Care needs assessment

[Fiz]

Oh dear. I will have to look into whether it's a redeemable policy. ISAs are savings so are different though, whatever you are saving for. But I was thinking Funeral Plans being listed in the 'Capital' section of questions did mean they consider it so. I had no idea that I was rich because I have paid for my funeral 
I need to find the file.

[ditchdwellers]

Don't panic or do anything drastic until you have had the financial assessment. 
What difference would cashing it in make?
I agree that ISAs are a different matter entirely. 

Take a deep breath and check how much your funeral plan would push your entire capital holdings above the allowable limits, before doing anything else.  

[Fiz]

The funeral plan cost just over £3000 and is all the money I have not that I think of it as money. It's just a bill paid in my view. I would never cash it in because none of my adult children have any savings so my death would cause either debt or disownment to avoid debt and my health is rubbish so I need to know my funeral is paid for. I am banking on there being a difference between types of plans because some are payment plans and some are actually insurance policies. Mine is simply the funeral paid for. I wish they'd explain on the website how they're going to take it into account so I can stop stressing about it.

[ditchdwellers]

As far as I remember, and I've just helped my elderly mother in law sort out live in care so I should remember but damn brain fog, you're allowed to have around  £21k in savings before it affects your expected financial contribution to your care. Any savings above this limit and you would be considered self funding. 

Income is another matter entirely. PIP payments or DLA should be disregarded, however I'm not sure how other benefits are taken into consideration. I think it varies council to council. 
I'm only entitled to PIP as in my last job I wasn't able to work long enough hours to pay NI contributions. I struggled to stay in work for as long as I could and then found out it was worth nothing. Great! So I'm very fortunate that my husband supports me financially and in so many other ways. (Sorry, rant over    ).

[On the edge]

The funeral plan cost just over £3000 and is all the money I have not that I think of it as money. It's just a bill paid in my view. I would never cash it in because none of my adult children have any savings so my death would cause either debt or disownment to avoid debt and my health is rubbish so I need to know my funeral is paid for. I am banking on there being a difference between types of plans because some are payment plans and some are actually insurance policies. Mine is simply the funeral paid for. I wish they'd explain on the website how they're going to take it into account so I can stop stressing about it.

Actually you can get a funeral paid for a lot cheaper than £3,000, one I got was less than £2,000 it means no booze up or wake afterwards, no church services etc, but I will be past caring then :)

[Fiz]

I did include the cost of a service in mine for my children's sake. They may choose not to have a service but it's paid for if they want one. Funerals are for the living not the dead though definitely! I also chose one with the choice of service times, first thing in the morning or last spot of the day are cheaper as they're unpopular as they make things more expensive and complicated for travellers and none of my children are local so again, was thinking of them. I went for the cheapest that would be best for them. 

It doesn't include flowers or a wake. I don't need flowers and a wake is up to them. I won't be there. 

I've been feeling very low in recent weeks so I am reassured that it's paid for. I definitely needed it sorted.

From looking around the t'internet it seems not every council sees funeral plans as capital but mine does. However if they're seeing that as the equivalent as savings or investments then I will be under the limit anyway as that's all I have so if I am right then there's nothing to worry about. 

I have emailed the complaints manager to point out some inaccuracies in my care assessment and requested that they add time to assist with creating meal preps for the freezer. Hopefully that will be added. I emailed the complaints manager as she's the only contact I have, I don't know who is looking after my case now or how to get hold of anyone.

[ditchdwellers]

Having to deal with complaints when you're feeling unwell and down is the last thing you need to be dealing with, particularly when there are no clear lines of communication. 
Well done on fighting your corner, yet again. You will get there. With all our support and good vibes winging their way to you we will get you there. Continue to have hope. Us middle aged women are fierce fighters when we have to be. 

[Fiz]

I had a phone call from a man from the physical disabilities team. He told me his first name. I'll guess his family name 

He spent some time trying to persuade me to remain with the Mental Health and Substance Misuse Team rather than switch to the physical disabilities team because apparently they do exactly the same thing. I said that I would like to be under physical disabilities because I need care due to long term physical disability and I will only be under the care of mental health services temporarily. I aim to be discharged from CMHT after having my therapy from SLaM then don't want to be labelled by past mental health issues. Also the social worker from the MH&SM team has never responded to my attempts to contact her and she has never done what she said she would following my one contact with her so I hope that I am allocated a more proficient case worker in the new team. 

He told me that they will have to complete a new needs assessment and that could be quite some time 

[ditchdwellers]

Oh Fiz! What a disappointing conversation 
Do you have the energy to write to your MP again? I'm sure they would be shocked that your care arrangements have still not been resolved. I can't believe how useless they are. Well actually I can, I'm just so angry and frustrated for you. 

[Sunny Clouds]

I've just caught up with this thread.  I wish I could say I was surprised by all the hassle, but I'm not.

Desperate people in different departments of different organisations with a heartsink sense of "I've got more people needing help than I've the budget for."

You shouldn't have to fight for the care you need, but you do.  It's disgusting, but as you can see, Fizz, it's not just you.  I don't say that to make you despair, I say it to remind you that others feel what you do.

People here have made so many suggestions as to how to put pressure on those in charge of the various funds to pay out.  I've cynically reached the point of doing whatever it takes, within the law.  Threaten anything lawful and reasonable, not just telling your MP and councillor, but telling campaign groups or the media or whatever.

[Sunny Clouds]

As for what OtE said about D/deaf people.  I struggle to find anything to disagree with.  Why should any of us, with any condition that gives rise to extra needs, be expected to have exactly the same needs as others that are put in roughly the same category?

The level of hearing loss thing I've probably mentioned in the past in relation to my DLA to PIP migration.  The ultimate in absurdity.  I was turned down and phoned the DWP with my usual preamble about my being deaf so please don't be offended if I ask for something to be repeated.

The explanation?  I said I'd served in the forces, and obviously I wouldn't have been able to enlist if I'd been deaf.  I asked the call handler whether he'd like to know how many of my colleagues died in the explosion that left me with permanent hearing loss.  He still wanted an audiogram, which, as OtE points out, is beside the point, since it's the need for hearing aids that is relevant, not the degree of loss.

I fought it, though.  Thanks to people here, over the last 2-3 years in particular, I'm reviewing my life and saying to myself, and increasingly to the world that I have the right to define my impairments/difficulties and the extra needs that arise from them.

I think it was someone here - OtE?  Ally? - who mentioned to me NHS accessible information standards.  Having discovered they exist, my approach is now to express sympathy to people in the NHS that their systems are rubbish and make it difficult for me to get the help I'm entitled to, but perhaps an easier way for them to help me would be such-and-such.  I confess that where they won't help, I've been known to end up in tears.  But most do help.

I wish I was instinctively stronger in negotiating.  I've been a very late learner, but I'm trying now.  I'm realising that we have to fight for what we are entitled to.  Keep fighting, Fizz.

[Fiz]

The financial assessment was as stressful as a Face to face ESA/PIP assessment. Not something that I could go through again. 

My income is income related employment support allowance and PIP enhanced care. My weekly contribution towards my 3.5 hours a week care according to this financial assessment is £76.43! 

I don't have any left over money per fortnight so I knew my contribution would mean cutting back on visits with family, heating etc but that is far more than it's possible to cut out of my life. 

I'm going to place the current care on hold as it isn't meeting my needs anyway while I have a think. It's unlikely that I will continue with any care though, it's unaffordable.

[Sunny Clouds]

Is there anyone that could help you to recruit someone privately, maybe through an agency or with the help of a community group?

The reason I ask is that you might be able to get a better price, but of course it depends on how you recruit.

In saying that, I'm not trying to suggest that it's easy, because for me personally, I know I need help with mental/emotional help, particularly  someone to pop in on a pretty regular basis and sort of encourage me and chivvy me to get paperwork done, and I've not sorted it.

On the other hand, I have a good set-up with someone to do my garden (which is large) in exchange for a fair rate of pay plus a cuppa and biscuits and sitting in my garden reading his newspaper when he wants and helping himself to flowers.

What I mean is that I know it's not easy, but if you can have help recruiting privately, you might be able to find help you can afford with your PIP.

Either way, have another hug.

[Fiz]

I'm thinking of contacting good life sorted but don't currently have the mental capacity to fill in the online form

[Sunshine Meadows]

Sorry it was not better news. A similar thing happened when Mr Sunshine broke his leg. Why do the powers that be even bother with the pantomime. They should just say it is likely we will need you to pay a contribution from your PIP. I am probably being over the top but to me cutting local Government funding and so the availability of social care is a stealth tax on people who get PIP.