Emergency Respite - do we have to pay?

Benefits, finances and funding
1

Hello all,

Some of you may remember my post from December about emergency care for my dad, link below for those that wish to read it.

https://www.carersuk.org/forum/support-and-advice/new-to-the-forum/hello-looking-for-a-hand-hold-42391?hilit=hand%20hold

Long story short, after huge effort and stress I managed to get my dad into emergency care home for respite whilst mum was recovering from a major operation.

The SSD provided funding for about £565 a week and we paid a top up directly to the care home of around £65 a week. The funding was initially provided for four weeks whilst he was assessed. This all happened over Christmas with Dad going into care on the 11th December, he was taken to hospital on the 2nd January and he died the day after.

I have now been contacted by the council’s Charging Assessment Team advising me that they haven’t received the financial assessment form they sent to me in December and I need to repay the money for his respite.

I didn’t return this at the time as I wanted an NHS CHC assessment to be done. Since dad passed away not long after and over the Christmas period no assessments were completed by anyone other than a mental capacity assessment done prior to going in the home by the social worker. I have therefore never returned any financial assessment paperwork.

Any thoughts on repayment? I was sure I read somewhere that the first few weeks during the assessment prior don’t have to be repaid, but I will hold my hands up and say I could well have imagined it.

I am quite prepared to repay the fees if they are the rules, but if there is a possibility of some grace period which I am not being told about from the assessment team, then I am fully prepared to go into battle with them.

Do any of you amazing people know the rules around this, given the circumstances?

2

Firstly, condolences.

From the link…

Local councils will only fund respite care for people that they have assessed as needing it.

From the above link

Temporary’ stays in a care home can be for up to 52 weeks. If eligible, the local authority may apply the funding immediately, or they may ask the person who needs care to pay a ‘reasonable amount’ (which isn’t defined and will vary on your and your local authority’s circumstances) for the first eight weeks, then apply the financial assessment.

3

Interesting, thank you.

I had read that previously which probably contributed to me coming to this conclusion. They confirmed they had funding for four weeks until the assessments were completed. They were unable to complete the assessments because of the Christmas period. Dad passed away before the four weeks was up and any assessments were done.

How would anyone else interpret that? Is it open to interpretation or written in stone.

You know, I thought when my lovely dad died the stress of dealing with SSD and councils would end, sadly there is no end.

Unless anyone can offer any further experience or words of wisdom I will point them to this and ask them confirm their understanding of the wording.

4

Hi Stephanie

I’m so sorry to hear about your Dad.
Our helpline may be able to assist you with your query, do contact them on:

0808 808 7777 from Monday to Friday, 9am – 6pm or by email advice@carersuk.org

Best wishes

Jane