Being a carer
 

As you may know, July last year my dad had a perforated ulcer of the bowel, he spent 3 months in hospital (10 in ICU and 4 HTU) several times my sister and me were waiting for that call.


But he's a stubborn old git and pulled through, I had to remove his bed and alter the room and paint the walls, he got a hospital type bed and a chair, he came home on the 26th October, but was confined to upstairs as the loo is there.


Since then, we've had a ramp to the front door, a wider front door that opens outwards and a stair lift.


I have just been swapped from Universal Credit to Carers Allowance, which means that the DWP leave me alone. I only just got this now he has Attendance Allowance.


What annoys me is that I have to hunt for what benefits we are entitled to, I remember years ago they told you.


So now I get less that the tax I used to pay in my previous job.


But my dad comes first.


I did say to my sister the other week that I needed more help, and she has, and on Tuesdays if she doesn't have to go into the office she comes to ours and I go to the "Men's Shed" which is a charity I'm involved in.


My Nephew and Nieces took me axe throwing at Lakeside which helped

Re: Being a carer
 

Being a carer for a loved one is a extremely hard job as l have a carer myself and in my wider family my Dad cares for my Mum and my cousin cares for his Mum.

For the jobs a carer does and its a damned hard job without much respite they get a pittance to be perfectly honest.

Re: Being a carer
 

I have the utmost respect for anyone who becomes a carer. The money you get is a pittance and you need to grab hold of any other offers of help you can get. I cared for my father for several before he died so was interested to have a look around to see if things had changed at all since then. Found the following sites which you may find of interest. xxx

https://www.carersfirst.org.uk/help-...ts-for-carers/

https://www.carersuk.org/

https://carers.org/

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/social...es-and-forums/

Re: Being a carer
 

Carers can only hope, that the care is there when it comes to their turn to need it. The state increasingly isn't going to provide, and are reliant on families. All very well if you have family, or aren't the last left.

Re: Being a carer
 

£69.70 for a MINIMUM 35-hour week is hardly decent recompense for being a Carer. And even that stops once you start to draw your State Pension.

And that much-fabled thing "Respite Care" has never been available for my wife and I over the past (almost) 30 years.

Re: Being a carer
 

As it's a 24/7 job, I worked it out at roughly at 47p per hour.


So you can guess I'm angry at all these strikes for more money, and those saying they need food banks I suggest not having holidays, I ain't had one since 2019. Or stop going out for meals and quit smoking.

Re: Being a carer
 

Luckily, we can each manage a couple of hours to ourselves most days, but it wasn't like that at the start. We were run ragged day-in, day-out.


Ours was in 2005.

Re: Being a carer
 

I also used to be a carer for my elder sister..i can understand the pain behind it. I really respect all the carers from my bottom of heart..

Re: Being a carer
 

What you are doing is amazing and I know you are doing it out of love but do make sure you get some time for you too.

Re: Being a carer
 

You should get carers allowance plus income support and carers premium. If you live in Scotland you also get a carer supplement. You might have to attend work focused interviews while claiming income support but just tell them you are not looking for work. Income support is being moved to universal credit and there will be no work focused inteviews for carers on universal credit.


Let me check my bank statement:

DWP carer allowance £285.85 per month (you can get this weekly)

DWP income support + care premium £92.30 a week (will only show on bank statement as IS)

social-security-cas (Scotland) £245.70 twice a year (going up to £270.50 in 2023)

Re: Being a carer
 

If you are in receipt of Carers Allowance, you don't have to be actively looking for work.

One of the conditions for carer's allowance is that you must not earn more than £132 a week (in 2022/23). This includes money from employment and self-employment, for example, if you have a part-time job. Money you get from a private or occupational pension, however, is not counted as earnings.

But if you have to pay someone to care for your charge, that can be offset from your earnings.

And beware, as soon as you start receiving your State Pension, Carers Allowance stops. As do many other Benefits tied to Carers Allowance.

Re: Being a carer
 

You don't have to be actively looking for work but if you claim income support in addition to carers allowance then you must attend work focused interviews.

Re: Being a carer
 

I received a letter annually stating that I didn't need to be actively seeking work due to receiving Carers Allowance.

"Carer's Allowance can also affect other benefits you might be already getting – so you might be paid less in another benefit. It will count as income if you're getting Universal Credit. But you might also qualify for extra Universal Credit because you're a carer."

Re: Being a carer
 

I had a heart to heart with my sister yesterday, we are both under a lot of stress, on top of what we had with our mum and dad, she had her daughter Scoloisis and Anorexia.

She helps when she can and if she is working form home on Tuesday's she sit with my dad and I'll go to the Men's Shed without needing to listen out for the phone.

I will do days out and an overnighter if the journey is too far.

I do get UC & CA with the UC top up.

Re: Being a carer
 

Mr T is now my carer I was told yesterday my condition is never going to improve, and I will have to suffer this pain for the rest of my days. We pay a mobile hairdresser and foot lady, and now we will have to employ a gardener and cleaner. So I am going to try and download the form to claim attendance allowance. Any tips on completeing the form or other claims I can make?

Re: Being a carer
 

You'll need a formal diagnosis and care plan at least. Plus lists of any medications or treatments you are having.

And it's not WHAT you have, but how it affects your daily life above what a normal person would expect on a majority of days.

DLA or PIP claims depend on your age when you first claim.

Re: Being a carer
 

Thanks for that Taf. :tu:

Re: Being a carer
 

Re: Being a carer
 

I filled the AA form with my sister, it was relatively easy but long winded.


I attached a copy of my dads prescription for them, we got the enhanced rate because I help him go to the loo and sort him out at night.


Once that was done I claimed the Carers element of Universal Credit, this then meant I didn't have to search for work.


Once you get it see if you other half can claim, but I do believe there are exemptions.

Re: Being a carer
 

l subscribe to this website and pay a fee once a year as its a very helpful site imo.

https://www.benefitsandwork.co.uk/

Re: Being a carer
 

My sister in law suffered from debilitating chronic pain in her shoulders, spine and hips following having both viral and meningococcal meningitis . She developed sepsis and luckily survived this but it left her with arthritis and brittle bones.

When all he pain meds became ineffective she was prescribed with morphine pads which helped to begin with but the pain killing effects eventually stopped and at that point she was told that she would """"JUST""" have to live with the pain.

I remember that she was helped by a Pain Management programme, although at first her GP did seemed reluctant to refer her. I do remember that one of the things they advised was that "Distraction" could lessen the pain and she found audio books helped her at night when the pain was at its worst. She also joined the Scope Forum which was a great source of information and support.

I wish there was something I could do to help you sweetie. Maybe these links may help.

<<<<hugs>>>> Jo


https://www.britishpainsociety.org/people-with-pain/
https://forum.scope.org.uk/categories

Re: Being a carer
 

Just had a thought, have you looked into acupunture?

My sister used it to hep with her IBS, it worked for her (but like medication it takes a few weeks to kick in), she only stopped when the acupunturist asked her was she pregnant, my sister tolder her yes how to you know, and was given an reason.

It might help so look in your area.

Re: Being a carer
 

Many thanks to everyone for your concerns and help. I am getting to the end of my tether now. I have tried everything I can think of including 2 visits to a back clinic, acupuncture, deep massage, volatrol gel (POM), tens machine, hemp oil, Kalms, Ashwangandha tablets, alchohol. It is hard to keep going when the pain is with me 24/7. Speaking about this with you all however does give me hope that eventually there is a solution. In my visit to the GP I am going to ask about medicinal marihuana, anyone have experience of this treatment?

Re: Being a carer
 

You shouldn't have to live with pain. Tell them its making your life a misery. Morphine is the ultimate pain killer, but to be used with care. Ideally they should treat the cause. Getting more mobile helped my back issues, swimming was ideal, or some sort aquarobics/gentle water exercise if you can manage it. The Dr maybe even able to prescribe it. https://www.fhft.nhs.uk/services/phy...se%20tolerance.

Re: Being a carer
 

Many thanks Mr K, I have difficulty even dressing and or sitting down, and getting in and out of bed, poor Mr T does his absolute best to help, having being a couch potato for years. I am going to have this out with the doctor when I see him on the 18th. I am sure there are many much worse than me.