Category Archives: Carers

Housing benefit reforms 'could waste millions' in disability costs

February 6, 2014   benefits, Carers, ukcuts, Wales

6 February 2014 Last updated at 17:18

Wales & West Housing (WWH) said many disabled tenants may be forced to move because of the so-called “bedroom tax”

Changes in housing benefit payments affecting disabled people could cost the public purse millions of pounds in Wales, a housing association has said.

Wales & West Housing (WWH) said many disabled tenants may be forced to move because of the so-called “bedroom tax”.

It said it could result in millions more being spent adapting properties.

The UK government said it had given Wales £7.9m for a discretionary fund tenants could apply for but WWH said that may not be enough to cover costs.

Meanwhile, Welsh government said it was providing a further £1.3m so local authorities could provide more help to those affected by the reforms.

WWH, which manages 9,500 properties, said it wanted disabled people to be exempt from the housing reforms.

“Start Quote

The cost of new adaptations wipes out the potential savings in housing benefit for many years”

Shayne Hembrow Wales & West Housing

It said Wales was on track to “waste” millions of pounds of public money otherwise.

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Carers are victims of calculated and shameless exploitation

February 6, 2014   Carers

DR Iain McNicol is right to call on society to change its attitude to carers (Letters, February 5).

That is the right response to the report by Carers Scotland and Carers UK about the many ways in which carers are being treated unfairly at present (“Investigation reveals plight of carers forced into debt”, The Herald, February 4). And Colette Douglas Home was right last October when she called on society to care for carers. And no doubt the same call will be made next June, and next October, and so on. So why does society not respond?

Dr McNicol has written about the difficulties being experienced by families looking after the frail elderly and that is a very serious matter. But the same problems are faced by all carers who look after family members affected by learning disabilities, physical disabilities, disorders such as autism, mental illness, and long-term physical illness, as well as those children who care for a parent, and grandparents who look after children whose own parents cannot look after them.

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Councils in England ‘pay too little for home care’

February 4, 2014   Carers, Social care, ukcuts

4 February 2014 Last updated at 08:01

The BBC received Freedom of Information data from more than 100 councils

By Nick Triggle Health correspondent, BBC News

Hands of an elderly person

Most councils in England are paying less than the industry recommended minimum for personal home care, a BBC investigation suggests.

The UK Homecare Association (UKHCA), which represents providers, want them to be paid a minimum of £15.19 an hour, to cover wages, training and travel.

But data obtained under the Freedom of Information Act found the minimum paid met that in just four out of 101 cases.

One provider said quality care was not possible at the levels being paid.

Cutting corners Trevor Brocklebank, chief executive of Home Instead Senior Care in Warrington, refuses to bid for council contracts.

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