I am a full-time unpaid carer and the person I care for has a number of health problems but the main one which causes him to need my care is severe OA, which severely restricts his mobility. His physio suggested a bath board but there may be some other aids/adaptations that would be useful.
I approached our LA for a care needs assessment but of course they have a lot of calls on their limited resources and it’s not clear how long this will take. They also adopt a two-stage approach whereby you have the assessment first over the phone and then later they visit your home and look at what things they could offer, or suggest that you obtain privately if you are self-funding. Although I realise that the assessment is a legal right they do say on their website that if you know you will be self-funding you might find it more convenient to have a private assessment.
As the person I care for would be self-funding we thought about getting a private assessor who, I assume, would come to your home do everything all in one go, rather than a phone assessment and then a visit. Has anyone had any experience of using a private assessor and are there any downsides? How would I go about finding one and approximately how much does it cost?
Thank you Sue. I will try that but if anyone has any experiences of using a private assessor it would be useful to hear them. Our LA website gives a list of private assessors but it’s just that - a list - and I’m wary of simply picking a name at random.
@Eastbourne hiya did you ever get any help with the message that you posted above.i thought the LA Came out to do a carers assessment whether you are self funding or not i thought the council still had to do a carer needs assessment on the caree and a carer assessment for you. Have they come and done them. Also you could ask for an occupational therapist to come out and see you and see what you could get to make life easier for you. You can ring the doctors surgery and ask the gp to request one . Did you hear back from the LA. also of the local goverment you can get up to £1,000 of adaptions free for essential home adaptions or improvements like grab rails , hoist.which is not means tested and doesn’t not matter how much savings ,income you have.
Also the care act 2014 that is where all the laws are regarding care. What local authorities have to follow ,unfortunatly some social workers don’t know it. You may find it useful to have a look through it online. If you want to know anything else just ask we are all hear to help if we can take care.
Hello Teddybear. In the end we didn’t do anything at the time (I forget why now) but more recently we had a private OT came and did an assessment and have had one or two things done on her recommendation. A couple of things she recommended (frames to go around the lavatory) didn’t work and had to be returned. She has since recommended a couple more things for the bathroom which have arrived and are just waiting to be fitted. None of it was very expensive - the most expensive things was a long, heavy duty steel grab rail which cost about £115 but everything else was well under £50.
@Eastbourne well if you need anything else you can get a OT by ringing your doctors surgery and getting your gp to make an appointment for one for them to come, and you can have up to £1,000 free adaptions or essential items from your local authority.
The person you care for they can get a care needs assessment from your local council which looks at the care and help that he needs. If he needs help but it is means tested.
You can have a carers assessment because you are an unpaid carer and it looks at your health and well being. If it is all getting a lot for you ,you can get respite breaks someone to come care while you have a break or holiday or need to go to an appointment. It states you can even get free gym membership for so long.information on claiming benefits, and an emergency plan if you become ill and who will step in to care for the caree. You ring your local council and ask for carers assessment for yourself. And your caree asks for a care needs assessment for himself. If it’s getting a lot for you to do.
@Eastbourne you’re welcome if you type in nhs carers assessment which is for you into Google it will bring up information on it. If you go on your local council website type in needs assessment which is for your caree that will tell you about these to. Also the Carersuk website should have information on carers assessment which is for you ,and a care needs assessment which is for the person you care for they have to agree to that and the citizens advice bureau website should also have information. Also if you look for home care on these websites they will have information on it. Also the care act 2014 has all the laws regarding care. Never believe everything a social worker tells you and never sign anything ,always research what they say or come on here and ask and we will all help you with anything we can .this is what I’ve learned. I have a battled with my local council on going for 19 months now because they didn’t follow the care act, were dishonest. Can I ask if you live in England as the laws for care are different . In England,Scotland and wales.
@Eastbourne you’re welcome. I thought if you had a read it may make things easier to understand. Anything you want to know or want to ask just ask. You do get carers allowance don’t you. Now this isn’t something I like to ask but no one tells you only people on this forum will. You said your caree has physical symptoms ,does he have any mental impairments like dementia or Alzheimer’s.you do not need to tell me. But to do with council tax there is a severe mental impairment exemption. It’s not a benefit it’s an exemption if someone is severely mentally impaired and you fill a form in and send it in and I think they write to your gp to clarify it. If they are you could do that.if they’re not keep it in mind if they ever get like that. The carersuk advice line or citizens advice bureau would be able to help fill in a form if need. Have a nice evening.
Alastair isn’t as mentally acute as he used to be but he doesn’t have dementia or Alzheimer’s. I will remember it though in case that changes.
I don’t get carer’s allowance but that’s means tested isn’t it? I must get on with the attendance allowance claim but there is always so much going on and although filling in forms isn’t a problem for me it is one of those forms that you need to spend some time on and not rush isn’t it?
@Eastbourne depends there is no upper limit age to get carers allowance but if you are over state pension age and get the full amount of state pension .these are called overlapping benefits and the full amount of both cannot be paid at the same time.but if you don’t get the full amount of the state pension or your state pension is lower that carers allowance then there are things that can be done to increase your pension amount to the full state pension.
Carers allowance is only means tested against other benefits. To quality you have to carer for at least 35 hours a week and there is a strict no means tested earning limit. I’m sorry i don’t know how old you and alister are.
You could also ring your local citizens advice bureau and they would do a check on what you get to see if you get what you’re entitled to and if there is anything else.
Attendance allowance does Alister not get that. If you ring carersuk advice line and say that your wanting to put in for attendance allowance for Alister these people will help you fill it in over the phone as they are used to filling them in and know exactly what to put .you may have to ring make an appointment and someone will ring you back and help you .im not quite sure how they work I have used the citizens advice for things and this is what they do. So I would think that’s what carersuk do.its easier than doing it yourself . And you should get it done it’s a lot of money. And would help you with things. Take care.
Ring DWP and ask for a Visiting Officer to come and do the form. I can’t hand write now so I couldn’t do my son’s form several years ago, and I’m applying for myself this week, Visiting Officer due Friday.
Thank you both. Alastair is 81 but I’m 64, so under the state pension age, which is 67 for me. I have a good occupational pension so I wouldn’t qualify for anything that is means tested.
Is the visiting officer better than Carer’s UK or Citizen’s Advice helpline? Won’t the visiting officer be looking for ways not to pay it, given that they work for DWP? How long do you have to wait and are there any criteria for having one come round or can anyone ask for it?
@Eastbourne carers allowance is not means tested but you have to pass an earning limit and the person you carer for must be on a qualifying benefit like DLA, pip, attendance allowance. But you don’t work do you and you get an occupational pension that is not classed as earnings. So you need to get alister on attendance allowance , then you need to put in for carers allowance. Now when you reach state pension age . If you get the full state pension you will not be able to get carers allowance based on what I wrote above because the state pension and the care allowance will be classed as overlapping benefits. So as soon as you start to receive your state pension you must them ring up tell them change of circumstances tell them you are now getting your state pension and they will then stop the carers allowance. Will you get the full state pension when you retire.
The second paragraph I cannot answer who is better I have always used my local citizens advice bureau. What you said I have always wondered but don’t know .thats why I used the citizens advice bureau.I ring up tell them what I want they make an appointment and someone rings me back in 1 to 2 weeks later depends how busy they are and helps me .i cannot out. But if you can go out you could ring up make appointment go down to your local citizens advice bureau for the appointment and they would help fill it in. Or you can ring DWP ask visiting officer to come if that’s what you want to do. Whichever you prefer. I hope you have had a nice day.take care.
Actually, they are very good,
When they did M’s form, they put yes where I would have said No. Can he dress himself?
Yes, but not always appropriately, wants to wear shorts when it’s cold but sunny in March!
In that case the answer is No as it’s not appropriate clothing.
I think I requested a visit about 6 weeks ago, so if granted the award is back dated until then. It’s the ability of the claimant that counts, not carer.
@Eastbourne if you rung up and requested an attendance allowance pack your claim date is locked in as the date you made the call if you fill out and return the form within 6 weeks of that call date.your benefit can be back dated to cover the 6 weeks period. The form is date stamped with the date you rung up.that 6 weeks is to cover them sending you the form you filling it in and sending it back.
Thanks both; I will get onto this tomorrow. We have Alastair’s physio and a stairlift company coming tomorrow but both in the afternoon so I’ll try and deal with it in the morning.