Discussion Boards Hints and tips
Hi would like some advice please.
- By angelvella
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Mon 19 Nov 2007 12:51
I am caring for my wife who has End Stage Kidney Disease and Chronic Pain Syndrome, we live in a house that we are going to sell because she is finding the stairs very hard to handle.
We have not been told about this site or this charity and wish we had.I had to quit work in July as my wife was and still is getting worse as the days go on, we are trying to get a Bungalow with the local council and have been told that we have to go down the homeless route when we come to sell our house. Sorry if I am going on What I need advice on is that we do not think we are getting the right amount of benefits to live on.
My wife is getting DLA middle rate care and High Mobility, Incapacity Benefit and a Disability Premium because she has been Ill for like five years. I am getting Carer`s Allowance and Income Support rate of £8.85 every week, We are finding it hard to live and was wondering if this is right? I have phoned the benefits line and they say its because Fe (my wife is getting a lot of income with benefits and I am just getting a top up.
Any other Carer`s out there under retirement Age can help in this matter?Thank you
Replies
- By ValerieN
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Re: Hi would like some advice please.
Tue 20 Nov 2007 18:59Hi angelvella.
Please DO NOT sell hour house. If you do the proceeds from the sale it will be taken into account and you will loose both your Carers allowance an Income Support until you are down to I think its £16000. You don`t say how old you both are so be very careful before you go down that route. Also you might be able to get a grant to adapt your house for your wife. I would go to the Citizens advice bureau to check on your benefits. Social Security are not obliged to tell you what you can claim but they must tell you if you ask, I know its all a mine field so get advice before you do anything at all. Hope this helps a little. Take care...Regards ValerieN
- By CHERYL THE PERIL
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Re: Hi would like some advice please.
Tue 20 Nov 2007 20:44Hi Angelvella
As Val says do be very careful about making the decission to sell your home, because definately the money from the sale of your house will be counted as savings which as the benefit rules are at the moment you will be expected to live off that money until your "savigs" drop to around 16 Thousand pound. In effect you will be self funding your role as a Carer. Entirely unfair, but it happens to hundreds possible thousands of people per year.CAB are usually pretty good at giving advice.
If you are over 50 The Age Concern charity may be able to advise you.
There are Local Authority grants available to make alterations to your home, stair lifts , grab rails, etc.
If you haven't done so already you need to contact Social Services to have a Social Worker to call out to see you both, an Occupational Therapist will access what aids are needed to enable you and your wife to be able to carry on living in your own home.
As a Carer you also entitled to a Carers Accessment to determine what help/support you need as a Carer.
For some people the Carers Accessment is very good and they get quite a bit of help, others don't find them much help. A lot depends on individual circumstances and also which part of the country you live. Post code lottery!But definately, most poeople would advise you to hang onto your own home for as long as possible.
Good luck and keep looking in on the this thread, and the forum, every day new subjects and info come up that maybe useful to you.
Cheryl x
- By angelvella
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Re: Hi would like some advice please.
Wed 21 Nov 2007 01:26Hi there,
we will not have any capital from the Sell of the house, as my wife has been ill for a number of years we had to take out loans to cover bills and putting in the Central Heating for her so she can keep warm (that bill is so high!). She can not climb the stairs and finding it very hard each day, the OT `s have been around and they can`t fit a stair lift in as the stairs are a bit narrow and We went for a grant to help convert the outhouse next to the lounge into a wet room for her so she can have a shower and downstairs toilet but they wanted £4.000 from us first. Also a bungalow will be much better for her in every way! she has got medical points on the Council`s waiting list but they can not help until we do not have a home, it is strange way of doing things. Once someone is interested in buying our home we have to go to the CAB as soon as possible so they can call the Council for us. We will have no money to spare once the house is sold :( we took a second mortgage out and we a few loans. We can not afford to live here :(We are both 34
- By angelvella
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Re: Hi would like some advice please.
Wed 21 Nov 2007 01:28We are terrible in asking for help and support we always think that someone else needs it more than us! We have to start changing our minds on that as we do need HELP and SUPPORT!
thank you for the advice guys!
- By Tricia
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Re: Hi would like some advice please.
Wed 21 Nov 2007 01:41Hello
I am not sure if you know about shelter. Their web site is england.shelter.org.uk a friend of mine has a child with disabilities and within in 48 hours or contacting this organisation she was offered suitable property from our local council. They must of waved a magic wand as I know from experience the difficulties with council housing within my local area.
check them out and I hope they are able to take some of the stress out of your current situation for you
take care
- By Pysie
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Re: Hi would like some advice please.
Thu 22 Nov 2007 22:20Hi angelvalla,
It is a disgrace that you should find yourself in this situatiion at such a traumatic point in your lives. I really feel for you both.
I'm sorry to say that the advice you have received about your income is probably correct. Having said that, the benefits system is so complicated and your best bet is to go through it all thoroughly with an expert from CAB. No doubt you are claiming Council Tax Benefit as well as all the other benefits and grants you might be entitled to?
I am a full-time carer below retirement age, but I look after my elderly mother so my circumstances are different from yours. Even so, I found it impossible to adjust from full-time earnings to having to live on £48 per week.
One day the government will wake up to the fact that the most vulnerable people in our society, as well as the most valuable - their carers - deserve a much better deal than we are getting.
Do let us know how you get on.
Thiking about you
Pysie xx