Very unfair that Carers Allowance is not paid to pensioners

Sorry I meant to say attendance allowance!

But your husband can get Attendance Allowance and pension Primrose

Maybe Primrose 53 has already applied for Attendance Allowance for her husband, as you can only apply for Carer's Allowance once AA is in place, which is why she knows she is not entitled to it. I am in a similar situation, so found this out too. Good advice from others saying AgeUk are helpful in sorting benefits out. Sending hugs, Primrose.

Are people put in touch with advisors or given leaflets about help available when they are discharged from hospital? It would make sense to make sure that they (and/or their relatives) are fully aware of what they can claim before they go home. It must be stressful enough without having to navigate complicated systems too.

There is no CA granfromafar for carers in receipt of DWPension. Primrose has stated that several times through this thread.
However, there has been some good advice and suggestions offered here.

BlueBelle

I think you are missing out on allowances Primrose ask your GP to send you a social worker you will be surprised at what you can get to help you both in money and in appliances
Please don’t be so down on the carers they are rushing though traffic to get from placement to a placement it’s not an easy job they are only allowed a certain amount of time fr each so perhaps do have to rush
Six Weeks free care really is a generous offer for most people

I think you are understandably very ‘down’ at the recent change of events and you may need some help yourself Life is not a bowl of cherries when illness takes over but help is out there you just need to find it and that can be difficult
Good luck Primrose

All I expect is for them to assist us for the time they are supposed to be here. The other night one woman stayed for 8 minutes.

Whatever I think would be really useful, they say they are not allowed to do. Tidy the bed …. No. Give medication …. No. Use a piece of equipment to move to another room ….. no. Even though instruction book says it can be used.

I would LOVE to ring the Manager and say the service is great but it really isn’t.

Jaxjacky

But your husband can get Attendance Allowance and pension Primrose

We hope he will get AA. My point is why should you not be entitled to CA when you reach State Pension age? i think you need it even more then and it is much harder as you age. I am fit to drop most bedtimes.

Georgesgran

There is no CA granfromafar for carers in receipt of DWPension. Primrose has stated that several times through this thread.
However, there has been some good advice and suggestions offered here.

I know that, I was agreeing with her!

The post discharge care package your husband is receiving now will be supervised already by a social worker Primrose53, so I think he or she should be your first port of call to discuss what is going to happen when your husband’s six week package ends, if he is receiving active rehabilitation it may be possible to continue it for longer. The social worker will arrange for a reassessment at the end of the six weeks for him, and help you navigate the options. They also hold information about care agencies, and direct payment systems.
I agree with Kitty Lester, if you get in touch with Age UK before meeting the social worker, they will be really helpful to assist you through the process too, and will ensure you are getting everything your husband is entitled to. We used them for my Mum, we were allocated a specific advisor, and she was excellent, she helped word the claims to best effect too..

Just these 💐 for you today Primrose53. You must be feeling exhausted, stressed and anxious. Life pulls the rug from under our feet and it’s hard to comprehend that plans for the future you thought you had are changed irrevocably. Hugs for you.

Georgesgran

I’m not unsympathetic Primrose I know from previous posts that you’ve really been through the mill due to your DH’s stroke and hospitalization. You sound very frustrated with your situation Primrose and perhaps it will take time to adjust to things and accept that the future is not what you had planned. (I speak from personal experience).

I’m sort of wondering what you expect the carers to do, considering they have strict guidelines to follow? What reason did you find only 2 any good, with enough reason to complain about the others. They aren’t nurses, cleaners, or cooks but carers - their job is simply to care for your DH. Unless you too are disabled, it’s expected that you are able to help your DH too, (I used to work for my LA’s home help service). A single person would probably welcome lunch and tea time visits, as social contact, to help toilet and to make a cup of tea, but I guess you’ve found that unnecessary. My friend advised her Mum to have her main meal, something simple usually bought in for the carer to present at lunchtime rather than in the evening. It’s unfortunate that times are so flexible, but sometimes that’s the nature of the beast and often location plays a big part if carers have a number of people to attend to there. It sounds as though you are having ‘free service’ for six weeks, but you might then want to approach a private agency where you could stipulate times.

I hope things soon settle down into some sort of routine that meets your DH’s needs. Please don’t think I’m criticizing.
Like other posters, I hope your DH is in receipt of AA or in the process of applying for it.

According to the Manager I can use the time they are supposed to be caring for my husband to take a shower or get dressed or just have a coffee. I am not expected to help them. Although I do get all his wash gear etc ready, clean towels and clothes. I also clean up the mess they leave behind.

I don’t expect them to cook, clean or nurse.

Katyj

Oh so sorry Primrose you are having a terrible time as is your DH. Please reach out to as many people as possible including age Uk.
As others have said I’m sure you’ll be able to claim AA. It is then up to you how you spend this money.
Also. Look into direct payments. These are payments made to you, or a nominated person to help pay for your DH care.
We had this for my dad. It means that you’re able to choose your own carer for your DH. The person nominated receives payment from your DH. At least then you’d be able to choose the carer and stipulate the hours they work.
Sorry I’m not much good at explaining.Age UK will be able to help. Wishing you both all the best

We also applied for and were awarded direct payments which allowed us to pay for a private carer.

Your local council should be able to help you with the direct payments and selection of a carer who works directly and is self employed, so no worries with NI etc.

If we were paid a decent state pension, rather than something resembling minimum wage, maybe this would help many.

Sorry primrose, I meant attendance allowance - was distracted

FriedGreenTomatoes2

Just these 💐 for you today Primrose53. You must be feeling exhausted, stressed and anxious. Life pulls the rug from under our feet and it’s hard to comprehend that plans for the future you thought you had are changed irrevocably. Hugs for you.

Jaxjacky

But your husband can get Attendance Allowance and pension Primrose

But Primrose is doing the caring. If she was younger he could still be getting attendance allowance and Primrose could be getting carers allowance.

I sympathise Primrose, been husbands carer for over 30 years. Never got CA when I was working can't get it now as I'm a pensioner. Heads they win tails I lose.

theworriedwell

Jaxjacky

But your husband can get Attendance Allowance and pension Primrose

But Primrose is doing the caring. If she was younger he could still be getting attendance allowance and Primrose could be getting carers allowance.

I sympathise Primrose, been husbands carer for over 30 years. Never got CA when I was working can't get it now as I'm a pensioner. Heads they win tails I lose.

theworriedwell wow, that is a long, long time to be caring.

I cared for my late Mum for 14 years until 2020. Never thought I would still be caring at 71!

If you and I applied for jobs we would be considered too old yet we are ideal as unpaid carers.

Primrose, you and your husband might also qualify for further benefits as well as AA so please make some further enquiries. Get in touch with your county Social Services or any local disability support charity in your area.

You can also ask for a Carer's Assessment which might entitle you to things that help you in your caring role. My friend gets a cleaner after hers.

AgeUk have a brilliant website with lots of great down loads but, as I said above, ring them and talk to an advisor.

I realy do feel for you. We had help from Social services, but they were so useless I gave them their marking orders after a fortnight.

dissillusioned2022

I realy do feel for you. We had help from Social services, but they were so useless I gave them their marking orders after a fortnight.

Sorry to hear that. We had a nice woman this morning who was chatty, thorough and did a full strip wash for my husband and then dressed him in clean clothes.

He is unable to get in the bath/shower. She took her time and cleared away after herself. That is honestly all I ask.

I think it is shocking that some of the people they send out don’t have a caring bone in their body and want to get paid for a shift and only spend 10 minutes “caring”.

Primrose 💐

Primrose, do see if you have a local carers group. They usually have someone who can advise on benefits and all sorts of other things, some do carers cafes. You sound isolated and this might help you. Google carers uk. I'm sorry about your husband and I really feel your frustration with respect to the care he is receiving

You can both claim attendance allowance. Massive form to fill in but you should both get it. Contact citizens advice or a family member or Age UK. I did it for my mum but dad got it too as he was looking after her 24/7 and he was 85.

As others have said, your husband can apply for Attendance Allowance. This isn't means tested. It also looks like he will qualify for the higher rate, which is around £400+ per month. It's a very daunting form and Citizens Advice and Age UK will help you to fill this in. It starts from the date you rang to request the form.

But you have to get the form back with in 6 weeks for that to apply.