I HAVE BEEN A CARER FOR MY WIFE WITH ALZHEIMER’S FOR 5 YEARS AND DURING THAT TIME HAVE REALISED
THERE IS A DEFINITIVE TWO CLASS SYSTEM - THOSE WHO CAN “SELF FUND,” THOUGH YOU MAY BE JUST ABOVE
THE THRESHOLD, AND THOSE FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO HAVE INSUFFICIENT FUNDS. I have a classic example of this,
when I approached my local Hampshire Adult Services for help in finding me a rest home so I could have respite, I was asked
immediately if you are “self funding”, because my wife’s meagre hard earned savings were above the £23,500 barrier, I would
have to pay Social Services £300 and a further £6 per week until they found somewhere local ‘which could take ages’.
I was told that had we been on ‘benefits’ ( to which we spent our lives contributing ) I would have been looked after by them.
I can recommend to those carers feeling lonely with no friends, to quietly sit down and talk to our loving God and Father, just
ask Him to help you overcome each day and have the strength to carry through each day, ask Him to find you a local Church
where you will meet friends and you will probably find there is someone else there with similar circumstances to yours
I sing a little hymn every day - Give me the strength to do every day what I have to do,show me the stairway I have to climb
Just for my sake, help me to take one day at a time.
Most readers will resonate with the first paragraph … those just above certain limits … even those claiming a full range of
benefits can be better off than someone earning £ 5 / £ 10 … even £ 20 per week more … provided , of course , the housing
element is not included.
( When that is , all bets are off ! )
Nowadays , one has to be a financial juggler to avoid running into pitfalls along the way … almost from the cradle to the grave.
( A Goldilocks … too much / too little / just about right ? )
Whether that Green Paper … now 2 years overdue … will change the ball game , I would not recommend holding your breathe !
Anything we can help you with … caring / housing / finances ?
If you have over £46,000 between you, you have to pay - sometimes SSD don’t tell you that an assessment can be done either jointly or severally.
If you are in Hampshire (I’m in the New Forest) don’t trust ANYTHING they say about finances unless you’ve checked yourself. I had a meeting in Winchester and reclaimed £8,000 for wrongly charged fees.
The woman in charge of such things looked like she’d been sucking a sour lemon, and her face had stuck.
Then she said I’d signed a contract. I most definitely had NOT signed a contract.
Every time I opened my mouth to say anything, she interrupted. After I’d asked her not to, to let me speak, for the third time. I went to get up, saying “If you are not going to listen to me, I don’t see there is any point in me staying”.
She was stunned, not used to a client’s rep being so forthright. expecting to get away with bullying me into submission.
It didn’t work!
PS: My mum was in a Colten care home for the last year of her life, very good indeed, and various other forum members have used them. They try to keep a respite room free. Sometimes, they will have someone in for a trial who likes it so much that they don’t want to go home, but it is expensive.
Are you familiar with NHS Continuing Healthcare?
Claiming highest rate Attendance Allowance?
Claiming Council Tax Exemption for your wife due to Severe Mental Impairment?
If not, backdated 5 years, you would be able to use that money for a respite week!!
Don’t forget that the plus sides of being self funding are having choice and control - 2 great freedoms
Although social services said they would help their help would probably not be what you wanted, for example they might send someone in twice a day for 15 minutes where you want full residential care.