Hi all,
Does anyone have any experience or knowledge of what happens once the LA decide a person’s direct payment has reached beyond their “upper funding limit” but the person’s needs have not decreased in any way nor have they received any additional care hours?
The limit has been reached because of the national minimum wage going up in April (and the issue with increased pay for overnight care) and I’m hearing of a lot of vulnerable people are facing having their care packages reduced (quite dramatically) because the council deem their care/support “unaffordable” and want to push them into cheaper care homes.
Can they force someone to go into a home? Can they withdraw care on the basis it’s not affordable? Of course, the LA will not say exactly what their upper limit is, but I’m curious to know what the next steps are when someone still needs the support, but the council claim they can’t afford to continue providing it. If you’re not eligible for CHC, who else can help pick up the LA’s slack?
Thanks.
Hi Jenne.
A case of round and round in ever decreasing circles ending with either us picking up the slack or our caree going without ( If funds
are not available to buy in additional support ) … ?
Several threads interlock with this major problem … basically as background … charting the continued crisis in social care.
( Warning posted on the rise of the minimum wage and the knock on effects back in November ! : https://www.carersuk.org/forum/support-and-advice/carer-disability-benefits/warning-rise-in-minimum-wage-due-limit-now-increased-to-123-no-dp-increase-less-care-for-same-monies-34838?hilit=minimum%20wage )
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If DPs are NOT increased , less care for the same money !
AGE UK … Factsheet No. 24 … 22 pages in .pdf format … also tackles this issue :
https://www.ageuk.org.uk/globalassets/age-uk/documents/factsheets/fs24_personal_budgets_and_direct_payments_in_social_care_fcs.pdf
Page 8 fits the bill ?
( Over the 15 years of being active on various forum , dozens of reported cases of carers … either downsizing or selling homes
and then renting … drawing down private pensions 10 - 15 years early ( As I did ) … just to stay solvent fiancially … through lack of finances in the Unholy Trinity department … eat / heat / roof … and / or affording support services … and that trend is accelerating ! )
Hi Jenne.
Forcing someone into a care home ?
Unless a safeguarding issue , I would consider that illegal.
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You do not have to move into a care home even if it is suggested by social services following a care assessment.
You can only be forced into a home under exceptional circumstances, such as detention under the Mental Health Act 1986.
Thanks so much, Chris! I don’t know how you manage to keep track of all this information so well. 
Your welcome.
Having posted most of the information available through the forum , a lot tends to stick.
( Nothing magical , I just use the Internet ! )
Having said that , one reply I did on Monday took me 11 minutes to find a similar thread that had half the answer.
The worse post to deal with ?
Any that start with the word WHY ?
( Like cosmology and quantum mechanics , asking why in social care is almost forbidden ??? )
A new thread will be of assistance here … Jenne and I have in touch … added in response to this thread and other postings :
https://www.carersuk.org/forum/support-and-advice/all-about-caring/la-cutbacks-care-act-2014-a-legal-view-essential-reading-if-your-care-has-been-cut-37934
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LA Cutbacks : Care Act 2014 : A Legal View : ESSENTIAL READING IF YOUR CARE HAS BEEN CUT.