Council is now charging me for care. Is this right?

Jac57

Hi, I received a letter from my local council yesterday saying that I am going to be charged for my care, starting this Monday, which will be £151 per week. I'm on means-tested benefit and the same council says that my income is so low that I should have full housing and council tax support. Where are they getting the idea that I can pay this?

I rang them and asked what the 'inaccurate information' was that was on my file. They said, 'You're on a pension.' What difference does that make? 'You're on more money now.' Am I??? I'm on pension credit which surely means that my state pension is too low to live on?? It looks like the amount they are demanding comes to the same as I receive in DLA and Pension Credit.

Is there some kind of concerted effort of all government, utility companies etc to simply run us into the ground? In January of this year I had a letter from British Gas saying that my DD was going up from £100 to £300 (even though I was on a contract that couldn't be changed for six months - this was month one). When I rang them they said i owe them £2,000. I don't. I has taken over six months of constant arguing and wrangling with them until last week they finally admitted that I don't owe this money and apologised. The whole business had me ill with stress and now, less than a week later, here is another battle.

At what point do we say, I can't do this any more. Is that what they're hoping for?

durhamjaide2001

I am deeply sorry to hear that you are experiencing this situation. It is indeed unfair and exhausting to constantly struggle to prove what should be evident—that you are not in a financial position to bear such demands, particularly while receiving means-tested benefits and already facing significant strain.

Let us examine this matter meticulously and comprehensively, as you undoubtedly possess rights, and there are formal procedures for contesting this care charge. You should not be compelled to navigate this process alone.

Firstly, The Council’s Care Charges:
If your local council has informed you that you are now required to pay £151 per week towards your care costs, they are legally obligated to conduct a financial assessment prior to this. This assessment must encompass your entire income and allowable expenses. You should have received a breakdown of how they arrived at this figure, and you are entitled to request it if you have not.

Based on the information you have provided, you are receiving means-tested Pension Credit, which implies that your income falls below the minimum threshold set by the government as sufficient for subsistence.
To take your mind off the matter I would recommend that you visit the coffee lounge for a general discussion or the games den for some fun

Jac57

I can’t see any way out of this. They said if I want disability related costs to be taken into account I need to provide receipts… I have done nothing but work on this since Friday (with the limited energy I have). The bottom line is, they say my ‘total allowances’ per week is £232.60, the rest is theirs.

Kimi87

A local trained benefits advisor should be able to assist and support:

https://advicefinder.turn2us.org.uk/