carers id cards

lemontart

Has anyone any experience of using this
http://www.alternate-therapy.co.uk/Care/index-3.html#

Boomfloom

They do not ask for any proof that the person you name as disabled and being cared for by you is disabled. The website does not show a sample card. The card is not official (eg not issued by the DWP or a recognised charity) and nobody has to accept it. You could just as well print it yourself without disclosing your details.

Their domain expires on January 15 so be careful if you do decide to go for it.

lemontart

looked dodgy to me but as no national scheme and such varies from area to area as to whether councils. support groups issue id cards so carers can benefit from discounts was wondering about it

Cyclamen

I'd avoid why pay £10 for a card that i doubt is nationally recognised.

My GP surgery gives out carer cards to keep in your wallet incase of accident/emergency so that whoever helps you knows there is a vulnerable person at home.

My carers have never been asked for proof when escorting me places. It is more common for the disabled person to need to present proof if it isn't a visible disability. Hand over a DLA photocopy/ bluebadge copy etc and then the carer is accepted.

It might be worth contacting your council to see if they run a scheme.. some do some don't

lemontart

have been researching this as o/h has been asked for id to proove he is my carer - and it seems a post code lottery as many do not provide (none in my county do) and also same for carers support groups vary widely with most not.

elsien

All you need to show is that the person with the disability needs a carer. Makes no odds who that carer actually is. I personally think the link you give is a rip off and the card is likely to get turned down as it doesn't actually prove anything.


In 25 years as a support worker I've never been asked to prove I'm a carer. The only thing we've ever been asked to prove is that the person has a disability and needs a companion, which is the benefits/DLA letters, blue badge, or specific cards such as the cinema card. When you think about it, the person with the disability could be going out and about with any number of people - friends, family, professionals, whoever, and they can't all be expected to carry cards to say they are caring for the person on that specific occasion.
(I do have a work ID card which I've only ever used for personal business when I needed travellers cheques, never actually in a work/caring context.)

lemontart

thank you for the input - have asked the organisation who asked for such to clarify what exactly they want given the lack of such and as above poster states could be a number of folk pushing the chair for me or picking me up when I decide to do a close up inspection of the floor. Will be interesting to see what they come back with.

Heycock

Yes. Check to see what's available locally. Many areas have local initiatives for carers support set up by Health Trusts, LAs and charities like AgeUK. Services can vary across the country but where I live the initiative is seen as increasingly important because of the withdrawal of direct financial support from SS for carers. As well as helping with breaks, they also arrange support in other ways such as alternate holistic therapy, counselling and general advice. Part of the service is precisely what you're asking for. A general local register of carers, contacts, emergency contacts...and with it a key fob which identifies the carer as a carer and gives an emergency contact number. It was actually designed to be used if the carer was out and anything happened to them, but it could also be used to confirm carer status to a 3rd party.
Check out your local GP...if there's anything in your area they may be your first port of call because access to carer services usually needs some form of referral which the GP can give.

lemontart

thank you Heycock - nothing available in my area so far as id for carers but will keep looking and of course if the organisation in question gives me a definitive answer as to what they want I will post it here too

Heycock

Sorry if this is something you've already done but sometimes we don't always think of the obvious...whatever your condition is, and we don't need to know, does it have it's own organisation which might push you in the right direction?

lemontart

Being tested and prodded for past year for ms - now ruled out ms now saying possible me/fibro but they have confirmed 3 different issues with spine all of which can alone or combine may totally cripple me - already use wheelchair a lot of time. two trapped nerves in each hip that need surgery when if ever I am well enough. limb spasms. balance issues, speech probs and several other things. dwp and council say I am disabled now - Hoping to get final answers this week so can then see if org for those in similar position. So a bit of a conundrum at present. But hey ho could be a hell of a lot worse.