Financial
Below is some general financial information and advice. If you have a specific question please get in touch with Admiral Nursing DIRECT on 0845 257 9406 or email direct@dementiauk.org
Employment and Support Allowance
Direct Payments/ Personal Budget Scheme
Attendance Allowance
A benefit paid to people who need help with personal care. This includes help with personal hygiene, supervising someone getting dressed, giving medication or needing someone to keep an eye on them.
- It is non means tested and is paid to the person with dementia.
- It is paid at two rates; the higher rate is awarded if the person needs attention during the night.
- From April 2011 the lower rate will be £49.30 and the higher rate £73.60 per week.
Attendance Allowance Forms are available by phoning 0845 712 3456 or freephone 0800 882200.
Successful claims are backdated to date of call.
Tip: It is often easier to get through in the late afternoon.
Disability Living Allowance
A benefit paid to people who need help either with personal care or with mobility or both.
- It is not means tested and is applicable to people under the age of 65.
- When the person with dementia reaches 65 they still stay on this, and do not change over to Attendance Allowance.
- The Higher rate from April 2011 will be £73.60, the middle rates £49.30 and the lower rate £19.55.
- There may also be a mobility component of £51.40 or £19.55.
Application forms are available by phoning 0845 712 3456 or free phone 0800 882200.
Successful claims are backdated to date of call.
Tip: It is often easier to get through in the late afternoon.
Employment and Support Allowance
Under the Employment and Support Allowance, if you have an illness or disability that severely affects your ability to work, you will get increased financial support and will not be expected to prepare for a return to work. This replaces Incapacity Benefit.
Information from Jobcentre Plus or The Department of Work and Pensions website
Council Tax reduction
This is not means tested.
If a person with dementia receives either attendance allowance or disability living allowance at middle or higher rate, they are exempt from paying council tax.
Therefore if only two people live in a house the council tax should be reduced by 25%. If the person lives alone they are exempt from paying council tax.
To claim this, telephone the local Council Tax Department and ask for a form for mental impairment. Proof of Attendance Allowance or Disability Living Allowance must be provided. Some carers are not counted for council tax if they are living with and caring for a person with dementia who is on the higher rate of attendance allowance or disability living allowance and is not their partner for instance a daughter caring for her mother.
Severe Disability Premium
If a person with dementia lives alone, receives Attendance Allowance and also receives pension credit, and nobody claims Invalid Care Allowance for looking after them, they are entitled to this premium. Contact your local Dept of Work and Pensions or the benefits helpline 08457 123456.
Carer's Allowance
A benefit paid to the carer of someone in receipt of Attendance Allowance or Disability Living Allowance.
- The carer must spend over 35 hours per week caring for someone, and have an earned income of less than £100 per week, once allowable expenses are deducted.
- For each complete tax year that Carer's Allowance is paid, you will automatically build up a State Second Pension.
- Because Carer's Allowance is an ‘earnings replacement benefit' you cannot receive it if you are already in receipt of another ‘earnings replacement benefit' ie: Incapacity Benefit, State Retirement Pension etc. which is more than the Carer's Allowance.
- However if you meet the other requirements it might still be worth you making a claim as this may entitle you to a carer premium on income support, also a National Insurance contribution may be added to your NI record.
- In some cases the person being cared for may lose some of their benefits, so it is important to receive advice before making a claim.
- Carer's Allowance from April 2011 is £55.55 per week.
For more information call: 0845 608 4321
Carer's Credit
Carers caring for a total of 20 hours per week or more will be able to apply for Carer's Credit to protect their State pension.
This could benefit you if you care for 20 hours or more but miss out on Carer's Allowance because you don't care for 35 hours or more. Or if you care for someone who can't or refuses to claim disability benefits. It can also apply if you are still providing a lot of care for someone who has gone into hospital or a care home, but cannot get Carer's Allowance because they don't get disability benefits because they have been in hospital or a care home.
For more information call The Carer's Allowance Unit on 0845 608 4321.
Benefits Calculator
This is an online calculator, which can be used to see the benefits you or someone else might be entitled to.
Visit www.direct.gov.uk and click on "benefits advisor".
Appointeeship
It may be possible to arrange to have a person's pension, or benefits made out to the carer when there is a good reason for this. This can be arranged through the Dept. of Work and Pensions (Formerly DSS)
Direct Payments/Personal Budget scheme
Direct payments are cash payments given by local authority social service departments to individuals who need community care services.
- A person must have been assessed as needing services to receive a direct payment, and the payment must be used to purchase the services that the person is assessed as needing.
- Payments may be made to carers and to people with dementia.
- Any person who receives direct payments must be willing and able to manage them alone or with assistance.
- A person with dementia or a carer can request a direct payment by contacting their social services department and asking for an assessment.
- The person receiving the direct payment must be assessed as needing the financial help, as they would be if applying for social services provided care, however for example if a married woman did not have money in her own right she may be eligible.
- This scheme will suit many people, but needs to be considered very carefully so that budget holders are not overburdened.
- If you do decide to be responsible for buying all care services, once you accept money to do so, the Council does not have any further duty of care other than to carry out an annual review of how the money has been spent and agree the budget for next year.
- Details of Personal Budgets can be obtained from Social Services.