Bedroom Tax and kids living away??

mysterywoman10

nannytone wrote: »

won't they offer you direct payments?
then you can accrss the help you need, when you need it

It comes back to the critical need point Nanny that someone else made. This is correct although I believe there was a Court ruling made against Birmingham City Council on the "substantial" point.

GlasweJen

I think theoretically they would offer me DP but they don't seem to appreciate that I'm limited on days I can actually meet these people and be assessed. Also I find it very difficult to talk to "professionals" in real life partly due to HFA and mostly due to medical misdiagnosis of Munchausen's by-proxy before they realised I wasn't faking epilepsy and I actually had a rare heart condition. My GP has referred me several times and asked for the assessment to take place at his surgery with him in attendance or at home with my boyfriend or mum attending and they keep ignoring the referrals.

I am somewhere "in the system" but they haven't seen me since last year when I was discharged from hospital. Every time a meeting is arranged the social worker goes off sick, calls me the day before and does the whole "can we make it the next day" thing when I'd already arranged the day off work, just doesn't turn up and my favourite - attended but couldn't manage the stairs and is afraid of lifts!

GlasweJen

I think a doubly incontinent, immuno suppressed, blacking out, hearing impaired wheelchair user has fairly substantial care needs under anyone's definition?

mysterywoman10

Absolutely GlasweJen sounds very difficult for you especially when you are working and trying to get some help.

Have you written a complaint letter to Social Services? I would! They don't have to have someone with them! Ask for a different Social Worker to be allocated.

GlasweJen

Yes, I get letters back promising investigations and arranging meetings that are subsequently cancelled or rescheduled indefinitely.

bestpud

mysterywoman10 wrote: »

Dunroamin but you would know all about lying wouldn't you?

I am fully aware thank you whether I am new or not what the financial implications are to a family should a young person live independently.

It isn't really relevent anyway is it to the debate on bedroom tax? What happens when the child if they leave home? Sunnyone was just throwing it in the melting pot. I am fully aware that it can be a difficult time for families making this adjustment and they need support and guidance on it and it is an area that does need looking at which is why transitional meetings start when the child is in year 9 or they should do. But because now a lot of authorities have also disbanded their transitional specialist teams it is going backwards again helping families deal with this situation.

Anyway must get on....

Have a nice day everyone

Is there any need to make personal remarks about another poster? Especially completely unfounded ones.

Have you ever added up how much a family with 'disabled' children can access in terms of help and money?

It's relevant if they are being charged for that child to have their own room, as most will be able to afford it until such a time as they are entitled to the extra room.

That was a long day you went off for by the way - lasted 2 minutes! Hope you enjoyed it!

Witch_Hazel

mysterywoman10 wrote: »

You are talking absolute rubbish about getting less money when they get to adulthood they are assessed in their own right for benefits.

sunnyone wrote: »

Many parents come here when their kids reach adulthood and they cant believe how much they lose when their disabled kids become adults because they lose the enhansed tax credits, it even makes local papers!

Thery still get DLA at the same amount in many cases and they can claim ESA but the amounts are less than their parents recieved before they left fulltime education.

Just picking up on these two parts. Mysterywoman is correct sunnyone they claim benefits in their own right, at the beginning it looks like people will loose a lot when their disabled child leaves education, I myself felt this way until you actually sit down and do the maths.

DS is due to leave FTE in the summer and I have done all the sums, as he will be on ESA until we are able to find suitable employment.Granted the first 13 weeks whilst going through the assessment, things will be tough as he will be on a low amount of money to what we are used to getting but after the assessment he will either get £99.15 or £105.05 per week.
Really the only amount of money you loose is child benefit. Because the DLA is still in place and what you loose in child tax credits including the extra premiums you get back in ESA.

Witch_Hazel

Dunroamin wrote: »

Regarding funding for disabled children, you're new here but there are many posts from parents of children who leave home to live independently who see their household income plummet when the disability funding leaves with the child, showing how much they've come to rely on this to supplemet general household expenditure.

This I agree with, if for example DS left to try and live independently my household income would take a considerable dive.

Dunroamin

mysterywoman10 wrote: »

Dunroamin but you would know all about lying wouldn't you?

The one thing I don't do is lie - if I did, it would cause me less trouble.

GlasweJen

But you also lose access to the family fund, your son may be refused ESA and forced to appeal which can be up to a year on the basic rate with no additional money. DLA claims are more difficult for adults and he will be reassessed for PIP in a few years time. It's not all straight forward.