I’m looking for some advice if anyone can help?
I live in the same house as my ex-partner, and we both have our own seperate bedroom. He worked until becoming disabled 6 years ago. He was medically retired and lost his income. He was accepted for PIP and after an assessment he was accepted for a direct payment for 10 hours a week. His only income is pip and although we are separated and living seperate lives I’ve had to pay for his upkeep. Now he has received a letter and his carer has told me that I might have to pay for his direct payments as we live in the same house. I’m at my wits end, I can’t afford to pay out even more for him than i’m already doing. I have my own health issues that I struggle with each day along with having to hold down a job. He has nowhere else to go, no family to support him, his friends all said they would help him but have slowly disappeared. If he loses his direct payment then he will be stuck in the house 24/7 like I am and it will then lead to more hostility between us. At least when he’s out I have a bit of a breather from him and visa versa. I don’t know what to do or where to turn and finding it very overwhelming.
Hi May,
I hope others can help you more than I can, but you shouldn’t have had to pay for his upkeep. His care situation should be based on his assets and income alone, yours is not relevant. It is certainly not for his carer to give you false information like that.
I don’t know how the fact that you live in the same house affects the situation, I’m afraid. For one thing, you could contact the helpline here for information.
I wish you the best with it.
First things first. Only his income can be used for assessing charges for his services. Councils must assess on the basis of actual income, and if they believe someone is entitled to more, they must arrange for help to complete the necessary forms.
Hi thank you for your replies, he has a brain injury and can’t deal with his own affairs. I have Asperger’s and find it difficult to verbalise my own needs let alone his. When adult social services came to asses him they did initially asses him on what his income was/is. Now a form has come through asking who lives in the house and wanting information on what income we have. I think this is why his carer has mentioned it to me to make me aware. He went to the cab with someone from his stroke group but applying for benefits was then left to him. I tried to read what it said but found it all to overwhelming as there were that many abbreviations it was all so confusing. He didn’t qualify for contribution benefit as he had been self employed and that’s as far as it went.
I’m dismayed at your situation. If he cannot manage forms Social Services should have realised this and arranged an advocate for him and referred him to their Client Affairs Team. He counts as a Vulnerable Adult and they have a duty to help him.
You should tell Social Services you need your own advocate too!