Carer's Help

losalami

My mother is 75 years and retired. She has recently been discharged from hospital with a carer's package which is free for the first 6 weeks. The package includes a carer coming round to her home 3 times a day helping bath her and making sure she's fed and given her medication. She is coming up the last week of the free care service and she would like it to continue.


The local authority have asked us to fill out a financial assessment form so they can calculate how much she'll pay if she wants to continue the service.


Her monthly income details are


State Pension - £438
DLA - £317
Pension from tfl - £67.


She is council tenant living in London and receives no Housing Benefit and pays £125 per week in rent, and pays all utilities.

missbiggles1

losalami wrote: »

My mother is 75 years and retired. She has recently been discharged from hospital with a carer's package which is free for the first 6 weeks. The package includes a carer coming round to her home 3 times a day helping bath her and making sure she's fed and given her medication. She is coming up the last week of the free care service and she would like it to continue.


The local authority have asked us to fill out a financial assessment form so they can calculate how much she'll pay if she wants to continue the service.


Her monthly income details are


State Pension - £438
DLA - £317
Pension from tfl - £67.


She is council tenant living in London and receives no Housing Benefit and pays £125 per week in rent, and pays all utilities.

She should be claiming Pension Credit which will top up her income to £155pw and enable her to claim HB and help with her council tax.

Pollycat

missbiggles1 wrote: »

She should be claiming Pension Credit which will top up her income to £155pw and enable her to claim HB and help with her council tax.

Doesn't this depend on how much (if any) savings she has?

The OP would do well to put her Mum's details through one of the benefits checkers on gov.uk.
I can't post a link as I'm on the bus on my phone and it does my head in.

Alice_Holt

Pollycat wrote: »

Doesn't this depend on how much (if any) savings she has?

Having savings doesn't prevent you getting Pensions Credit. In the calculation a tariff income is assumed from the value of savings. This is added to your other income i.e. State Pension, occupational pension, etc. If this total income figure is below the minimum the government say you need to live on, then your income is topped up to that minimum by Pension Credit (PC).

The DLA does not count as income for the calculation of PC, as it is paid to cover the additional costs due to a disability. In fact, the receipt of DLA will increase PC as your mum will be entitled to a disability premium on top of the standard PC.

I am assuming she lives alone. If she has a partner then the joint income is used for any benefits calculation.

More details and how to apply here:
https://www.gov.uk/pension-credit/eligibility

The PC award is likely to passport her to full HB and also most (if not all) Council Tax support.

On the figures you have supplied she could find herself almost £900 pm better off.
But you might want to double check your numbers, as it implies that ALL of her pension income (and some of her DLA) goes towards her rent. (£125*52/12 - £438 -£67) = leaves £37 pm to pay towards her rent from her DLA!

dippy3103

I agree- your Mum needs to claim pension credit. Not sure if it still does have an automatic 3 month backdate for HB/CTR.

Pollycat

Alice_Holt wrote: »

Having savings doesn't prevent you getting Pensions Credit.

Of course it doesn't.
But wouldn't you agree that it depends on the amouint of savings that the OP's Mum has?
Amd that has not been shared with us so far.