Ask the Experts: post your Qs on carers' rights & benefits

[Heather_1908]

My elderly father has a concessionary travel pass with Companion but due to his ill health he rarely leaves the house. i do most of his shopping and get what he needs, eg pick up medications,

is there any plans to enable free bus travel to carers ?

[Chris From The Gulag]

is there any plans to enable free bus travel to carers ?

A few LAs issue free companion cards to carers ... need to check with your own LA.

( Last time I checked , 4 / 5 maximum ... early Spring , 2019. )

Main thread on FREE PUBLIC TRANSPORT FOR CARERS :

https://www.carersuk.org/forum/news-and ... ndon-28026

27,600+ views as I type.

[Colin_1506]

I await the day when GPs CPNs Psychiatrists SServices anon start to agree & appreciate the value of carers in mental health care and support, as long-written into MH NICE procedures. I have now been derided for thinking that carers even exist usefully in any care programme and have had the resulting harm, done by exclusion, rejected as conjecture.

Such is the case in my son's death 2008. I have now had to withstand the insult, derision and vagary of the health services complaints investigator (PHSO) in stating that this is all purely my opinion and a 'would have liked' in my son's 5 year isolation before suicide.

The NHS Trust involved and PHSO have now viciously and blatantly lied in attempting to play down and cover up the failures before my son's death, and the corruption in NHS and PHSO investigation ever since - a complaint still without closure for that reason (2009 - 2019).

I have been shocked and mentally harmed by what those bodies have manufactured to ensure I would never recover from my trauma, and no-one would be ever be brought to book. Unfortunately many more have died since for the same reasons; Rejection and isolation by services, and keeping Carers out. The system is broken.

Why is nobody aware, when things still go wrong; or even before? The PHSO appears ignorant and out of date - a State tool for keeping the status-quo. Action is needed today because someone else will die avoidably and alone tomorrow.

[QueenBee]

Hello, I'm caring for both of my parents who are at different stages of dementia and they live over 80 miles from me in a different county. I contacted my local carers service and they mentioned that I could be entitled to a one-off carers grant. However, once they realised that I didn't live in the same area as my parents, I was referred to the carers service in the county where my parents live.

The service in that area later came back to me to say that I was not entitlled to the grant because I didn't live in that area. It seems that because my parents chose to live in a different county I fall between the gap and am not entitled to anything, which seems so unfair. Has this happened to anyone else in a similar situation, and did you manage to find any support to get a grant?

[Londonbound]

I am looking after my caree suffering from physical and mental illness, last year they got to the point of not being able to cope anymore and took an overdose.
I went down to A&E sat with them eventually they saw the crisis team who listened for about 10 minutes then handed my caree some leaflets about councelling and said they could go home. No treatment or follow up appointment was ever arranged.
I have talked to mental health services who say that unpaid carer support is only available to carers of services users of the mental health trust.
So if my caree was attending treatment or was sectioned by mental health services I would be entitled to help.
So who should be providing help and support as that's what my caree needs, long term health problems, depressed anxious, stuck at home. My caree has had a needs assessment and basically been refused all help, my caree can wash and dress themselves and that is the criteria. Social Services have raised the bar so high so that only the very severely disabled get help.
So who should be providing the help? my caree needs social services, help going out and about, help with transport, help seeing friends, socialising, all of which the Care Act mention.

But the mental health problems are causing the needs, scared to go out on their own, has panic attacks.

I have recently learned my caree has personality disorder, diagnosed years ago but little treatment given.

The councelling place has said, we don't deal with personality disorder, your caree needs to see Mental health services, but my caree has done, no help supplied.
What are my carees rights in this situation, needs but being refused personality disorder treatment, being misdirected to sources of support.
And what are my rights as an unpaid carer looking after my caree with multiple health issues and personality disorder.
As stated Mental health services refuse any kind of support to me, but I am looking after someone who is mentally ill.
Social services have refused both of us any kind of help and support, but this is a vulnerable person living in the community with no support.
Can Social Services force Mental health services to give treatment and support to my caree, there is a wellbeing duty through the Care Act and Mental Health Services surely as well have dutys to keep people mentally well?

The only option seems to be paying for private therapy which does not seem viable, is there any way of getting a grant to pay for private therapy?
What are the rights of someone with personality disorder to get treatment which in turn will give the carer support, is there personality disorder guidance that Mental health services must follow?

[Suzette Carers UK]

Please can you do a detailed list of DRE disability related expenditure which can be claimed from an LA and explain how to claim it? I've just discovered I've missed out on thousands over the last 14 years!

Thanks for your question.
If you are based in England, The Care Act statutory guidance provides a list of examples of Disability Related Expenditure (DRE) at paras. 39-41 of Annex C, which can be accessed here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publicati ... nce#AnnexC
It is worth noting that this list is indicative and not exhaustive, and so if the person you care for has DRE not on this list, it should still be considered if it is directly related to their disability.
If DRE has not been taken into consideration, then you may wish to lodge a complaint with the local authority regarding this. Irwin Mitchell Solicitors have created this letter template for anyone to use for free. You can also ask for an explanation of how the decision has been made. More advice about writing your letter is provided by the Citizens Advice website.
If you are not happy with the response to your complaint, you can then complain to the Local Government Ombudsman (LGO). The LGO investigates complaints where the council may have made the decision in the wrong way. They can recommend what the council can do to make up for their decision. You can find more information about this on the LGO website.

Best Wishes
Danny

[Suzette Carers UK]

NEW PERSONAL HEALTH BUDGETS FOR WHEELCHAIR USERS
On Facebook on my phone, I read that from today, 9/11/19, wheelchair users will be entitled to a new Personal Health Budget. Please can you give full details?
I'm sure this will be of help to many carers, but must be one of the best kept secrets of the NHS!
My phone and I have a very unhappy relationship, I can't find the original post.

Hello,

From Monday 2nd December everyone in England eligible for an NHS wheelchair and people who require aftercare services under section 117 of the Mental Health Act, will have access to a personal health budget. You can read about the change in law here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/100- ... th-budgets

You can also find more detailed information on how personal budgets for wheelchair users work here:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/personal-hea ... questions/

Best Wishes
Danny

[Suzette Carers UK]

How do I get a day off?

Hello. Thanks for your question.

The regular demands of caring can often be exhausting and so it's important to recognise when you need a break. There are lots of different options that can be explored, whether you need an hour each week, a day off here or there, a week or two for a holiday, or a combination of all of these.

You can read more about the different ways this can be organised in our factsheet on taking a break, which can be accessed here:

https://www.carersuk.org/help-and-advic ... ng-a-break

One of the main ways a break can be arranged is by getting some support cover through your local authority. This will often include an assessment of the person you are caring for to see what support is required. You can read more about assessments here:

https://www.carersuk.org/help-and-advic ... assessment

Best Wishes
Danny

[Suzette Carers UK]

I'd like to ask "Does the 1970 Chronically Sick and Disabled Person's Act still apply.
If so, the elderly and disabled should have free provision of a TV and licence, and a telephone.
There is also a clause for the disabled having holidays provided.

Does Valuing People still apply? There is a clause that the local authority should have a policy specifically for those with learning difficulties. New Forest Council does not have any such policy.

Hello,

Thank you for your message.

The Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act 1970 has been replaced by the Care Act 2014 in England and the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2016 in Wales.

Regarding condition-specific guidance, we would encourage you to make direct contact with Mencap to get advice on the most up to date guidance applicable to those with learning disabilities. Their contact details can be found here: https://www.mencap.org.uk/advice-and-support

With best wishes
Danny

[bowlingbun]

Thanks Danny, but I need to know where it actually says this?