Tag Archives: ukcuts
Carer husband in Haverhill tells of fury at backdated bill
A husband who is a full-time carer for his wife has hit out after he was sent a backdated bill by Suffolk County Council.
A husband who is a full-time carer for his wife has hit out after he was sent a backdated bill by Suffolk County Council.
Andrew Challis gave up work at Dalehead Foods 10 years ago to look after his wife Cher, 45, who has multiple sclerosis.
The couple, who live in Haverhill, go out once a week to the town’s Hawk Club – but after 10 years has the council which funds her place, has reassessed them, and sent them a backdated bill for £81.36.
Elderly care is already in crisis
Why we must all open our eyes to the longevity timebomb
Last updated at 6:19 PM on 24th January 2012
I was catapulted into the parallel universe of geriatric care a few years ago, when my father was struck by a little understood and highly unpredictable form of dementia.
I won’t pretend that I wasn’t shocked: at the score of under-resourced and poorly maintained care homes we inspected, at the patronising and casual disrespect with which Dad was treated in hospital; at the irritability, exhaustion and patent disinterest of the social workers with whom I tried to raise extremely serious issues of neglect and abuse.
The government has been defeated in the Lords
Government suffers Lords defeat over benefit cap plan
Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson, Baroness Tonge and Margot James MP tell the BBC’s Norman Smith what they think of the outcome
The government has been defeated in the Lords in a vote on its plans for a £26,000-a-year household benefit cap.
Lib Dem, Labour and crossbench peers backed a bishop’s amendment by 252 to 237 that child benefit should not be included in the cap.
Critics argued that imposing the same cap on all families, regardless of size, would penalise children.
The government said it was “very disappointed” and the vote “clearly flies in the face of public opinion”.
Earlier the government defeated another amendment proposed by Labour to exempt people considered at risk of homelessness from the cap.
