Benefit Advice

confuseddaughter_2

pmlindyloo wrote: »

I beg to differ.

Often when people have been diagnosed with a serious illness then their income will have fallen considerably - either through being on sick pay or having to give up their job.

At the very least I believe that there should be someone at least advising them about non means tested benefits especially if there is a terminal illness involved and they can be fast tracked.

Although I am a great believer in empowering people to help themselves (going to CAB/researching on the internet)during a serious illness there is often a severe impact on the family and emotionally they are often not able to 'help themselves'.

Those in the know can get very blase about the benefits system but there are a lot of people out there who have no idea at all how to access benefits particularly at a time when they have other things to worry about.

Exactly!
Ridiculous to even suggest that they be expected to wander round a large hospital looking for help especially if one of the couple is too ill to get out of bed and the other is incapable of walking more than 50 metres.

confuseddaughter_2

ohreally wrote: »

https://www.google.co.uk/#q=cab+outreach+nhs

Fine if you happen to live in a part of Scotland, the Midlands and a small part of Wales. For the rest there doesn't appear to be any help at the point of need (hospital).


My dad has told me that hospitals used to have an Almoner who used to visit patients on the ward and deal with all manner of enquiries that were of concern to the patient including the issuing of 'sick notes'.

seven-day-weekend

confuseddaughter wrote: »

Exactly!
Ridiculous to even suggest that they be expected to wander round a large hospital looking for help especially if one of the couple is too ill to get out of bed and the other is incapable of walking more than 50 metres.

They could ask on the ward where the appropriate person was located and if they could phone them.

fabforty

confuseddaughter wrote: »

I also think that it would be unreasonable if an elderly couple had to go round the hospital knocking on enough doors in the hope that they knocked on the right door. I don't know about all elderly people but both my parents barely manage to walk the length of one corridor in the hospital, never mind expecting them to go searching for the right person.

In your OP you said that your parents were already receiving all of the applicable benefits that they were entited to (your question was about the impact of boyfriend moving in) - so clearly they were able to get the help that they needed - or have I misread that?


ETA - apologies OP, just realised that you are not confuseddaughter.

confuseddaughter_2

seven-day-weekend wrote: »

They could ask on the ward where the appropriate person was located and if they could phone them.

Hahaha.


Have you ever had the opportunity to stay on a ward in a NHS hospital? Asking if you could have water consists of an hours wait! I doubt very much asking a HCA or Staff nurse if she/he could pop along to the nurses station and rustle up a benefits advisor in order to carry out a full benefit health check up. I would imagine that you would get the same 'tut tut' if you asked them to pop down to the canteen and bring up a lovely hot bacon sandwich for breakfast.

tomtontom

confuseddaughter wrote: »

Exactly!
Ridiculous to even suggest that they be expected to wander round a large hospital looking for help especially if one of the couple is too ill to get out of bed and the other is incapable of walking more than 50 metres.

Your story is slipping already Andy, why would your parents be looking for advice at the hospital if they are so resistant to help from external agencies?

confuseddaughter_2

fabforty wrote: »

In your OP you said that your parents were already receiving all of the applicable benefits that they were entited to (your question was about the impact of boyfriend moving in) - so clearly they were able to get the help that they needed - or have I misread that?

Yes they are courtesy of myself alone.
Both of my parents have had extensive stays in hospital and will do so again in the future. At no time as an inpatient was it mentioned or advertised that there is a Welfare Rights officer attached to the hospital.
It was only because I couldn't understand why they weren't getting any financial help did I find out via the web what they had been missing out on for years.
Would have been nice for them to have had someone actually ask them whilst in hospital if their financial situation was worrying them.

confuseddaughter_2

tomtontom wrote: »

Your story is slipping already Andy, why would your parents be looking for advice at the hospital if they are so resistant to help from external agencies?

Who is Andy? I was making a point that I have never come across any help with benefits being offered in hospital, although some on here seem to suggest that it is there for the asking. My point was if someone doesn't know what they are entitled to what spark of imagination would make them ask to see a Welfare Rights advisor. I agreed that it may exist for Oncology and mental health departments.
My parents were never offered any advice or saw anybody with this in mind. I had to sort it out for them after reading up on the web.
Would be better if all patients were offered a chat with someone even if they didn't want the help or did not know what they could claim for.
It's about as useless as the so called discharge procedure that never happens. You only find out after the event what they should have had in place before they were discharged. Unless you know what to get or ask for you generally get nowt.

seven-day-weekend

confuseddaughter wrote: »

Hahaha.


Have you ever had the opportunity to stay on a ward in a NHS hospital? Asking if you could have water consists of an hours wait! I doubt very much asking a HCA or Staff nurse if she/he could pop along to the nurses station and rustle up a benefits advisor in order to carry out a full benefit health check up. I would imagine that you would get the same 'tut tut' if you asked them to pop down to the canteen and bring up a lovely hot bacon sandwich for breakfast.

I meant your parents could phone them.