Hello
Been caring for my wife (now aged 55) who has young-onset Alzheimer’s for a while now. In many ways we are luckier than many in that she has a pension for her local government employer, plus PiP and I get Carers’ Allowance.
We have Carers in 5 hours per day, which is a lifeline for me. But, as I am sure many of you have found, despite being Sectioned under Section 3 and being entitled to S117 funding, our local council claim to fully fund her care, but I end up having to top it up by approx £10 per hour. Over a twelve month period, that comes to approx £16.5k
We have savings, none in joint names.
My question is: can I use her savings (we have LPAs in place) to pay the top up, or will the council view this in a dim light if/when it comes to move her into a care home?
Thanks
The advice line can help you with more detail, but my understanding is that your wife’s savings are there for a purpose and it is perfectly reasonable to use them - but check with the advice line. Advice@carersuk.org is your best bet
thank you, that is helpful
If the council claim they are fully funding her care, but demanding top ups from you, something is seriously wrong.
Either they are, or they aren’t and it seems to me that they definitely are not at the moment.
I once reclaimed £8,000 from Hampshire County Council on mum’s behalf as they overcharged her, not applying the rules properly after she moved into residential care.
I always say never trust a social worker about financial matters!
I’m not familiar with the S117 rules.
Has anyone mentioned NHS Continuing Healthcare to you?
Has your wife had an assessment?
Do you know that your wife should be exempt from Council Tax due to Severe Mental Impairment? Easy to claim.
As you have POA, I would suggest going to the LA website and make a Subject access Request, asking for a copy of all correspondence and financial records going back to whenever this all started. This should be provided within 28 days or so.
Also call our CUK helpline, as Charles suggested. They may take a few days to gather together all the information you need, but they made me £50 a week better off because they knew DWP rules better than the Carers Allowance Unit did, so I like to sing their praises.
Hi.
On top of most of the things you mention, but thank you for raising them.
We have actually had loads of help from our NHS Care Coordinator (effectively our socila worker), but I appreciate that people’s experiences can differ wildly.
Will definitely gut onto the CUK helpline as you both have suggested. And will update this chat if/when I get advice.
Thanks
They can fully fund but if you choose a more expensive care home, they will look to you pay the difference. The argument is that the needs can be met at the lower price and therefore the more expensive placement is a “want” and not their responsibility.
I’ve been thinking more about your situation, and your huge top ups.
I think your answers to the following questions should establish what is going on.
Have the council agreed how many hours your wife needs? Yes/No (Required by the Care Act).
Have they agreed how much it will cost to provide those hours? Yes/No (Required by the Care Act)
Is the council’s hourly rate too low, so it is impossible to find anyone who will provide specialist care at the amount they have given you?
Are the council arranging the care themselves?
Or have they given you a sum of money as “Direct Payments” and then left you to get on with it?
Replies to the Qs are CAPITALISED just to make it easier to read:
Have the council agreed how many hours your wife needs? Yes/No (Required by the Care Act). YES
Have they agreed how much it will cost to provide those hours? Yes/No (Required by the Care Act) YES
Is the council’s hourly rate too low, so it is impossible to find anyone who will provide specialist care at the amount they have given you? YES
Are the council arranging the care themselves? NO
Or have they given you a sum of money as “Direct Payments” and then left you to get on with it? YES
Presumably you’ve discussed this with the council?
How did they justify it?
It’s a problem that often crops up in Ombudsman reports, councils pretending they don’t know to save money.
Options are asking the council to arrange Directly Commissioned Care instead, i.e. not Direct Debits
Saying you can’t do it any more and asking for residential care.
They have no idea how stressful this is when you are caring 24/7.
Have you had a Carers Assessment?
I hope the Helpline will help you to sort something out for you.