Benefits entitlement while residing in mental health unit.

Caz3121

as well as the charities, have a look on freecycle for household items (although you will need to organise collection)

Housing_Benefit_Officer

Have a look here to see your nearest furniture charity:-

http://www.frn.org.uk/

paddedjohn

Go onto Facebook, every area seems to have a 'free to you' site where all sorts of furniture is offered for free, you may even find drivers on there willing to collect for free too.

elsien

You also have the right to request another CPN if you have issues with your current one. Write to the team leader giving your reasons - they don't have to agree but letting you move into unfurnished accommodation without support isn't a great way for them to be working. Were you on S3? Was this not discussed as part of your discharge planning? No LA responsibility under S117 aftercare? Are you on a CTO - if so you are still entitled to IMHA support if you think that would be helpful. You can self refer.
I second the free cycle/freegle option. Other options might include looking on the grants section of the Turn2Us website to see if any charities cover your situation but this is a slow process and many of them do need a letter from social worker or similar so your CPN would need to help with this.
You may not wish to rock the boat, but if all else fails a well timed complaint can get things moving sometimes.

steven1811

elsien wrote: »

You also have the right to request another CPN if you have issues with your current one. Write to the team leader giving your reasons - they don't have to agree but letting you move into unfurnished accommodation without support isn't a great way for them to be working. Were you on S3? Was this not discussed as part of your discharge planning? No LA responsibility under S117 aftercare? Are you on a CTO - if so you are still entitled to IMHA support if you think that would be helpful. You can self refer.
I second the free cycle/freegle option. Other options might include looking on the grants section of the Turn2Us website to see if any charities cover your situation but this is a slow process and many of them do need a letter from social worker or similar so your CPN would need to help with this.
You may not wish to rock the boat, but if all else fails a well timed complaint can get things moving sometimes.

Thanks for all your replies. I've looked on Facebook groups and will have a look on the charity sites. Its only until I get back to work so don't really need much.

I've quoted the one post in stand of multiple but o appreciate all your replies.

I wasn't informed of my discharge until the Monday night and then discharged the following day with conditions of sticking to appointments and meetings with my cpn. I have spoke to my cpn once but they've moved me about 12 miles away from where i used to be living. It wasn't a very professional discharge as they had my DC meeting without me being present. They were in a hurry for a bed I believe.
I was on a S3 then moved to S2 on appeal but no CTO it was a basic

I was going to apply for PIP but being told I wasn't entitled to it makes me stop ringing again and wasting somebody time.

I will speak to my CPN again although they have already told me they can't help with issues like this. I don't expect them to spoonfeed me but they way I've been dumped in an unfurnished place miles away from my normal area and with no support plus £146.20 a fortnight its got mW worked up abd stressing which is not what I wanted to happen. Don't really like reachibg out for support either which doesn't help.

In the mean time I will look at the places suggested and see what I can come up with.

Thanks all once again

elsien

If you're not on a CTO then what legal mechanism are they using to tell you where you have to live, and to impose conditions about engaging with services? I would suggest you get help to clarify exactly where you stand. (Not saying you shouldn't engage with services, I just think you might want to check independently for yourself what can be enforced and what can't in your particular circumstances.)
S3 doesn't go to S2 on appeal, you're either discharged or the S3 is upheld, so you may be misunderstanding what's been said?

I fail to see how it can be dictated you have to live somewhere you don't particularly want to be without being under some sort of section. And certainly not for two years - even CTOs can be appealed more often than that.

ETA -PIP stops while in hospital, but that doesn't mean you won't be eligible for it now you're out. Check that out with CAB or other advice service who can help you with the descriptors.
And good luck with the job hunting.

IAmWales

Looking at the dates you were in longer than 28 days, so a s 2 seems unlikely.

If you were under a s 3 but then stayed in a voluntary capacity you are still entitled to aftercare.

I'm in a discussion group for mental health professionals and researchers. Sadly the professionals spend more time working out how to minimise aftercare than how to support. Bloody austerity.

And please don't feel awkward contacting any charities for help. They won't care what your background is or how you've come to your current situation, they'll just be happy to help. Once you're back on your feet you'll be able to donate your time or money to help someone else.

steven1811

I was originally on a S3 then appealled which I won and it got changed to S2. I was in a total of 81 days. I've phoned the ward and asked for clarifications and my release was subject to living in this property for 2 years, 3 visits per week and a day where I have to visit my cpn. If I don't then I can be sectioned again which they said will happen.

I am awaiting all my discharge information as the only information I hot was attend my doctors every Monday and Thursday for my 3 and 4 days supply of meds. I am subject to CTO.

I've reached out to my CPN who is visiting tomorrow to discuss furnishing my place with basics.

Hopefully I get somewhere.

elsien

You can be recalled to hospital if you fail to meet the conditions of the CTO - not quite the same as being sectioned again, as a CTO means you are already still subject to the Mental Health Act. But this should only happen if you are unwell or acting in a way that puts you or others at risk. You have the right to appeal your CTO in the same way you can appeal against a S3. Both Mind and Rethink have some helpful information on their website if this is something you wish to consider further down the line. You will get legal aid for this.

https://www.rethink.org/resources/c/community-treatment-orders-ctos-factsheet

It does not mean you cannot move, as your CTO can be transferred to a different address if your consultant agrees. Whether they agree or not would depend on various factors such as whether it is better for you to be away from a particular area, for example.
As an aside, discharging you from hospital without going through all this properly is appalling practice. The whole point of a CTO is that you agree to its terms. If you don't, you may not be discharged, but there should be discussion about it rather than coercion. It may be worth ringing the solicitor who acted for you at tribunal to talk things through.
Don't presume the professionals know what they're doing - I recently met someone who'd been told they were under a CTO when no one had put it in place. Ask for your copy of the paperwork at the very least. If you've not signed it, it doesn't exist.

(I'll get off my soapbox now, but this sort of thing does make me cross.)

Edited to add - you can't be put on a CTO from a S2, only from a S3. It also can't be done when you've already been discharged from your section. Also it initially only lasts for 6 months, so at this stage you cannot be told you have to live somewhere for two years. Seriously, get some support to check out what's going on.

poppy10_2

steven1811 wrote: »

I was originally on a S3 then appealled which I won and it got changed to S2.

That doesn't happen