W O R K

Replies

By EL

Re: W O R K
Fri 11 Jul 2008 23:09

oooooh you do sound peed off i agree with all that you have said but i have been back at work a few weeks now and i bloody love it, i chose hours that would not affect Adams care, if hes not with me hes with his dad, i would NEVER leave him with anyone else, hes still getting used to me being at work but its only 12hrs per week and its my 'head space' i have not been able to 'switch off' for the past 6 yrs so 4hrs 3 times a week behind a checkout meeting ADULTS is theraputic for me in reality the government don't give a sh** about us carers so we are damned if we do and damned if we don't imgoing out to work for us not for them so they can kiss my rear lady garden

By Tricia

Re: W O R K
Sat 12 Jul 2008 21:54

good points raised there glynne

What I would like to know if us carers were to go out to work if the carers who come in to look after our carees will be on the same rate of pay that we receive in benefits?

If not then why are we even being encouraged to go out to work to earn in most cases less than the professional carer is paid for to look after our carees while we are slaving away else where?

By kerry.

Re: W O R K
Mon 14 Jul 2008 18:13

as a student at university, I found out that single parents or those in need could get a summer bursery, so i went to enquire but was told that i couldnt get it cos im not a single parent, and therefore could get a job,
i explained my situation (2 severely disabled boys) but no good.
if i had a perfectly normal 15/16 yr old i could get this help even tho this 15 yr old could be left while i worked, or could go round their mates etc...if i was a single parent.

HUH?????

By morello

Re: W O R K
Wed 16 Jul 2008 09:56

Well of course they want us to go out to work, then they can cease all carers allowances completely. What the hell do the government think we do now, sit on our hands all day. Are we all not tired enough without going out and doing another job. Personally if I did that I would have to give up caring because I couldnt cope with the tiredness. Get little sleep now for goodness sake. Its obvious the idiot who wants us out to work never cared for anyone or anything.
Mo

By debzsanderson

Re: W O R K
Thu 17 Jul 2008 10:26

all this stupidity makes my blood boil - dont get me wrong I'd love to go out to work and pay my way in society instead of relying on benefits BUT.................Not only do I spend all day looking after Mark and everything else involved in running a house but then of course there is night time - I often get up 2/3 times a night to either take Mark to the toilet or help him turn over.If we lost my benefits we would have to pay most of our rent/council tax and of course travel expenses etc, etc. I do get one morning a week "off" as Marks sister is now paid to come in and take over but this time is spent shopping, paying bills and all htose over "lovely" jobs that need doing. Dont get me wrong-I love Mark to bits and I feel so honoured to have found someone like him but I have daily frustration with "the system".For example-why aren't disabled people routinely told about Direct Payments?? I only found out during a crisis time when I was close to a nervous breakdown - if people are entitled to benefits surely they should be advised to apply for them?? Yes I now this is me thinking about the ideal world and not the "real world" but people are left to struggle and I bet loads of people are on incorrect benefits-all we hear about are the dishonest people claiming for such things as disability money when they are perfectly healthy !! I know so many people who have had to fight to get benefits because of the stupid forms - if you dont word an answer absolutley right then it could mean you dont qualify.

Sorry-rant over (it does make me feel better though!! )

Debbie xx

By debzsanderson

Re: W O R K
Thu 17 Jul 2008 10:42

I have just been thinking about what we get "paid" - the carer that comes in while i go out gets £10 an hour so if she did an 8 hour shift (1 "normal" days work) she would earn more than I get in benefits for the rest of the week!! I know my neighbour uses an agency that charges £18 an hour-go figure!!

Debz xx

By trek1071a

Re: W O R K
Sat 19 Jul 2008 00:14

I would go out to work tomorrow if they pay me the same as they pay someone to look after Tina she get Direct Payments of 20 hours of Day care and 20 hours of nights for days it £7.50 p/h and nights it £10.00 p/h while I off at the weekends So were would I fine work at £10.00 p/h and as i do 16 hours a day from six in the evening till Ten the next morning Sunday to Friday for what CA of £50.10 p/w

I could never leave her in the care of people i don't know or trust to do what i have to do each day.

Adam

By morello

Re: W O R K
Sat 19 Jul 2008 12:40

Has it never occurred to the government that all this Drect Payment money could be better used,like paying the real carers a proper wage. It is a ridiculous amount to pay an untrained person £10+ an hour to sit somebody in a car and take them to the park or shops. For god sake we do everything, clean up mess, urine , was , cook, clean,medicate, nurse, baby sit, get no sleep and much much more and for what sweet FA. Wake up all you MPs and support us before it is too late and you have all the carers to look after too.
Mo

By fenlander

Re: W O R K
Sat 19 Jul 2008 13:11

You all got me thinking that there might be a valid LEGAL point there - you here of so many cases these days where people get compensated for being treated with less value or respect than other people doing the same job! Surely the direct payments system validates what pay a carer should be given. Do you know if anyone has tried a court case to demand the same pay & treatment for family carers?
The other angle is that if we did not provide a home and full time care for our family members how much would it be costing the government?
What really annoys me is that simple issues like Council Tax exemption are not given if you are caring for your "partner"??? What difference should it make whether the person you are caring for is your partner or not. Also why should the caree have to be on the HIGHER rate of care for you to qualify for the exemption - whatever the rate you are still caring for them full time. My eldest son is Autistic & gets middle rate but I cannot leave him at home overnight alone or go on holiday because he would panic. If I am here he sleeps, if not he wouldn't be able to!
What it needs is for all the carers to form a union - would that be possible do you think? Then we could take strike action like the local authority people have this week. If we all acted together there would be anarchy if they didn't respond.

By Tricia

Re: W O R K
Sat 19 Jul 2008 14:07

Fenlander

You have a very valid point there. I am going to my carers centre this week and shall mention it to the board of trustees when I am the meeting this week. I shall post their reactions on here afterwards.

Thanks for bringing that idea forward you may of just hit on something there and it would be interesting to hear if any one has challenged this in court.