Personal Budgets

deeplyblue

Does anyone have experience of applying for a personal budget for local authority care? A friend is refusing to apply for LA care because she doesn't want to have their carers coming in and doing things their way and not hers. I have told her that she could get a personal budget which would allow her to spend the money getting the sort of care she wants (e.g. someone who would both help her dress and wash up the breakfast pots!).

She is worried that applying for that would spoil her chances of getting Attendance Allowance or that she would be forced into getting the help she doesn't want. Can anyone provide me with any actual case details?

Icequeen99

deeplyblue wrote: »

Does anyone have experience of applying for a personal budget for local authority care? A friend is refusing to apply for LA care because she doesn't want to have their carers coming in and doing things their way and not hers. I have told her that she could get a personal budget which would allow her to spend the money getting the sort of care she wants (e.g. someone who would both help her dress and wash up the breakfast pots!).

She is worried that applying for that would spoil her chances of getting Attendance Allowance or that she would be forced into getting the help she doesn't want. Can anyone provide me with any actual case details?

I get direct payments. It has nothing to do with attendance allowance.

How old is your friend?

First step is to have an assessment of your care needs - that will decide how much care you need (for example 20 hours a week) - then you have a financial assessment to see how much you contribute and then you can decide how you want to take the support - either directly from the council or via a direct payment where you can either use an agency or employ your own carers.

Your friend will need to think about the consequences of becoming an employer though.

IQ

deeplyblue

Icequeen99 wrote: »

I get direct payments. It has nothing to do with attendance allowance.

How old is your friend?

84 in a couple of weeks

First step is to have an assessment of your care needs - that will decide how much care you need (for example 20 hours a week) - then you have a financial assessment to see how much you contribute and then you can decide how you want to take the support - either directly from the council or via a direct payment where you can either use an agency or employ your own carers.

She already has guaranteed pension credit, which she tells me is because of low income and small capital.

I think she is signed up for an assessment and I am anxious that she makes the best of it and does not keep on saying that she "doesn't need help" with - whatever, because she does not want to pay someone to come in who will help her wash and dress but refuse to put out the rubbish on her way out (for example).

What she wants to do is get someone like her current home help who will do more or less anything - hoover, laundry, pick up some shopping, wash her hair, help her dress and do so with minimal fuss and maximum support. Unfortunately this very obliging person is (surprise!) in much demand and can't spare my friend all the time she needs.

Your friend will need to think about the consequences of becoming an employer though.

This is the bit causing me the least concern. She spent years working for a firm of accountants and is still acting as treasurer to her local Quaker meeting. She is also now quite tech savvy - correction, by the standards of her age and circle she is very tech savvy - and already does all her banking and business online. She might now need help with someone physically picking up paper files for her, but is very thorough about her financial filing system.

Can you tell me, when they are measuring your financial resources, does that include your Attendance Allowance?

Do different councils have different scales by which they calculate your income and different thresholds for contributions - or is that a national scale?

Thank you for your very prompt help.

xylophone

Attendance Allowance is not means tested.

See http://www.ageuk.org.uk/documents/en-gb/factsheets/fs34_attendance_allowance_fcs.pdf?dtrk=true

nannytone_2

deeplyblue wrote: »

84 in a couple of weeks

She already has guaranteed pension credit, which she tells me is because of low income and small capital.

I think she is signed up for an assessment and I am anxious that she makes the best of it and does not keep on saying that she "doesn't need help" with - whatever, because she does not want to pay someone to come in who will help her wash and dress but refuse to put out the rubbish on her way out (for example).

What she wants to do is get someone like her current home help who will do more or less anything - hoover, laundry, pick up some shopping, wash her hair, help her dress and do so with minimal fuss and maximum support. Unfortunately this very obliging person is (surprise!) in much demand and can't spare my friend all the time she needs.

This is the bit causing me the least concern. She spent years working for a firm of accountants and is still acting as treasurer to her local Quaker meeting. She is also now quite tech savvy - correction, by the standards of her age and circle she is very tech savvy - and already does all her banking and business online. She might now need help with someone physically picking up paper files for her, but is very thorough about her financial filing system.

Can you tell me, when they are measuring your financial resources, does that include your Attendance Allowance?

Do different councils have different scales by which they calculate your income and different thresholds for contributions - or is that a national scale?

Thank you for your very prompt help.

for direct payment purposes, she would need to do payroll ( either herself or through a payroll company) including pension contributions and liability insurance.
each local authority has their own charges. mine takes 70% of DLA or AA ( mid lrate or low rate AA) they also assess other income/savings when deciding how large a contribution the service user needs to make.

unfortunately, your friends age means that she will probably not be assessed for5 requiring many hours at all. purely the basics of washing, dressing and eating ( most only allow time to 'cook' microwave meals) as they deem older people only sit in and watch TV

Icequeen99

In my area, you wouldn't make any contribution at all if you are on guarantee pension credit. But I agree with nannytone, with the stretch on Budgets she may find she doesn't get many hours of support - possible just 4 x 15m calls a day and whilst she could still choose to employ her own carer to do that it may not be enough for all of the things she wants.

That said, there is no harm in going through the assessment process and seeing what happens.

IQ

deeplyblue

nannytone wrote: »

unfortunately, your friends age means that she will probably not be assessed for5 requiring many hours at all. purely the basics of washing, dressing and eating ( most only allow time to 'cook' microwave meals) as they deem older people only sit in and watch TV

Sounds like the local bureaucracy we all know and love. It's not as if they don't know better in her case - they made her "volunteer of the year" only a year or two back.