We look after a mentally handicapped adult and were shocked at the new respite charges that the council imposed on us. We wrote to them advising that we were unable to pay and asked them for advice. They wrote back and informed that
“ It costs them over £1400.00 per week to provide residential respite care for one adult and that a charge of £70.00 per week represented very good value for money.”
We wrote back and pointed out that if it cost them that much money to look after one person, how did they expect us to look after ours on the benefits he received and still pay the new respite charges.
We haven’t heard back from them yet.
Our advice to another readers/carers is this:
If you cant afford to pay the new respite charges, challenge the council !
What has happened to you has happened to hundreds of thousands of carers throughout the country. You are being charged for respite when all your disabled adults benefits have been used up, as you say it costs them £1400 a week for respite and they expect you to look after him on basic benefits and pay £70 a week for respite leaving yourselves below the breadline. You have notified them they are going to do nothing. You could consider as I have stated on the web site writing to the Director of Adult Services with a copy to the chief executive saying you can no longer afford to care for your son at home, what do you have available for him in full time care. Or you can seek legal advice from a community care lawyer. What ever you do don’t cancel your respite.
I thank you for all the information I have read on your site. It would be great to have a copy of carers rights on your website. I have learnt much today and will join you in your fight. A pleasure to read so much helpful information.
My daughter has a milder learning disability and not much is covered on milder disabilites in the news and yet they still need much support and help. Sadly government is talking about cutting the help for mild and moderately disabled. What can I do as an individual to help those with a milder disability?
Dear Simone,
All 6 million carers are special some need more care than others and they need what they are not getting from councils that is support. Never accept a reduction on your support councils try to reduce it you must not accept a reduction in your care tell them without this care you can no longer look after your daughter so keep providing me with the care I desperately need or tell me what is available in full time care. FULL TIME CARE IS THE THREE LITTLE WORDS COUNCILS DON’T WANT TO HEAR. You have to fight for all services continue to look at all the pages on nationwidecarers.co.uk you will find all the things that will help you to understand Community Care Law and the rights of carers. A recent judicial review found councils were acting unlawfully by reducing services. This is the only way to fight cutbacks refuse to accept them.
I care for my brother who downsymdrome and have done for past 6yrs, in this time i have never loooked about respite, until just recently, 16 months ago i seperated with my parter which just left my brother + myself the seperation didnt only have effect on me but also my brother which was a very difficult time, from febuary this year i have been having test at hospital, in march i was informed that i was intitled to 42 days per year respite, i thought great because i realy need time out i love my brother dearly but knew that my health was + is suffering, then came the blow of charges that they wanted to charge while he was in respite, I got intouch with care manager + explained that we couldnt possibly afford these charges and i was informed i had no choice if i wanted or needed this service then that was the charge, which i just couldnt or carnt afford,the next blow came when i was informed by cardi doctor that i have to have heart surgery within 3 months, again i phoned socail services for help 1 month ago + was told they would be intouch + im still waiting or if i recived date to go in to let them know, im 42yrs old worried sick about my op + who or whats going to happen to my brother while im in hospital + im just praying that the appointment dosnt come yet because socail services havent even been back in touch, + im worried sick that we carnt afford to pay respite charges, because the bills still need paying where we live, what is the goverment doing to the likes of carers like me who saves them thousands aweek on care when im sat at 42yrs old + thinking i realy carnt afford to have this op done because of the charges of repite, doctor said dont stress its not good for you,what can i do even socail service dont help in any way
Firstly tell the council you accept the 42 days respite that you should have had for the last 6 years. Do not refuse them. You should also be entitled to your brother to go 5 days a week to a day centre ask them to provide this.This is free as your brother I believe is on income support. When the bill comes in and you cannot afford to pay then write and tell them you want a finacial assessment read through my website write down your costs I do not know your financial situation. THE COUNCIL CANNOT BY LAW STOP YOUR RESPITE AND YOU MUST NEVER STOP USING THE RESPITE TELL YOUR COUNCIL BECAUSE OF YOUR MEDICAL CONDITION WITHOUT HIM ATTENDING A DAY CENTRE AND YOU GETTING THE 42 DAYS RESPITE YOU CAN NO LONGER DUE TO YOUR HEALTH AND YOUR FINANCIAL POSITION CONTINUE TO LOOK AFTER HIM AT HOME AND TELL ME WHAT YOU HAVE IN FULL TIME CARE FOR YOUR BROTHER YOU CAN LOOK AFTER BUT NOT IN POVERTY AND NOR WITHOUT COUNCIL HELP. CARERS SAVE THIS COUNTRY 119 BILLION POUNDS A YEAR. wHEN YOU DECIDE HE GOES INTO CARE THEY MUST PROVIDE THAT CARE AND THAT CARE IS FREE. iF YOU DO NOT PAY AND SHOULD THEY THREATEN YOU WITH COURT ( NO CARER HAS BEEN TAKEN TO COURT ) SHOULD THEY GO ALONG THOSE LINES TELL THEM THERE WILL BE A PACKED SUITCASE WAITING WITH YOUR BROTHER AND THEY CAN LOOK AFTER THEM. iF YOU NEED TO GO IN FOR SURGERY YOU ARE ENTITED TO 4 WEEKS EMERGENCY RESPITE THIS IS FREE. So read my website fully and follow your costs. If you can’t afford those respite charges don’t pay them. My daughter full time care costs is £2500 a week my benefits are £200 8% of her full time care costs A CHILD OF 5 KNOWS YOU CAN’T PAY CHARGES OF 8% OF THE CARE COSTS I cannot afford to pay so I don’t pay and the bills keep coming in I ignore them should they take it further which they have not they would have her to look after in full time care good for the carer bad for the council. Do not get stressed you are saving Manchester Social Services a fortune and they know it. THEY TREAT CARERS LIKE SECOND CLASS CITIZENS SO WE MUST FIGHT BACK IF THEY WANT YOU TO CARE AT HOME THEY MUST SUPPORT YOU AND IF THEY DON’T THEY CAN PROVIDE THE FULL TIME CARE FREE.
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Thank you for such an informative web-site.
We look after a mentally handicapped adult and were shocked at the new respite charges that the council imposed on us. We wrote to them advising that we were unable to pay and asked them for advice. They wrote back and informed that
“ It costs them over £1400.00 per week to provide residential respite care for one adult and that a charge of £70.00 per week represented very good value for money.”
We wrote back and pointed out that if it cost them that much money to look after one person, how did they expect us to look after ours on the benefits he received and still pay the new respite charges.
We haven’t heard back from them yet.
Our advice to another readers/carers is this:
If you cant afford to pay the new respite charges, challenge the council !
Dear carer,
What has happened to you has happened to hundreds of thousands of carers throughout the country. You are being charged for respite when all your disabled adults benefits have been used up, as you say it costs them £1400 a week for respite and they expect you to look after him on basic benefits and pay £70 a week for respite leaving yourselves below the breadline. You have notified them they are going to do nothing. You could consider as I have stated on the web site writing to the Director of Adult Services with a copy to the chief executive saying you can no longer afford to care for your son at home, what do you have available for him in full time care. Or you can seek legal advice from a community care lawyer. What ever you do don’t cancel your respite.
Kind regards
George
I thank you for all the information I have read on your site. It would be great to have a copy of carers rights on your website. I have learnt much today and will join you in your fight. A pleasure to read so much helpful information.
My daughter has a milder learning disability and not much is covered on milder disabilites in the news and yet they still need much support and help. Sadly government is talking about cutting the help for mild and moderately disabled. What can I do as an individual to help those with a milder disability?
Dear Simone,
All 6 million carers are special some need more care than others and they need what they are not getting from councils that is support. Never accept a reduction on your support councils try to reduce it you must not accept a reduction in your care tell them without this care you can no longer look after your daughter so keep providing me with the care I desperately need or tell me what is available in full time care. FULL TIME CARE IS THE THREE LITTLE WORDS COUNCILS DON’T WANT TO HEAR. You have to fight for all services continue to look at all the pages on nationwidecarers.co.uk you will find all the things that will help you to understand Community Care Law and the rights of carers. A recent judicial review found councils were acting unlawfully by reducing services. This is the only way to fight cutbacks refuse to accept them.
I care for my brother who downsymdrome and have done for past 6yrs, in this time i have never loooked about respite, until just recently, 16 months ago i seperated with my parter which just left my brother + myself the seperation didnt only have effect on me but also my brother which was a very difficult time, from febuary this year i have been having test at hospital, in march i was informed that i was intitled to 42 days per year respite, i thought great because i realy need time out i love my brother dearly but knew that my health was + is suffering, then came the blow of charges that they wanted to charge while he was in respite, I got intouch with care manager + explained that we couldnt possibly afford these charges and i was informed i had no choice if i wanted or needed this service then that was the charge, which i just couldnt or carnt afford,the next blow came when i was informed by cardi doctor that i have to have heart surgery within 3 months, again i phoned socail services for help 1 month ago + was told they would be intouch + im still waiting or if i recived date to go in to let them know, im 42yrs old worried sick about my op + who or whats going to happen to my brother while im in hospital + im just praying that the appointment dosnt come yet because socail services havent even been back in touch, + im worried sick that we carnt afford to pay respite charges, because the bills still need paying where we live, what is the goverment doing to the likes of carers like me who saves them thousands aweek on care when im sat at 42yrs old + thinking i realy carnt afford to have this op done because of the charges of repite, doctor said dont stress its not good for you,what can i do even socail service dont help in any way
Firstly tell the council you accept the 42 days respite that you should have had for the last 6 years. Do not refuse them. You should also be entitled to your brother to go 5 days a week to a day centre ask them to provide this.This is free as your brother I believe is on income support. When the bill comes in and you cannot afford to pay then write and tell them you want a finacial assessment read through my website write down your costs I do not know your financial situation. THE COUNCIL CANNOT BY LAW STOP YOUR RESPITE AND YOU MUST NEVER STOP USING THE RESPITE TELL YOUR COUNCIL BECAUSE OF YOUR MEDICAL CONDITION WITHOUT HIM ATTENDING A DAY CENTRE AND YOU GETTING THE 42 DAYS RESPITE YOU CAN NO LONGER DUE TO YOUR HEALTH AND YOUR FINANCIAL POSITION CONTINUE TO LOOK AFTER HIM AT HOME AND TELL ME WHAT YOU HAVE IN FULL TIME CARE FOR YOUR BROTHER YOU CAN LOOK AFTER BUT NOT IN POVERTY AND NOR WITHOUT COUNCIL HELP. CARERS SAVE THIS COUNTRY 119 BILLION POUNDS A YEAR. wHEN YOU DECIDE HE GOES INTO CARE THEY MUST PROVIDE THAT CARE AND THAT CARE IS FREE. iF YOU DO NOT PAY AND SHOULD THEY THREATEN YOU WITH COURT ( NO CARER HAS BEEN TAKEN TO COURT ) SHOULD THEY GO ALONG THOSE LINES TELL THEM THERE WILL BE A PACKED SUITCASE WAITING WITH YOUR BROTHER AND THEY CAN LOOK AFTER THEM. iF YOU NEED TO GO IN FOR SURGERY YOU ARE ENTITED TO 4 WEEKS EMERGENCY RESPITE THIS IS FREE. So read my website fully and follow your costs. If you can’t afford those respite charges don’t pay them. My daughter full time care costs is £2500 a week my benefits are £200 8% of her full time care costs A CHILD OF 5 KNOWS YOU CAN’T PAY CHARGES OF 8% OF THE CARE COSTS I cannot afford to pay so I don’t pay and the bills keep coming in I ignore them should they take it further which they have not they would have her to look after in full time care good for the carer bad for the council. Do not get stressed you are saving Manchester Social Services a fortune and they know it. THEY TREAT CARERS LIKE SECOND CLASS CITIZENS SO WE MUST FIGHT BACK IF THEY WANT YOU TO CARE AT HOME THEY MUST SUPPORT YOU AND IF THEY DON’T THEY CAN PROVIDE THE FULL TIME CARE FREE.
Kind regards George