I care for my adult son who has autism. He gets direct payments for P.A.'s. The minimum wage goes up tomorrow to £9.50 but the council is refusing an uplift of the £9.00 an hour they are currently paying. The social worker has been ignoring my request to address this matter and has got back to me to say her manager has said no uplift. This means I have to reduce my son’s hours of care. In January this year, he had his care plan reviewed and it was agreed on no changes in care. Is anyone else having the same trouble with direct payments with the Council they are under? What can I do about this situation? Any help would be appreciated.
Go to the council website searc h for Adult Social Care Complaints. They are acting unlawfully.
Thanks, Bowlingbun. The Council’s solicitor has offered the social worker to respond to me on this subject. He has told me the commissioning team is yet to make a decision on the uplift. He says he doesn’t know when they will decide or if it will be backdated. He said he can’t give me information he doesn’t have. In between this, I have to manage the extra hour’s care on my own for at least 7 hours a day 7 days a week without a break from 8 am until 3 pm. I can’t get out either as my son is housebound. I am trapped unable to leave my home and carry out anything I need to do.
In that case, I suggest that you talk to the Carers UK Helpline.