In 2004, I proposed a motion at the AGM, that Carers Allowance increased to equate to minimum wage. It was passed almost unanimously.
I am disappointed at the lack of progress.
However, since then, lots has changed.
The 2014 Care Act said that everyone needing support was supposed to be entitled to Direct Payments.
These were designed to give disabled people far more freedom of choice about who cared for them. “including friends and family”.
In practice, many Local Authorities are still trying to control the use of Direct Payments. Many people are not being offered them, especially those who would need support to manage them.
The end result is that the disabled person is not able to employ the people they want to care for them most of all, friends and family. Instead, there is no option but to use outside carers, who are less capable than family.
I believe this is UNLAWFUL.
We need a campaign to stop LA’s discriminating against people who cannot speak up for themselves to ask for Direct Payments to enable them to have those who love them most to care for them.
Hello Bowlingbun, I hope you’re keeping well during this pandemic.
The Local Authority does far too much meddling in people’s lives who have to use the service. Mostly it is unhelpful meddling and demanding of time and energy from unpaid carers. They conduct unfair assessments in order to only allow minimal care and then don’t provide enough funding within a direct payment. They fully ignore when the matter is mentioned. They have a system in place that rejects any complaint going to them too.
There are no choices when they only provide minimum wage for P.A.'s at £9.00 an hour in my son’s case for specialist care that they and health deemed as ‘too difficult’ to manage within community settings 9 years ago. £9.00 is not enough to pay for any agency so they actually force me to complete timesheets for 3 carers every 4 weeks. It is a chore and responsibility. I am also forced to be ‘the employer’ without the ‘perks’ and I don’t get paid even though I am part of the care and I can’t claim ANY expense for extra heating or wear and tear to my home while others are employed there. I am actually the main part of the care, to be exact, where I am forced to care for long hours AND have to cover paid P.A.'s annual leave, sickness etc.
So to sum it up, I am forced to contribute to every meeting, review, and assessment paid staff from social care and from health demand whilst I am not allowed to even view, receive, or see the finished product. I have to receive and distribute paid carers wages slips that show 10 times more than my own income, for doing the very same job. I have had to fill out 3 timesheets and ensure they are received by the accounts team. Regularly, I receive tax demands of thousands of pounds for the MANAGED ACCOUNT because I have been made to be the employer.
I’m not happy with the way things are either and I believe it’s unlawful.
You shouldn’t have to do this the LA should set up a Payroll Service for you AND pay you for managing a large account. No one told me that, not allowed to have a penny for my own costs!!!
Hiya Bowlingbun, The payroll service will not fill out timesheets. I am made to do it. To be fair, it’s like torture to have to calculate all PA’S wages knowing they are being paid 10 times my income. I have complained about it and have remained ignored. This is why I keep a blog and they don’t like it either. I get threatened regularly to stop writing about them. They can’t stop me and now I’ve written over a million words in it. www.blogofinformation2.wordpress.com