks for your help. I dont receive any means tested benefit, just my D L A. The in laws are so money motivated it stuns me. with state pensions, private pensions, industrial injuries and D L A, they have over £1900 a month coming in! I don't resent this, but when they want us rinning around tp one cut proce retailer or another in order to save a few pence, it drives me mad! I dont have a clue what theyre spending it on as they never seem to have any extra money. They have carers going in 3 times a day, to help her wash and breakfast, give them a meal (which i have to shop for) and then an evening visit just to check on them as they dont want to go to bed at 7! I DID SORT OUT A FOOD COMPANY THAT WOULD PROVIDE MEALS ON A FORTNIGHTLY BASIS, BUT THEY DECIDED IT WAS TOO EXPENSIVE AT £50 ISH A WEEK FOR BOTH OF THEM, AS IT OBVIOUSLY COSTS THEM NOTHING TO HAVE ME AND MY HUSBAND RUNNING ROUND!! OK RANT OVER LOL

anmarj

You can only claim for one and the disabled person must have MR or HR of care component for you to apply

sunnyone

the diagnosis of an aortic anuerism wont mean that he can get a higher rate of DLA, its his care needs only that come into it.

nannytone_2

i dont assume that the diagnosis alone would make him eligable for an upgrade, but the fact that social services have assessed him and feel the need to send a carer in for him twice a day would indicate that perhaps he is on the wrong rate

sunnyone

nannytone wrote: »

i dont assume that the diagnosis alone would make him eligable for an upgrade, but the fact that social services have assessed him and feel the need to send a carer in for him twice a day would indicate that perhaps he is on the wrong rate

Its supersession and not upgrade and I wouldnt reley on a SS assessment because they are very diffrent things and low rate care easily covers the few minute twice a day that carers who have to take the travel time from the customers allocated minutes to move on to the next customers call take.

Half an hour at most twice a day.

Ive been there when end of life SS care wouldnt have enough time for a high rate claim of DLA.

Hopefully you FIL will get a more appropriate rate but it aint gonna happen for his diagnosis or because SS are popping in twice a day.

nannytone_2

it's quite irrelevant really, as my mum in law already has the high rate care, and it is her that i am caring for. im concerned not only about howi i would be left in regatrd to my D L A, but also if they had a reduction in the amount of money they receive, they wouldnt want me to claim. after all, the have me running around after them now for free!

anmarj

nannytone wrote: »

it's quite irrelevant really, as my mum in law already has the high rate care, and it is her that i am caring for. im concerned not only about howi i would be left in regatrd to my D L A, but also if they had a reduction in the amount of money they receive, they wouldnt want me to claim. after all, the have me running around after them now for free!

if you claim for your mum in law then in theory they would not lose money because the premium (SDP) is only looked at if both the people receive the MR/HR care or AA, if you are looking at a review for your FIL and he got his care at a higher rate then, yes they could be prevented from receiving the HR of the SDP, but could still receive the LR for one person