Community care officer costs

Your disability payments (not your universal credit) are intended to be used to help you pay for things you need because you are disabled, such as getting a taxi or any help you need at home or with personal care that you can’t manage yourself. It seems you have been told you are entitled to some help but you don’t know how much it will cost. Am I right there? It’s worth seeing what’s on offer and what it would cost. You don’t have to accept it. I would suggest you find out exactly what help you can get and how much it will cost, then you can decide if it’s worth it. It sounds as though you’re managing well with getting your shopping delivered so you probably don’t need help with that, but perhaps a little help with your finances would be useful so you have a clear understanding of how much money you’re getting and how much you’re spending, and on what. For instance your phone costs £20 month and you could get it cheaper than that. Don’t be afraid to see what’s on offer, you might find something very useful that’s well within your means. Remember nobody can make you use a service if you don’t want to.

BlueBelle

I don’t really understand some of this… grass cutting service £250 why don’t you get an odd job man/gardener /teenager ?

They won’t knock a school down and just leave the kids standing there will be alternatives in place

What’s your brown bin for? We pay an annual fee for our gardening bin but you don’t sound like a gardener!!

Don’t you get a free bus pass for being disabled or over retirement age I don’t drive either, but don’t use taxis

If it’s a PA you are needing then Notagranny is right there
will be a fee incurred but that s what your attendance allowance is for surely

Yes, I thought exactly the same as BlueBelle

I sent too soon. I had a financial assessment a while ago asking me what my income is they didn’t ask me what I spend it on so I declined because I can’t see how I can afford it. So now it’s been a while and I have been referred there will be a new assessment where they will do the same thing and tell me to use my disability payment. But if there is an appeal for that I don’t know how to do one

Barleyfields

It seems you have £40 left from your Universal Credit but what about your disability payments, are you willing to say how much they are?

I don’t think you have been told about what you might have to pay for care, if you actually need it, have you? And do you actually need any care? Are you managing ok as you are?

No I was told I’m entitled to an assistant for managing daily tasks for things like shopping , managing my money etc
I don’t know the exact amounts for universal credit and the disability payment off the top of my head it’s just a rough idea

It seems you have £40 left from your Universal Credit but what about your disability payments, are you willing to say how much they are?

I don’t think you have been told about what you might have to pay for care, if you actually need it, have you? And do you actually need any care? Are you managing ok as you are?

mabon1

You will need to think about cutting back on your crafts etc. Use the local library for books, ours is great and will order books free of charge.

I will look into getting things for free but I have £40 spare for everything as I said I’m not spending loads on hobbies Its charity shop stuff but I don’t want to have to cut that out

Notagranyet1234

Unfortunately as I see every day at work the affordability calculation towards funding costs for social care frequently need to go to appeal. Many people on here have given very good signposting to excellent charities like AGE UK

That’s what I was asking if there was a way to appeal it how can I cover my costs if I’m giving that money to them , how do I start the process

You will need to think about cutting back on your crafts etc. Use the local library for books, ours is great and will order books free of charge.

Unfortunately as I see every day at work the affordability calculation towards funding costs for social care frequently need to go to appeal. Many people on here have given very good signposting to excellent charities like AGE UK

If you don't receive attendance allowance is that due to not being pension age. Does PIP apply to you? Think you need to have a benefit check. Citizens Advice is helpful for checking income entitlement. Also, sounds like the "officer assistant" is a community carer. How was this recommended? Did a social worker, O.T., GP make a referral for that? Do you have any family or a good friend who can perhaps help you navigate the complex systems.

If you want to minimise your expenditure, it would be worth your while looking online for free or cheap craft items. There are various local initiatives or you could try like Freecycle or Gumtree. Red Cross and Oxfam have online stores.

You seem very confused about your income and outgoings MyLo. I don’t know how much you get in disability payments but they are intended to cover the increased expenses you have as a result of being disabled, for instance the taxis you use and any help you have to pay for.

I assume you are being offered some care, which you might have to pay for, but you don’t have to accept that if you feel you don’t need it.

If you take up the offer of a residential care placement, I assume you will have to give up your dog? Do think very carefully about that because I think he/she is very important to you?

I have been offered to go and live in a residential care placement I might just go into that because it’s easier I’ll think about it

No its just over £300 for a one bed which is what I have

Sorry let me explain again. My housing element on universal credit is only something like £200? It’s ridiculous. So I use most of my disability payment to cover the rest of my rent

I really think a financial "check up" with someone who knows is a good idea.
Maybe Age UK as M0nica suggests?

My rent is covered. I think my universal credit is just over £700
Gas and electricity £104
Phone £20
Cooker Insurance £5
Food and toiletries £380
Delivery pass £7 (am disabled no way around this)
Dog food £45
= £565 (rounded up)
I’ve not got any insurance. So I put away £100 towards her accounts
My universal credit is about £700 I think.
So I have £40 left. Does not go far. I buy everything from charity shops. I only get a visitor once a week so my dog is my only company. It’s worrying. Don’t see how I can manage to give up my payment for care.

BlueBelle

I don’t really understand some of this… grass cutting service £250 why don’t you get an odd job man/gardener /teenager ?

They won’t knock a school down and just leave the kids standing there will be alternatives in place

What’s your brown bin for? We pay an annual fee for our gardening bin but you don’t sound like a gardener!!

Don’t you get a free bus pass for being disabled or over retirement age I don’t drive either, but don’t use taxis

If it’s a PA you are needing then Notagranny is right there
will be a fee incurred but that s what your attendance allowance is for surely

I garden in raised beds but I won’t break my back over gardening, They require the grass to be cut and de-weeded regularly but charge for the bins to take the trimmings away. I’ve got conditions which mean I can’t use public transport.
I think they are a personal assistant. I know my conditions are more complex than usual. It’s not attendance allowance that I get and they do say it’s what it’s for but universal credit isn’t enough on its own. If there’s no way around having to pay for it, then that really depresses me. It’s so miserable,

I think so.
I don’t see why they think I can pay for it. I need that money for other costs. But I don’t know if they can make exceptions for that, which is my question.

I don’t really understand some of this… grass cutting service £250 why don’t you get an odd job man/gardener /teenager ?

They won’t knock a school down and just leave the kids standing there will be alternatives in place

What’s your brown bin for? We pay an annual fee for our gardening bin but you don’t sound like a gardener!!

Don’t you get a free bus pass for being disabled or over retirement age I don’t drive either, but don’t use taxis

If it’s a PA you are needing then Notagranny is right there
will be a fee incurred but that s what your attendance allowance is for surely

Is this person more of a personal assistant? PA is unfortunately a chargeable service and means tested just as any support is from Adult Social care. I would get in touch with citizens advice and ask who provides Advocacy service in your area or contact the services as mentioned in Sea dragon's posts.

Yes I am from the UK. I think I’ve gotten confused about the name but it’s some sort of community care officer person.
The council have cut back on a lot of community services and are seriously thinking of closing the library, to give you an idea even the local school needs repairs they can’t afford and it’s going to be knocked down. Craft services in the area are run by businesses and are not free, and are for children. The council are charging for everything and even the grass cutting service is now something like £250 and the brown bin is something like £50. I can’t drive and rely on taxis because I can’t walk far and it costs £15 to get anywhere nearby in my local area and back. Maybe I’ve chosen the wrong area to live in. I don’t spend a lot on these things only a few pounds each at charity shops. The disability payment on top of my universal credit gives me a basic standard of living. I can’t see how I can afford to give it up to pay for care costs. How would I buy anything I needed if I had to spend it all on care? I feel miserable about it all.

I don't think the "community care officer assistant" is an advocacy service though Seadragon - maybe the OP could explain?

PS and NB! - there should be NO CHARGE for the advocacy service in the UK . Your Local authority in Scotland at least can help you contact the service for your area.

Are you in the UK, MyLo? If so, I suggest you contact your local Advocacy Service: www.voiceability.org/ or www.theadvocacypeople.org.uk/
As a retired Social Worker with over 10 years experience of working in Health and Social Care helping people and their families with support care and benefits I do not recognise the service you describe but I know social workers are leaving the profession. in droves and many of their tasks are being delegated to unqualified people as a result. In Scotalnd care workers are required to be registered with the Scottish Social Services Council but know that used not to be the case in England. We also have a requirement to provide an Advocacy Service locally in Scotland. By all means PM me if you'd like to.