DLA Mobility Component in Residential Care if Joint Funded by Health and Social Services?

ellcee

The person lives in residential care. He has retained an underlying entitlement to DLA care and mobility at the highest rate but they have not been payable because he has been CHC funded. His funding is changing from CHC to Joint Funding between Health and Social Services. (although his needs have not changed!!). Will his Mobility component now become payable?

I am worried that because he will now have to be financially assessed and pay towards his care, he will be left with virtually no money if the mobility component does not become payable (I believe that they are not allowed to include this in his income for assessment purposes).

April2018mom

Have you contacted them? Also get in touch with your local council to see what kind of assistance is offered. 

ellcee

I plan to call DWP DLA dept tomorrow but wanted to try to get as much info beforehand as I could. Last time I asked them this question back in 2012, they didn't know the answer but as it happened then he qualified for CHC so in the end it didn't matter. I don't want them making it up as they go along so I was trying to find out what the rules are before I call them.
Thank you for taking the time to reply.

BenefitsTrainingCo

I'm puzzled by his mobility component ending as this isn't affected by being resident in a care home regardless of the source of funding or the length of stay. 

I'd therefore advise that his mobility component should indeed be payable & query why it hasn't been payable before.

Whereabouts does this client live? (Ie England, Scotland, Wales or N Ireland?)

Will

ellcee

Hi,
Thank you for your reply.

The person lives in England. He has been funded by Continuing Health Care (and did not have to contribute towards his care) and I was told that therefore Mobility Component of DLA (as well as the Care Component) is not payable.

Funding has now changed to Jointly between Health and Local Authority which means that he is due to have a Financial Assessment to contribute towards his care costs.

I notified DLA of this change but the person I spoke to knew nothing and just said that the info would be forwarded to "The Decision Maker". They could not tell me where to find information on the rules upon which The Decision Maker would make their decision. (I also notified ESA and I mentioned my DLA quandary in passing. The helpful lady there looked up some information about payment of DLA Mobility while in Residential Care and her precise words were "Well that's as clear as mud"!)

I have received a letter today saying "we have changed the decision about DLA because you are in a care home" (well he always was - he's not moved!) and "we cannot pay you DLA for help with personal care from and including 19/06/19" (They weren't paying it anyway, no mention of mobility at all and I don't know why the date of 19/06/19 as the funding changed on 13/06/19). The letter is generally vague and under "What information we used" it just says "further information you gave us", not what the information was. No DLA money has been paid into his account.

I am going to ring them to try to get further information, so any additional information that I can get before I call them would be very gratefully received.

ellcee

Thank you for your replies. DLA mobility is now being paid. So, that's one step forward, now for the two steps back!