Tag Archives: ukcuts

Personal Independence Payment could change blue badge eligibility

February 11, 2013   autism, Carers, ukcuts

Blue badge ‘life line’ could be taken away

February 11, 2013

A mum of two autistic children has condemned plans by the Government which will make it tougher for her to gain a disabled blue badge.

Under new Government welfare reforms the parking concession permits will be linked to a new personal independence payment (PIP) which will replace disability living allowance (DLA) in April.

This has a much narrower criteria for eligibility which will make it increasing difficult for people with autism and their carers to get a blue badge, even those assessed as having mobility needs.

Jo-Anna Dem, 45, of Carsdale Close, Coley Park, fears losing the badge which she claims has been a lifeline in caring for her autistic sons Adama, aged 10, and eight-year-old Gabriel.

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The cost of social care in old age

February 9, 2013   Carers, Older care, ukcuts

9 February 2013 Last updated at 19:09

Social care cap ‘to be set at £75,000’

Hands of an elderly person The cap would mean no one in England will have to pay more than £75,000 for their care in old age

Elderly people in England will not have to pay more than £75,000 for long-term social care after 2017, the health secretary is expected to say on Monday.

The cost of any care above that amount would be paid for by the state.

The figure is much higher than that recommended by the Dilnot report, which said any cap should be set at £35,000.

The BBC also understands the threshold for means-tested support, for those unable to pay their contribution, will rise to about £110,000.

Reform of social care has been the objective of successive governments but only limited changes have taken place and cross-party talks broke down.

Full details of the agreement are set to be revealed in Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt’s statement to the Commons.

The £75,000 cap is thought to only cover the cost of care, bought at local authority prices.

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Benefits cut ‘will push vulnerable people over edge’

February 5, 2013   Carers, ukcuts

Benefits cut ‘will push vulnerable people over edge’

Written byChris Havergal

Published: 05/02/2013 08:29

Hard-up villagers face losing hundreds of pounds in their benefit payments from April.

Claimants in South Cambridgeshire could lose up to 8.5 per cent of their council tax support when the district council takes on responsibility for the handout. At worst, this could be £5 a week – or more than £200 annually.

The cut was caused by the Government providing £1 million less for the scheme, but Liberal Democrats argued the Conservative-run council should have absorbed the reduction, rather than passing it on to residents.

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