Community care Grants

broughton_man

Hi All
I am getting income support for being disabled and Higher rate Care and mobility of the D.L.A. my partner has moved in with me and has no recourse to public funds or work i dont get any extra benefit for them living with me, what i really would like to know is i use to get help with community care grants for some household items like a washer dryer due my my bladder problems, can i still apply for them does anyone know even thoe my partner has no recourse to public funds, as all the items will be used my me only for what i need to apply for but i have to include my partner of the claim even thoe they dont have a N.I.No, but of course we dont want to mess there immigration status up and also i dont know if the D.W.P will allow me to claim for an item if i have a partner with no recourse to public funds and no N.I.No, any help or advice would be greatfull thank you all.

pickpocketlocket

You can apply, but the DWP would expect you to pay for such items from your DLA.

missapril75

pickpocketlocket wrote: »

You can apply, but the DWP would expect you to pay for such items from your DLA.

Your opinion or fact?

pickpocketlocket

missapril75 wrote: »

Your opinion or fact?

Fact - DLA is paid for care needs, and the OP needs a washer for his care needs. Added to which they do not fulfil the criteria for a CCG (and that is a fact too).

Dunroamin

Could your fiancee not use the £1,800 savings you mention on an earlier thread?

missapril75

pickpocketlocket wrote: »

Fact - DLA is paid for care needs, and the OP needs a washer for his care needs. Added to which they do not fulfil the criteria for a CCG (and that is a fact too).

Nonsense.

You appear to have missed the reference the OP made to previously getting a CCG for the washing machine and dryer.

DLA is for ongoing care/mobility needs such as paying for the costs of care and travel.

CCGs, by their very nature are for "one-off" or occasional needs.

The name came from the fact they were mainly intended to assist people settling into the community and to help someone stay in the community.

Disabilities of different sorts are the main reason why someone will have been in some sort of care or will be in care without the kind of thing a CCG will pay for....such as special equipment that helps them in the home, rather than going into care.

CCGs are also for needs arising where there are exceptional pressures for example - you or someone in your family suffers from a disability or chronic sickness which gives rise to an exceptional need

Generally, a disability greatly increases the need for and chances of getting a CCG. The very existence of DLA confirms the disability.

There are exceptions of course, but it's just not true to say people are expected to use their DLA to pay for household items.

nannytone_2

i thought CCG were for things like moving home and the one off costs of setting up home from scratch ... really exceptional circumstances.

a budgeting loan seems far more applicable to the OP#s circumstances.

sleepless_saver

OP, this is not about CCG, but another potential source of financial help which occurred to me when I read your post.

Have you checked if you are eligible for the Warm Home Discount with your electricity supplier? This is £130 off your bill, so worth having especially if you have above average fuel costs because of your health problems. The criteria vary from one supplier to another. See link for more info. http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/funding/whds/whd_broader/whd_broader.aspx

missapril75

nannytone wrote: »

i thought CCG were for things like moving home and the one off costs of setting up home from scratch ... really exceptional circumstances.

Several circumstances/needs are appropriate.

You can apply for a Community Care Grant if you are either:

• already getting Income Support, income-related Employment and Support Allowance, income-based Jobseeker's Allowance, Pension Credit, or payment on account of one of these benefits
• likely to start getting one of these benefits within the next six weeks because you're moving out of care

and any one of the following applies:

• you're moving out of residential or institutional care to live independently
• you're moving to a new home which will be more suitable for you following an unsettled period in your life and are being resettled by an organisation like a local council or voluntary organisation
• you need help to stay in your home and not go into residential care or hospital
• you need help because you and your family face exceptional pressure, such as family breakdown or because one of you has a long-term illness
• you look after someone who is ill or disabled, or has been released from custody on temporary licence
• you need help with expenses such as visiting someone who is ill, or to attend a relative's funeral

Dunroamin

missapril75 wrote: »

Several circumstances/needs are appropriate.

You can apply for a Community Care Grant if you are either:

• already getting Income Support, income-related Employment and Support Allowance, income-based Jobseeker's Allowance, Pension Credit, or payment on account of one of these benefits
• likely to start getting one of these benefits within the next six weeks because you're moving out of care

and any one of the following applies:

• you're moving out of residential or institutional care to live independently
• you're moving to a new home which will be more suitable for you following an unsettled period in your life and are being resettled by an organisation like a local council or voluntary organisation
• you need help to stay in your home and not go into residential care or hospital
• you need help because you and your family face exceptional pressure, such as family breakdown or because one of you has a long-term illness
• you look after someone who is ill or disabled, or has been released from custody on temporary licence
• you need help with expenses such as visiting someone who is ill, or to attend a relative's funeral

None of those seem to apply to the OP.

nannytone_2

i think its a bit of a stretch.
not having a new washer/dryer doesnt mean you are in danger of not being able to remain in your home. it also isnt exceptional!

if CCG were used for things like this, what would be the point of budgeting loans?

if the OP didnt have the additional costs if needing to support a partner that has no recourse to public funds, replacing a washer would be no terrible hardship, as they are on a full range of disability benefits.

those benefits arent intended to support 2 people, but that is their choice.
grants arent in place for those circumstances