My daughter has had a couple of holidays over the years and they have always been paid no problems. That was when we used another agency who handled everything. Last year County Hall took over the running of everything and have really tightened up. They have not paid for a request for payment I sent in in June for daughter and myself. i queried this and was told that holidays should never have been paid for and nobody will get them in future.
I have spoken to two other local mums who claim for holidays and trips here and abroad. My daughter would not be able to take a holiday without me and her PA will not travel abroad and does not have a passport so it’s down to me.
I thought the idea of a PB was that people could choose what they want to do and how they can spend it. Believe me, holidaying with my daughter is not easy at times and I am “on call” 24/7.
Chris … the social worker has today confirmed that she will authorise payment of the holiday for daughter and myself as we had already taken it in June and daughter has money in her account but they will not do so in future.
I will try and locate the paperwork and double check though. We are decorating the “office/spare bedroom” and all the boxes of paperwork have been put in the loft so we have a clear space to work in!
I would love to hear from anybody else on here who takes a holiday with their caree and how they get on with Personal Budgets etc. Has anybody else been told they will not authorise them?
My daughter could never travel alone and I feel that she needs to experience foreign holidays while we are still fit enough to take her as I know the day will come when we won’t be able to. It also broadens her horizons and is something she would like to use her PB for!
We went to Corfu one year and we met a lady on the beach with her adult daughter who has Down’s and they had travelled all over the world and she never had any problems using the PB. It also worked out a helluva lot cheaper with Mum taking her than a PA.
In line with what we all are seeing with the LA cutbacks , many are looking closely at the use of PBs and DPs in an attempt to either freeze or cut them.
It follows therefore that any activity , or use thereof , that could be considered optional … like holidays … will be closely scutinized , and questions asked.
I can tailor make one from scratch … general or specific … quite a bit is crossing over between various threads … I’ll check
the recent ones on Direct Payments and Personal Budgets as a backstop.
( Akin to visiting a restaurant on a weekly basis … as each week passes , less and less on the menu ? Asking for something not
on the menu can be achieved … if one has the monies to pay for it !
Trouble is … said practice is contrary to current law … Carer Act , 2014 citied … who out there is doing something about that ???
NOT the LA Ombudsman … they can only REACT , not ACT ! )
In my days as a carer , anything over an hour and less than 3 … for just over 10 years. Any longer and my caree came with me. ( Any notion of " Respite care " came with a price tag in those days … 1997 - 2008. )
To others , might mean a fortnight away from caring … however funded.
Question is … what is this social worker’s definition ???
If NOT defined in writing , where does everyone go from here ?