In rehab, am fully funded but am being told I have to pay a weekly fee

b0bal0b

Hey there,

I am currently in rehab fully funded by my local authority as far as I am aware. Now I have been given a bill for £450 for July & August!

What is going on?

I desperately need some advice please as I am worried my placement is being threatened and I am pregnant which may mean social services could take my child.

Please can anyone help or advises what I should do, I'm scared and stressed.

I'm on ESA benefit and was never told I had to pay anything towards treatment plus I am trying to save as much money as I can towards my first baby and my first home as I was homeless before being here.

They are also saying if I don't pay it will go against me as bad credit which may effect my housing options when leaving here.

Thank you in advance!

Mx

ColdIron

It's not really a Pensions question, you might get better responses on the Benefits and Tax Credits board. Maybe a mod could move this post

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/forumdisplay.php?f=139

Browntoa

I've moved this thread from the pension board to the benefits board for you as I think it's likely to get better advice

Ames

Is it residential rehab? I wonder if your treatment is fully funded but you're liable for some kind of rent payments? If so you could look into housing benefit.

That's just me guessing though. Is there a support worker or admin person you can ask?

PersianCatLady

Could you ask what the £450 is for?

Rehab places cost more than £450 a week so £450 for 8 weeks is only around £50 a week.

Is there anything that you can think of that would cost that sum of money??

Best of luck

Afraid_of_Kittens

Some Government funded rehab centers ask for a co-payment.

You will need to ask what you are being charged for and why you are being charged if it is supposed to be fully funded and why you were not fully informed of the additional costs.

b0bal0b

at no point over the whole process of getting here and in any social services meetings was I informed that I would have to contribute. I've got my SS worker looking into it and I'm speaking to a solicitor.

I feel like I'm being coned ( and for the first time I'm actually trying to do the right thing with my money to save for the future of my baby and I'm getting that taken away from me.

They are asking for a contribution, but originally they wanted 75% of my money! They said that you should be able to live on £25 p/w but didn't take into account money I want to save - to me 75% of your money is not a contribution is the bloomin' majority (

It's not necessarily the rehab, it's my local authority who have set this amount - but the fact I was never advised and surely if I'm fully funded - that means fully funded. Otherwise you are part funded - in which case you know from the beginning how much, how often etc you are to pay.

Also - this is my second part of my treatment - in the 3 week first detox part I was not asked to pay a penny.

They now trying to make me agree to pay 40 p/w out of my £98.55 ESA and they will wipe the outstanding debt so far. I have weekly outgoings of £31. So that leaves £27.55, if you take into account the £25 they are allowing me to live on I still can't save any money.

I'm very frustrated about all this. I think a fair contribution is £25 p/w - and that is on top of them being fully funded so they are getting all their money paid to them anyway - I'm looking at that as a charity donation.

But at the end of the day - if I am fully funded should I be paying anything?

I will ask my key worker exactly the terms of my funding.

Thanks for all the advice - I'll let you know what happens.

Mx

marliepanda

Sorry but of course they don’t take into account your desire to save, all my bill companies don’t either.

At the end of the day if the money is due the money is due. I think you should be a little more grateful for what you are getting ‘for free’

Benefits are to live on, not to save.

pmduk

You'll probably find there are some subsistence elements that aren't ever paid for. Heating, hot water, cleaning services and lighting, any provided meals. Even tenants on full housing benefit are required to pay for that. Remember, you're not in a hospital.

midnight_express

Your funding is means tested which means you have to pay a contribution out of your benefits. You need to pay the money or you will risk losing your rehab place. It's worth remembering that you won't being paying anything anyway as all the money is coming from the taxpayer.Lots of people who have full time jobs can't afford to save.

midnight_express

What are your weekly outgoings ?