Care Package Budget

From Facebook Archives

28 February 2018

And the good news is Ferretfingers’ enablement officer has swung it that £2k of his care package budget can be spent on respite weekends with LD:NorthEast.  That's using the funds left over after paying for his weekly days at Rising Sun Farm and Gary Mather Centre.  

Not enough for another day a week but all rolled up together and we've enough for two or three weekends.

Woolerwoman  That's really good! That bit of flexibility has its uses.

Bentonbag  Looking back it’s a whole year since I instigated the process of getting Ferretfingers’ care package and payments sorted out.  In that time the local authority’s ‘system’ has changed at least twice, forcing the enablement officer to” input everything again” and/or “wait until it’s fixed so we don’t have to input it all over again”.   

The original enablement officer has been off sick several times (don’t blame him) and has now vanished and/or been replaced.  That being said both the enablement officers we are in contact with are known to and rated by staff at LDNE. I don’t blame the front line workers.  I blame the people forcing local authorities to squeeze a quart out of a pint pot.

Woolerwoman  What a time you've had.  It's not just stupid it's cruel.

Bentonbag  His services have continued, and been paid for, in the mean time. BUT it's all up for review in July again, or maybe not, you never know .....

Additional Information and Update

By the way that rolling it up and “swinging it” was at my suggestion; the local authority would have been quite happy for the money left over after paying for two days a week at a day centre was left unspent and in their bank account.

When Ferretfingers was first assessed for a care package by the local authority he came out with 150 “points” worth £150 per week to be spent on services.   

That was some ten years ago.

My needs as his carer have also been assessed and fed into the care package budget.

He still has 150 points.

They are still worth £150.

In the meantime service provider costs and charges have gone up.   

Care workers need to be paid a living wage however much local authority finance departments try to squeeze their employers.

Also, because Ferretfingers is in receipt of PIP and ESA he is expected to pay towards his budget.   

This currently stands at £22.18 per week, and whilst the budget has not gone up over the years the amount he has to pay has.

We are in the fortunate position to be able to pay for some respite and outreach work from our own funds. 

Many, I’d guess most, other families caring for a disabled or autistic person do not.