Tag Archives: carers
Benefit reforms ‘will hit disabled’
Low-income families and the disabled will be among the hardest hit by the pending abolition of housing benefit, a report has claimed.
Social tenants will “lose hundreds of millions of pounds” as a result of the UK Government’s welfare reforms, according to the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations (SFHA).
Housing benefit will be phased out from April 2013 and substituted with the new universal credit, a single payment which will replace the current range of working age benefits. But the new order could result in “significant financial losses” to tenants on low incomes living in housing association and co-operative properties, the SFHA said.
Elderly cancer patients denied financial advice because nurses assume they are well-off
Elderly cancer patients are routinely denied information about the financial help they could receive because hospital staff believe pensioners do not need the support, a government report finds today.
7:00AM BST 17 Aug 2012
The over-75s are among the least satisfied groups of cancer patients with the standards of care and support from doctors and nurses, according to the Department of Health study.
Fewer than half of the age group reported being given information on their eligibility to benefits for the disabled and other types of financial assistance.
Elderly care: Government to ‘set out cost limit’
Social care is currently means-testedA spokesman said the prime minister was serious about resolving the issue, after a review suggested there should be a cap on social care of £35,000.
The man who recommended the cap said there was a growing consensus behind the move among political leaders.
However, there has been no agreement on a final package of proposals.
Last month Health Secretary Andrew Lansley said ministers supported the principle of a cap but there was no commitment to finding the money to pay for it.
But the government is keen to scotch the impression that reform of social care in England is dead in the water and a Whitehall source said on Thursday there is a will to include it in the next Comprehensive Spending Review, expected to begin next year.
