Money
Matters
Allowances and Benefit
There are many different benefits available
depending on your needs and your circumstances.
Confidential advice and information for
people with disabilities and their carers, are available on a full range of
social security benefits you may be entitled to claim.
These benefits include :
Attendance Allowance.
Disability Living Allowance.
Incapacity Benefit.
Income Support.
Carers Allowance
Tel: Benefit Enquiry Line on 0800 88 22 00.
Website
www.dss.gov.uk/ba/
Form filling service 0800 44 11 44
Below are just a few contact telephone
numbers. There are many more and the free phone number will advise you in the
best way to suit your particular needs.
Your local Council can also provide
information on the following services :
Access for Disabled people,
Adaptations for Disabled people/ Grants.
Adaptation for Disabled people/Assessment.
Adaptation to public Buildings for disabled.
Disability equipment/ Telephone.
Disability parking/ Blue Badge scheme.
Disability/ Grants For Facilities.
Disabled people access to buildings.
Council
Tax
You may be able to
reduce your Council Tax bill if you or any other resident in your dwelling
is substantially and permanently disabled and meets certain criteria.
The Phone number can be found on the back of
your Council Tax bill
MS Society Insurance Services
Developed by the MS Society with the insurance
company Heath Lambert, a wide range of insurance products and financial
services for people with MS, their families and carers are offered.
Travel Insurance
For some people with MS, a trip
abroad poses more potential problems than it would for other travellers.
Arranging insurance cover must be a real priority.
For an instant quote 0800 7833 157
Please note
Cover is not guaranteed and will depend upon individual circumstances.
Heath Lambert
Special schemes are available that
will increase the level of income you may receive in retirement if you are
suffering from certain serious illnesses. If you are approaching retirement
please contact us to see if we can improve your financial security.
FREE QUOTELINE 0800 7833 157
Motor Insurance
If the premium for your motor insurance gave
you a fright last time you renewed you're not alone. Premiums have been
steadily rising for the past year or so, while quotes can vary considerably
up and down the country.
Despite that there are still excellent deals
to be had. The problem is knowing where to find them. As a broker, we do all
the work for you. One call gets you quotes from a panel of leading insurers,
so we shop around for you.
Insurance with MS in mind
For more information or a quote call us free
on 0800 7833 157
NHS
Prescription Charges
If you think you will have to pay for more than 5 prescription items in 4
months or 14 items in 12 months, you may find it cheaper to buy a
pre-payment certificate (PPC).
“There are certain criteria to entitle you to free prescription these are
just a few”
People getting benefits:
- Income Support
- Jobseeker’s Allowance
- any other benefits
People getting Tax Credits:
- Working Families’ Tax Credit
- Disabled Person’s Tax Credit
People with a specific medical condition
People who need help to go out
If you want some friendly advice on prescription charges call and see
your Doctor or Chemist.
Carers Allowance
The main welfare
benefit for carers is Carer's Allowance. (This used to be known as Invalid
Care Allowance.) This is a weekly payment for carers of sick, disabled and
elderly people.
Carer's Allowance is taxable. If you get
Carer's Allowance you will be credited with class 1 National Insurance
contributions which will protect your State Retirement Pension. You will
also earn extra pension through the new State Second Pension for every
complete tax year that you get Carer's Allowance.
Who qualifies for Carer's Allowance?
You
can claim Carer's Allowance if you are aged 16 or over and spend at least 35
hours a week caring for a person getting Attendance Allowance, or Disability
Living Allowance (at the middle or highest rate for personal care), or
Constant Attendance Allowance (at or above the normal maximum rate with an
Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit, or basic (full day) rate with a War
Disablement Pension).
Can you get Carer's Allowance?
To claim Carer's Allowance you must:
How to
Apply?
You can now claim Carer's Allowance
online using our easy step-by-step form and send
it to us electronically.
Just go to Carer's Allowance e-service on
www.dwp.gov.uk
and choose "Claim Carers Allowance". Then, on
the "Carer's Allowance claim / welcome" screen, choose " I want to start a
new claim form". Depending on your answers, you will then only be taken to
the parts of the form that apply to you. Throughout the form you will be
presented with a number of “buttons” that will perform various functions.
For example, if you enter your house number and postcode only, then press
the “Generate address” button, your entire address will be completed
automatically.
Carer's Allowance Unit
Palatine House
Lancaster Road
Preston
Lancashire
PR1 1HB
General enquiries about Carer's Allowance.
Phone 01253 85 61 23
Direct
Payments Service
In 1996 the government passed the Community Care (Direct Payments) Act.
This act allows the Social Services Department to make a cash payment
directly to adults (aged 18 to 65) who have been assessed as being eligible
to receive care services.
The Act was implemented in April 1997 and since that date it has enabled
local authorities to offer this alternative to the community care service it
provides. Further Regulations subsequently implemented enabled people over
the age of 65 to be considered for Direct Payments and in 2001, the Carers
and Disabled Children's Act 2000 was implemented and extended the scheme to
include young adults, parents of disabled children and carers.
Up until now, it has been left to the discretion of the local authority
whether to offer Direct Payments as an alternative option to eligible
people. However, from 8th April 2003, new Regulations have made it mandatory
for all local authorities in England to offer this scheme.
(In Wales, the new Regulations have not yet been adopted and in Scotland,
it is expected that Direct Payments will become a mandatory anyone eligible
to receive a community care service by the end of 2003).
Direct payments enable people to take control over the service they
receive, when and by whom they choose, giving greater control and
self-determination to users.
Equal Opportunities
The Carers (Equal Opportunities) Act 2004 came into force in England on
the 1st April 2005 and in Wales on 18th April. The Act is the result of a
Private Member's Bill which was taken through Parliament by Dr Hywel Francis
MP for Aberavon. Dr Francis attributes the success of the Bill to widespread
support from carers and local carers groups.
‘I am proud to have sponsored the Carers (Equal Opportunities) Act 2004
and to have worked with Carers UK and the Action for Carers and Employment
(ACE National) partnership to achieve its successful passage through
Parliament. Our next challenge is to support its effective implementation by
local authorities and other agencies working with carers
Dr Hywel Francis, MP for Aberavon
What is Pension Credit?
Pension Credit is an entitlement for people aged 60 or over living in
Great Britain. This could mean extra money for you every week.
Pension Credit guarantees everyone aged 60 and over an income of at
least:
• £109.45 a week if you are single; or
• £167.05 a week if you have a partner.
Also, if you or your partner are aged 65 or over you may be rewarded for
saving for your retirement, up to:
• £16.44 if you are single; or
• £21.51 a week if you have a partner.
If you apply, you may be able to get up to 12 months back-payments if you
could have been entitled earlier.
The person who applies for Pension Credit must be at least 60; it does
not matter if their partner is under 60. We use partner to mean a person you
are married to or a person you live with as if you are married to them, or a
civil partner or a person you live with as if you are civil partners.
Call the Pension Credit application line on
freephone 0800 99 1234
Lines are open Monday to Friday between 8am-8pm and Saturdays 9am-1pm.
Carers Break Fund
The Carers Break Fund is
administered by CASS on behalf of the County Council. Grants of up to £200
can be given to carers who fulfil the criteria. If you think you might
qualify contact CASS on 01785 606675 or email
enquiries@carersinformation.org.uk for an application form.
