MSE News: Hidden carers miss out on £1,000s in benefits help

LunaLady

I honestly think that people dont.

Being a carer is the most stressful thing I have had to do. I get very little sleep, I am needed constantly and I know that I have it relatively easy to some people. I do worry how I will cope as my son gets older (and bigger).

I do it all because I love my son (I dont claim CA) as do I should think 99.9% of carers out there.

Oliver14

Soapn wrote: »

what I would like to know is would people care for their own relatives if there wasn't Gov money for it?

So you think I would rather work 24 hours a day get woken up every 2 hours at night be unable to leave the house for more than 20 minutes and have no life for £55 a week. Rather than work 37 hours a week for £45,000 a year (as that's what I had to give up)

[text removed by MSE Forum Team]

Mojisola

LunaLady wrote: »

Being a carer is the most stressful thing I have had to do. I get very little sleep, I am needed constantly and I know that I have it relatively easy to some people. I do worry how I will cope as my son gets older (and bigger).

I do it all because I love my son (I dont claim CA) as do I should think 99.9% of carers out there.

I don't understand why people don't claim. If you had the extra £58 a week, you could use it in ways that would benefit you and your son so that you would be able to keep caring for him for longer.

For example - if you don't want someone else to do the actual caring, you could have your cleaning and washing done by someone else. However, it would be good to get him used to someone else in case you are ever taken ill and unable to care for him - the CA could be used to pay another carer. Sleep deprivation will have a serious effect on your health and the length of your life - wouldn't it be worth paying someone else so that you can have a good night's sleep?

Oliver14

Mojisola wrote: »

I don't understand why people don't claim. If you had the extra £58 a week, you could use it in ways that would benefit you and your son so that you would be able to keep caring for him for longer.

For example - if you don't want someone else to do the actual caring, you could have your cleaning and washing done by someone else. However, it would be good to get him used to someone else in case you are ever taken ill and unable to care for him - the CA could be used to pay another carer. Sleep deprivation will have a serious effect on your health and the length of your life - wouldn't it be worth paying someone else so that you can have a good night's sleep?

The rules on CA allowance are so tight. That a lot of people just can't claim it. My CA is my only income. It all sounds so simple when you say it but i'm afraid it never is.

juliethemuse

LunaLady wrote: »

I honestly think that people dont.

Being a carer is the most stressful thing I have had to do. I get very little sleep, I am needed constantly and I know that I have it relatively easy to some people. I do worry how I will cope as my son gets older (and bigger).

I do it all because I love my son (I dont claim CA) as do I should think 99.9% of carers out there.

i completely agree about it being stressful , i care for my husband 24/7 and spend most of the day close to tears, partly because of everything i have to do and partly because i hate being reliant on benefits. its humiliating and i just cant see any way out of this black hole i'm in.

LunaLady

I cant claim because I work, thats the only reason

Oliver14

Even the so called practical support offered by councils can be a waste of time. We were offered someone to come in daily to wash my wife (to give me a break). They gave us 1 hour a day. Well due to my wife's illness it takes me 1 and a half to 2 hours a day. So we thought we'd give it a go anyway. So everyday we had a different person so I would have to spend 15 minutes everyday explaining to them all the details. They frequently didn't even have the hour they were meant to. Also in reality my wife din't really want random people washing her private areas. What 28 year old woman would? (if it had been a consistent person she would have got used to them and developed a relationship).

In reality the so called help was more stressful created more work and didn't actually give enough time for the tasks that were needed. So we cancelled it.

Oliver14

I'd love to know where these £1000s of benefits are in MSEHelen post. I know (it's been checked ) that I get all I can and it's CA that's it.

scattykat

I missed out on carers for my daughter for nearly 2 years because I didn't know I could claim it. I get it now after I met a new friend and she told me.

colin13

my wife and carer applied for carers holiday fund,it is £150,applied in april with my OTS advice and not heard a thing,all these things are getting cut,3 years ago i applied for disabled holidy fund and got £100 now it is down to £50 and I never got it,,oversubscribed,,these things lokk good on paper,b ut it ur local council that dishes out the money,and as we know they are being squeezed hard