Direct payment as a carer

vivmagb

Has anyone received a direct payment as a carer, if so what are the pros and cons of receiving it. My husband has Alzheimer's and I wondered if this would be the best road to go down to tailor the help we need.

nannytone_2

i receive direct payments to employ a PA and its all been very positive.
i use a payroll company to deal with everything from opening a bank account solely for the direct payments, to tav, NI. !!!!!! pay, holiday pay etc.

you get to choose who gives the care and when you want the care given

Cyclamen

Hello

I too get direct payments to help me.

I have employed a PA in the past who was amazing and I am now with an agency and like the lady who helps me.

You should be entitle dto an assessment for your husband to get direct payments but also a carers assessment for you. I know my lady goes and sits with an altzheimers lady so her husband can play golf every few weeks an dget a break.

It can be a bit admin heavy sorting things out so i suggest you contact your local altzheimers association and see if they can help you.. they will be more aware of what sort of care you can expect as sadly what is on offer varies greatly round the country.

good luck

DominoCat

Hi,

I may be wrong but I don't think that Direct Payments can be paid to a PA who is close family member living at your address.

My ex-wife (at different address) is my PA.

Best to ask because I know exceptions can be made on a discretionary basis in my area.

I'm finding Direct Payments very helpful, far more use/flexible than the care provided by Social Services. Like Nannytone, I have a payroll service arranged by Social Services) do most of the paperwork.

Good luck!

SandraScarlett

Hi, my husband has Alzheimer's too, and I was awarded Direct Payments in November. He was considered unable to understand a bank account, so I opened a separate current account, just in my name, which is what SS directed me to do.


This was to fund some hours at a Day Centre, which he had previously attended as an ordinary member, but as his needs now required an assigned Carer at the Centre, this increased from £1.50 a day to £9 per hour.


I've found it's a good system. I'm billed by the Centre monthly, and I give them a cheque from the DP account, to cover the hours he's been awarded, and then a cheque from my "normal" current account for the difference.


I have to send in quarterly statements, showing what I've received and how I've spent it, and SS have increased DH's "hours" 3 times in 2 months. Each time they've done this, I've received a statement showing how much his new Annual DP amount is.


If the day ever comes that I'm awarded more than the hours he uses, which is unlikely, I could use the surplus for things such as petrol costs, or anything that enhances the quality of his life, like going to an Old Time Musical Concert, where he could join in.


It's a rotten hard life being a carer of someone with AD, isn't it, and if you ever want to PM me, please feel free to do so.


xx

Cyclamen

A few things to consider as it's very different round the country..( I ahve a few disable donline friends with direct payments so have limited knowledge of variety)

Employing family as a P.A.. some counties do allow this.. a friend employs her adult children who live at home, but another friend could not employ her mum who lived elsewhere. You have to check and get permission.

SandraScarlett wrote: »

If the day ever comes that I'm awarded more than the hours he uses, which is unlikely, I could use the surplus for things such as petrol costs, or anything that enhances the quality of his life, like going to an Old Time Musical Concert, where he could join in.


xx

If you can do this or not varies from county to county. I have friends who can use their Direct payments for petrol and carers expenses but I cannot. When my carer takes me out I have to pay petrol separately and also her entrance fee/coffee from my money.

SandraScarlett

Cyclamen wrote: »

If you can do this or not varies from county to county. I have friends who can use their Direct payments for petrol and carers expenses but I cannot. When my carer takes me out I have to pay petrol separately and also her entrance fee/coffee from my money.

I've checked this with SS, and I can claim for petrol, to take him to and from his clubs, should I ever have a surplus. I would expect to pay any entrance fees and refreshments for myself, anyway. But it's so wrong that the rules and regulations vary from county to county.


It shouldn't make a scrap of difference if you live in Scotland, Solihull or Southend. Your disability doesn't affect you any differently, no matter where you live.


xx

Heycock

I receive Direct Payments for my wife who has Alzheimers. She attends a specialised daycentre 5 days a week. 2 paid for by the health trust as part of her treatment, 3 funded by SS via DP's. I'm responsible for paying the 3 days which I do monthly by bank transfer from the carers a/c I set up. I'm also responsible for a respite budget...if she goes into a home for respite I pay the home direct from the carer a/c. Any top-up is reimbursed by me into the carer a/c from my own a/c. If I use the budget for domicillary respite, I use an agency. Doing it this way means never having to worry about payroll, liability insurance etc. I just get the invoices and pay them.

I then have to produce accounts for SS audit. Into 3rd year and it's worked brilliantly...the main thing is that provided you buy the services agreed in the plan, you're free to decide on provider and when.
We can't recover travel costs through the Direct Payment system because she gets DLA and the mobility element is expected to be used for this. Fair enough. It covers my petrol so that seems fair.

As carers we could, at one time, also get financial support from SS to buy respite for ourselves from our own personal budget but this has ceased...our SS commitment to supporting carers is now limited to advice and what they call "sign-posting" to other services.

In addition, there are annual grants available in a local initiative for short breaks for carers. I get £300 a year to go toward breaks.

There really needs to be a NATIONAL framework because access to Direct Payments and how they are rolled out is very much a local postcode lottery. I'm lucky in that I live in one of the better areas with services including daycare specifically for early onset. (Wife is 57)

Cyclamen

SandraScarlett wrote: »

I've checked this with SS, and I can claim for petrol, to take him to and from his clubs, should I ever have a surplus. I would expect to pay any entrance fees and refreshments for myself, anyway. But it's so wrong that the rules and regulations vary from county to county.


It shouldn't make a scrap of difference if you live in Scotland, Solihull or Southend. Your disability doesn't affect you any differently, no matter where you live.


xx

I completely agree that the variation in rules is wrong. I am glad you appear to be in a good county.

I wouldn't expect my D.P to pay my own entrance fee's refreshments but it would be helpful if it paid carers expenses as currently I fund this.

The variation is huge across the country both in hours awarded and what is allowed to be done with it. It makes me very cross.

SandraScarlett

Cyclamen wrote: »

I completely agree that the variation in rules is wrong. I am glad you appear to be in a good county.

I wouldn't expect my D.P to pay my own entrance fee's refreshments but it would be helpful if it paid carers expenses as currently I fund this.

The variation is huge across the country both in hours awarded and what is allowed to be done with it. It makes me very cross.

I think that as well as being in a "good" county, it helps if you are able to put your point across, firmly, but without losing your temper - however frustrating it is.


It's good that Heycock lives in an area where there's a local initiative for short breaks. And also good that his Health Trust funds 2 days a week for his wife's care, with SS paying the rest.


But there must be so many carers, up and down the country, who would love to have some respite, but they can't personally afford it. I'm fortunate that my rainy day money covers anything else I need, to give my husband the best quality of life that I can. And not only is it raining now, but a monsoon!


But there are so many poor souls who aren't in this position, and who would desperately appreciate a much needed break. I know this doesn't just apply to Alzheimer's cases either, but I often wonder why there can't be a Nationwide template.


xx

nannytone_2

i live in derbysgire, and whilst nationally the trend has been to cut care budgets, derbyshire county council has increased theirs.

if i still lived in a deprived area of london, id receive NO help at all and just be expected to make do.

while i really appreciate the position i am now in, i cant help feeling angry on behalf of all those people that have to suffer needlessly when a few pounds a week could give them real quality of life