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Extracts
from Issue 23
Carers
Benefits
The Department for Work and Pensions has published a new leaflet
Increased Benefits for Carers: what help is available and how to
get it. Available from your nearest Benefits Agency office.
Benefitsnow
This is a website designed to help disabled people apply for benefits.
It allows people to assess their eligibility for Disability Living
Allowance and Attendance Allowance before they apply and to find
out how much they will receive. There is also advice about form
completion and how to appeal. Visit www.benefitsnow.co.uk
DLA
assessment
The Department for Work and Pensions is developing and piloting
a new method of assessing claims for Disability Living Allowance
and Attendance Allowance called "Activities for Managing Life" (AML).
Claimants are asked to comment on their ability to perform a number
of descriptors relating to mobility and care.
Points
are awarded on a sliding scale according to how much difficulty
the claimant has. It is hoped that this will make claims simpler
and fairer. Visit www.rightsnet.org.uk for a copy of the questionnaire
and details of the points system. There is also a discussion site
for comments about the pilot scheme.
Care
charges
New rules mean that disabled people who work will have their
earnings protected from home care charges. Earned income will be
disregarded by councils arranging home care, and no-one's income
will be allowed to fall below the basic level of income support
plus 25%.
Guidance
for councils also says that an assessment of each user's disability-related
expenditure should be made before disability benefits can be taken
into account as income. The Independent Living Fund (ILF) will also
disregard the earnings of beneficiaries and their partners, and
also the capital limits for application to the ILF will increase
from £8,000 to £18,500.
By
October 2002 all service users whose overall income equals or is
less than the defined basic level should not be charged; the rest
of the guidance takes effect in April 2003. Winter Fuel payments
More than a million older people may have failed to claim winter
fuel payments. A high proportion of men aged between 60 and 64 who
are entitled to it, but are not paid it automatically, have failed
to claim the allowance.
Flexible
working
There
are government proposals to allow parents with disabled children
to apply for flexible working. Under the proposals, approximately
200,000 parents with disabled children up to the age of 18 will
be able to apply for new working arrangements.
Residential
& Nursing Care funding
From 8th April 2002 there will be changes to the funding of places
in residential and nursing care homes. * Preserved rights to higher
rates of Income Support will end: People who had been in receipt
of these will have their benefits assessment recalculated on the
basis of normal Income Support allowance and premiums. Local Authorities
will take over responsibility for meeting the shortfall in fees.
*
New
customers in residential and nursing care from 8th April will not
receive the Residential Allowance as part of their Income Support
calculation, but will be paid normal Income Support allowances and
premiums. People already in receipt of residential allowance will
continue to receive it while they remain in residential and nursing
care or their claim for Income Support ends.
There will also be changes to the payment of the care component
of Disability Living Allowance and Attendance Allowance for those
with preserved rights. Currently they can get these throughout their
stay in care but when local authorities take over the funding of
care places, these benefits will stop being paid from the payday
which falls after 28 days from 1 April 2002.
Paying
too much? Research for the government has found that as many as
six in every 100 older people meeting their own fees as soon as
they enter care homes are eligible for immediate assistance.
Hug
Hug
The
Hands Up Group is a friendly, informal self help group for women
affected by cancer and offers the chance to take part in all kinds
of arts and crafts. Hug meets at the Big C Appeal Premises, Castle
Meadow, Norwich on Friday afternoons during term time. More details
from Rita on 01603 411343.
Thetford
Family Centre
The Centre has obtained funding from the Children's Fund to start
an outreach family support project. It will work with families of
children aged 5-13 who have complex needs but fall outside statutory
thresholds.
The
project aims to provide a range of group and individual work for
families and their children and will complement the existing Family
Centre service. It will be based at the Centre, and delivering a
service to Thetford. It is hoped that once established it will be
able to expand the service to rural areas in Breckland and South
Norfolk. More information on 01842 753294.
Carers'
Pop-In
West Norfolk Carers' Project has opened a pop-in coffee shop
in King's Lynn town centre, and a forum of carers has been set up.
It has also sent out hundreds of information packs. The coffee shop
in Tuesday Market Place is an informal base for carers to call in,
have a chat and a break. Tel: 01553 760568.
Epilepsy
support
A support group for people with epilepsy, their families and
carers meets on the first Thursday of every month in the Seminar
Room at Dereham Hospital from 7.30pm - 9.30pm.
It
gives the opportunity to learn more about epilepsy, its treatment
and the support available, and to meet others with the condition.
To find out more contact Julie Mills on 01362 860584 or the Epilepsy
Nurses on 01603 428103 (Mary Graydon, Jean McEwen or Sally Tyler).
Free
management consultancy
Organisations tackling poverty, disability or disadvantage can
apply to the Cranfield Trust for free management consultancy. The
service is available UK-wide using volunteer consultants from the
commercial sector, but is limited to 100-120 projects a year. Tel:
01794 830338 or visit www.cranfieldtrust.org.uk
Reablement
Scheme
The Attleborough & Breckland Community Reablement Scheme (65+)
is entering a new stage with the appointment of Clare Mawdesley-Thomas
who has just started work with the department. Clare is the first
person to be employed by the Social Services Department as a Physiotherapist.
The
service is not an emergency service, but offers a means of helping
older people remain in their own homes for as long as is safe and
practical. Rehabilitation is offered in people's own homes to restore
confidence and activities of daily living.
Clare
and Nicci Clarke, Occupational Therapist, would be happy to visit
any establishments and advise about the scheme and the work that
can be done with clients in their own homes around Attleborough
and the wider Breckland area. Telephone 01842 754484.
The
new physical disability gateway gives further information about
this and other services and support for people with a physical disability
in Norfolk: www.getphysical.norfolk.gov.uk
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