Bedroom Tax and kids living away??

sunnyone

mysterywoman10 wrote: »

do you mean this one?

http://www.dwp.gov.uk/docs/lha-eia-nov10.pdf

Thats old news and old regulations three years prior to this benefit reduction!

mysterywoman10

I don't know hardly any families that have got money from the Family Fund, its very limited that I know of and for those on very low income.

Even if they did they would be very unlikely to be funded more than once and it would be a one off specific item than was "needed".
Or to pay for a holiday for a child.

As we were never on any means tested benefits when our daughter became an adult we were much better off as a family "unit". Because we only had DLA I discount Mobiility because it was never income because it was used on her vehicle. We funded another vehicle for my husband to use to get to work and back. Young people in work contribute if they stay at home, so I think it is only reasonable for someone disabled to as well.

What can happen and I do agree with this is the benefit trap of parents becoming dependent for the above reasons should the young person then go off to live independently i.e. support living or as mentioned residential care. I do sometimes think this is why some parents are reluctant to "let go" but it isn't the only reason it is also because they don't feel anyone can give their chlld (now an adult) the care they can.

mysterywoman10

mysterywoman10 wrote: »

do you mean this one?

http://www.dwp.gov.uk/docs/lha-eia-nov10.pdf

Ooops my mistake.

Thanks for pointing it out

Too many windows open was checking something on the LHA one.

http://www.dwp.gov.uk/docs/eia-social-sector-housing-under-occupation-wr2011.pdf

slenderkitten

i hear it only affects those who are SOCIAL tennants, so council houses and housing associations, not private.

sunnyone

GlasweJen wrote: »

I don't think people realise just how difficult being in a wheelchair actually is - even if you are self propelling!

We are fair game for anyone who wants to stare, our companions are spoken to on our behalf "does she want raspberry on her cone?", we get overlooked when waiting at counters, we need to find a lowered pavement to cross the road - my nearest one is on a corner which is very convenient!, it's difficult to turn or stop a wheelchair when your wheels are wet, impossible to use in the snow, you get dog poo on your wheels, hands/gloves and that's minging, you can't reach shelves in supermarkets, you can't get onto some buses, you can't access older buildings, people think it's perfectly ok to take you and move you out their way!

I could rant on all day, I swear if I ever manage to stand up again I might get violent with the first person to "park" me in a corner.

Most people dont have a clue about just how hard it is to move a wheelchair even on level ground, then add in the list of other disabilities and life becomes incredibly hard.

You would think in the year 2013 most buildings would be accessable but they are not and even the ones that are accessable are often very badly set out so they may as well not be adapted at all, things like a pillar at the bottom of a ramp so you cant turn off the ramp safely.

In the snow its better to go backwards jen, otherwise you are a snow plough. Dropped curbs on corners are often dangerous when you are deaf because you cant hear the traffic and the cambers are often terrible, when I could self propel I often had to fight the wheels to prevent me rolling into the road.

Public transport is a nightmare, dog muck is disgusting and you always feel as though you have manky hands when you are in a wheelchair because you might as well just be walking on your hands dragging on the pavement through all the muck, litter and even vomit/spit.

But you just get on with it, life goes on,

mysterywoman10

I know about assessibility being a nightmare but much more difficult for self propelling and never thought about the pavement bit (yuke!!) so will remember that in future.

My pet hate is disabled loos as well and that they are not suitable for people who need changing, after a 20 year campaign it's still not in the building regs!! So a bit similar to the pavements what choice to you have but to put someone on the floor (yuke) and do your back in at the same time trying to lift them!! It's the biggest barrier to the very severely disabled in wheelchairs going out the "loos" although we do have a couple in our area now. One mum got the swimming baths to put a trolley in that was a massive help and meant a lot more people were able to take their "bigger" kids and adults in the pool.

sunnyone

mysterywoman10 wrote: »

I don't know hardly any families that have got money from the Family Fund, its very limited that I know of and for those on very low income.

Even if they did they would be very unlikely to be funded more than once and it would be a one off specific item than was "needed".
Or to pay for a holiday for a child.

As we were never on any means tested benefits when our daughter became an adult we were much better off as a family "unit". Because we only had DLA I discount Mobiility because it was never income because it was used on her vehicle. We funded another vehicle for my husband to use to get to work and back. Young people in work contribute if they stay at home, so I think it is only reasonable for someone disabled to as well.

What can happen and I do agree with this is the benefit trap of parents becoming dependent for the above reasons should the young person then go off to live independently i.e. support living or as mentioned residential care. I do sometimes think this is why some parents are reluctant to "let go" but it isn't the only reason it is also because they don't feel anyone can give their chlld (now an adult) the care they can.

The family fund can be accessed every year and the grants are often around £500.

sunnyone

mazza111 wrote: »

GlasweJen. Totally agree with everything you've said. DD should be getting her electric one soon, which I'm hoping will make things a little easier. But in the meantime, she self propels a wee bit, I push a wee bit, and so we go on. But her wrists and shoulders are too far gone to really manage self propelling. Think we must be very careful, we've not encountered any dog poo, but it's early days :rotfl:

It's funny in shops when we're together as some assistants stretch past the dd to give me her change :rotfl:

Thats quick for a NHS electric wheelchair assessment, mine was rushed through because I had a cast on one hand the other was so swollen from my RA I couldnt move it and it still took three months to do the three part assessment. For my area the first part is eligability for a chair (where most people fail), then home accessability because you can only get an electric if you need a wheelchair indoors and outdoors and finally you have to prove you are compitant to use a electric wheelchair (eyes, no fits etc)

In some areas they just allocate a electric chair, I wouldnt accept that, I always go to the disabled services center so I can try whats availalble to make sure I get the best for me.

You are entitled to keep the manual chair too, sometimes you cant transport the elctric wheelchair so you still need the manual.

Confuseddot

Thanks mystery woman.

From the first link for LHA report it includeds stats relating to
"Disabled group includes HB awards with a Disability Premium or Severe Disability Premium, or those passported to full HB by an award of ESA or IS with a Disability" It would have been helpful if they included a similar stat in the second one.

The following statement could be interepreted in different ways.


If disability is defined as having any long-standing illness, disability or infirmity that leads to a significant difficulty with one or more areas of the individual’s life, the equivalent figures to those in the table above would be that 370,000 (56%) of working age social rented sector HB claimants or their partners affected by the size criteria would be classified as disabled, compared to 48% of all working age social rented sector HB claimants or their partners and 58% of all social rented sector HB claimants or their partners.

bestpud

mysterywoman10 wrote: »

I don't know hardly any families that have got money from the Family Fund, its very limited that I know of and for those on very low income.

Even if they did they would be very unlikely to be funded more than once and it would be a one off specific item than was "needed".
Or to pay for a holiday for a child.

As we were never on any means tested benefits when our daughter became an adult we were much better off as a family "unit". Because we only had DLA I discount Mobiility because it was never income because it was used on her vehicle. We funded another vehicle for my husband to use to get to work and back. Young people in work contribute if they stay at home, so I think it is only reasonable for someone disabled to as well.

What can happen and I do agree with this is the benefit trap of parents becoming dependent for the above reasons should the young person then go off to live independently i.e. support living or as mentioned residential care. I do sometimes think this is why some parents are reluctant to "let go" but it isn't the only reason it is also because they don't feel anyone can give their chlld (now an adult) the care they can.

I know one family who had driving lessons paid for one year, a holiday another and a washing machine plus lots of garden equipment the third. The child is blind.

Another family have had, in separate years, a holiday, an overnight trip to a theme park and furniture to refurbish the child's bedroom completely. Child had developmental delay.

Another have had driving lessons and a holiday. Cerebral palsy - he is in a wheelchair and needs help with everything.

Another have had various household white goods and replacement furniture over the years. ADHD.

Another had a sensory room fitted in their house and a holiday. Autism.

I can think of three other acquaintances who have had day trips to theme parks and the like.

It's not difficult to claim.

I'm not exaggerating when I say parents receive a lot of money for disabled children - they really aren't in poverty! On top of that, they get concessions galore if they go anywhere.

Before anyone says, I am not saying that is wrong, or that I envy them one bit. I'm merely saying they are not living on the breadline.