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Frequently Asked Questions
Q: I am a carer and have managed on my own up to now, but life is getting more and more difficult. What should I do?
A: Usually the first thing to do is to contact Social Services. All the services they give are provided on the basis of an assessment, so you should ask for the needs of the person you care for to be assessed. Ask for a Carers Assessment at the same time, so that your needs can be included. You may also want to contact your local Citizen’s Advice Bureau to check whether there are any benefits you or the person you care for are entitled to, which would help you to buy the help you want. The Carers Support Service can talk through your needs with you, so please do phone us first if you are unsure of how to proceed.
Q: How do I get a break from caring?
A: If you need help from Social Services to get a break, the first thing to do is to contact your local Help Desk, and ask for a Carers Assessment (the numbers for the Help Desks are in the Social Services section of Information for Carers, on this website). A break provided by Social Services usually takes the form of a short period of residential care for the person you care for.
Apart from Social Services, there are some other organisations that provide breaks, from two-week holidays to mornings or afternoons off. You will find some useful addresses in the Information for Carers section of the website, under Holidays and Taking a Break. Phone us if you would like to discuss the options further.
Q: I can't afford to take a break, but I desperately need one. Can anyone help?
A: The Carers Support Service is part of the Princess Royal Trust for Carers, and we have access to some direct funds for carers to help with their expenses. Available money includes funds for:
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Transport for carers
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Carers breaks
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Education fund for carers
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Young carers activity fund
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Fund to help carers to get back to work
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Carers emergency relief
The funds are oversubscribed, but carers in West Sussex are regularly successful in getting help from the Princess Royal Trust for Carers. If you want to apply for these funds, you must contact the Carers Support Service (not the Princess Royal Trust), as we have to be involved in all applications.
Q: What do I have to do to get the Carers Allowance?
A: To qualify for the Carers Allowance you need to be aged 16 or over, and be spending at least 35 hours a week caring (including such things as staying at home to keep the person safe). Also, the person you care for has to be receiving Attendance Allowance, or Disability Living Allowance at the middle or higher rate for personal care. You cannot get CA if you are in full time education, or if your earnings are above £95 per week. Carer's Allowance is not paid in addition to the state pension - if ICA is higher than your state pension, then the higher of the two rates is paid. However, if you are on a pension but have a low income, and are receiving a Pension Credit (what used to be called Minimum Income Guarantee), then there is a Carer Premium (a supplement which increases the level of Pension Credit) for those who meet the criteria for CA. You can get the forms for CA from you local Citizen’s Advice Bureau, who will also help you to fill them in. You can always phone the Service to discuss your situation, because the benefit rules are not easy.
Q: I am currently receiving Income Support. Is it right that I am not entitled to any Carers Benefits.
A: Income Support is a means tested benefit to provide for basic living expenses. Whilst you may not be entitled to any further ‘income’ in the form of Carer's Allowance (because it is taken fully into account in the calculation of your benefit entitlement) you may be entitled to the Carer Premium, which is a supplement paid in top of Income Support to those who meet the CA (see above) criteria. This is intended to help those who cannot support themselves by working because of their caring responsibilities
Q: The person I am caring for refuses all help from Social Services. Can I do anything?
A: This can be a very difficult situation. It often helps to try to discuss with the person you care for how much it will help you if they will accept some support. If they still refuse all help you can ask Social Services for an assessment of your own needs as a carer which will give you the opportunity to discuss the situation with them, although the services that they can provide without the permission of the person you care for are limited.
You may also like to investigate things that would help and which the person you care for would not think of as an intrusion, such as using the local community alarm system. Make sure you have a copy of the carers pack which contains details of many local services both voluntary and statutory.
Q: I have heard that carers can get a reduction in Council Tax. Is this true?
A: If you care for someone, who is not your partner or child under 18, for 35 hours a week or more, then you may be discounted for the purposes of Council Tax. If the person you care for has severe mental impairment, they may also be discounted. The discount on Council Tax depends upon how many other people live in the household, and the rules are quite complicated. The Carers Support Service produces an explanatory leaflet which we will be happy to send you.
Q: I am worried about what happens after my wife, who has had a stroke, comes out of hospital. What should I do?
A: It is very important that hospital discharge is properly planned, and that the services that you need are in place when your wife comes home. This sometimes happens without the carer having to push, but sometimes the carer has to be quite assertive to ensure that the person they care for is not discharged before services have been organised. If you are worried, speak first to the ward staff, and voice your concerns. There will also be a hospital discharge co-ordinator or social worker who you can speak to.
Would you like a break from your caring role? Why not apply to the Short Breaks for Carers fund administered here at the Carers Support Service (CSS). Telephone 01243 537011 for more detailsCome to one of our events to talk to other carers about their similar situations or just come to relax in a friendly environment.Please see Events for more information.If you need respite care for your cared for, please call the CSS on 01243 537011.We also have Carers Support Groups that run monthly in Bognor Regis, Chichester, Selsey and the Wittering area.They are there to support you through your caring role and organise days outs, tea and chat and speakers both fun and educational.For more information or to come to one of our events or support groups please call the CSS on 01243 537011.Grants for CarersA Princess Royal Trust for Carers Grant may be able to help Carers financially. Click here for more details.We also have information on the Kathleen and Sidney Linkins Memorial Trust Fund offering help to people in need over the age of 60Please call the CSS on 01243 537011 for more informationTop Ten is a list of the organisations that we refer carers to most often.Carers Information Highway is an exercise to help those working with carers assess their information provision. |
