WIBU to request a carer to travel abroad with me?

[MadCatEnthusiast]

Hi,

I have been looking for info but couldn't find anything that was remotely close to what I am thinking about.

I'm moderately disabled and use a wheelchair. To get out and about, I employ a carer through direct payments provided by the council for a few hours a week. Mostly to cover university and enough for me to 'socialise'. It's not 24/7 because I have my family to help me out wherever possible. However, if I lived alone then it's noted that I would need that.

About 4 months ago, I applied for an International Relations degree in mainland Europe. I didn't think I would get in considering my degree wasn't politics related but it is relatively close. The course is free because I am an EU citizen and all I would need to pay for is my living expenses. I could get student grants but only if I get a job for minimum 10 hours per week.

Thinking I wouldn't get in, I applied for a masters where I live. However, I'd need to pay upwards of £20,000 (it's the home fees anyway) but no living costs because I live at home. I haven't had much saved up but looking for scholarships to help lower the costs. I also got an offer from that university.

I'm leaning towards deferring to the UK masters and going to Europe to study there first. It's objectively cheaper and my family have more time to save up for the more expensive course here.

However, my carers are all British and can't work in Europe without a visa which is hard for me to get for them. I was thinking of employing a carer who does have the right to work in Europe and then paying them on British payroll via the council. Maybe even for the council to fund their accommodation as well - if my accomodation proves to be expensive for two? I have enough money saved up for a year's rent - about £5000.

My thoughts, however, is: will the council allow that? Will they tell me that I am no longer resident in the country if I leave for 9 months of the year and no longer entitled to this help?

Maybe I would be considered similar to a person who moved counties to study and is still considered ordinarily resident in their original area? I know I'd be supported if I went to a university outside of my city but how about outside of the country?

My social worker doesn't tend to listen to me very clearly, I find. So my worry is that if I say "I am going to university in Europe......" that they'll write that first part in my notes and lower my hours or even stop it altogether.

Has anyone got any suggestions, thoughts or anything?

Hello is this under continuing healthcare funding?

The council won’t pay for you to use a carer abroad. If you lived in Glasgow eg they wouldn’t pay a career to take you to London. You could privately pay for care.

@CausingChaos2

Hello is this under continuing healthcare funding?

Social care funding. However, I think I am almost eligible for healthcare funding

Ah ok. Sorry am not sure about that type of funding.

@CausingChaos2

Ah ok. Sorry am not sure about that type of funding.

What would be the case if I had continuing healthcare funding?

Very specialist question!
The social care rules aside, will that not be complex for the carer from a tax point of view? You’re not an employer, right? They’re self employed? Even if they have the right to work in the EU, they need to be compliant re tax. Do they also have insurance for their work with you in the UK? I doubt that would cover them working for you in the EU. Possibly not insurmountable, but as a self employed carer I’d want you to do all the leg work on working those things out for me.

Sounds like a fab opportunity though - congratulations on being accepted!

so you are expecting your family to save up to fund you?.....£20,000?

you will be paying a carer a full wage too?

@Cocomarine

Very specialist question! The social care rules aside, will that not be complex for the carer from a tax point of view? You’re not an employer, right? They’re self employed? Even if they have the right to work in the EU, they need to be compliant re tax. Do they also have insurance for their work with you in the UK? I doubt that would cover them working for you in the EU. Possibly not insurmountable, but as a self employed carer I’d want you to do all the leg work on working those things out for me.

Sounds like a fab opportunity though - congratulations on being accepted!

It is! I'd usually ask the social worker but there's too much room for misunderstanding.

I mean, I employ my carers and send their timesheets to a payroll company for tax to be calculated and then I send the payments and talk to HMRC when needed.

I also have insurance for them and I doubt it'd cover work in the EU. Maybe, I'd have to get insurance from within the country in question. I assume I'd do that if I went abroad as well so they can focus on their job and I'd focus on their taxes and insurance.

Thank you!

@Bluebird2021

so you are expecting your family to save up to fund you?.....£20,000?

you will be paying a carer a full wage too?

Not expecting, they stated they would. Even if I stay, I'd contribute with the amount I am saving up anyway.

And yes, I pay and will pay carers a full wage - above the London living wage. I wouldn't skimp on them hence why I am thinking about it now.

Could you contact the University you intended to go to and see if they have any helpful suggestions? I assumed you would be intending to employ someone local rather than a UK citizen to move with you. Alternatively I would see if you can get an appt with CAB or a specialist benefits advisor and outline your plans. I hope you find a solution because it sounds like a really exciting opportunity.

Ah, so you’re actually the employer. Even more complicated! I work for a big company, and due to Covid WFH many foreign nationals asked if they could WFH in their home country. The company was theoretically willing (and we have people flitting between countries on a formal basis a lot) but in the end they said no. It came down to tax complexity - not being able to employ people working in a country where the company didn’t have a legal entirety... again, I’m sure nothing was insurmountable and the decision to say a blanket no was more because there were just too many people to consider. But even before the social care situation, I’d have a look at that!

I mean, I employ my carers and send their timesheets to a payroll company for tax to be calculated and then I send the payments and talk to HMRC when needed.
If they are going to live in another country for more than 6 months, they usually become tax resident there and it won't be HMRC who will be expecting tax, but the local tax authorities. Which means that they will have to be registered there for tax reasons too.
I am not sure how the funding works, it might stop if you leave the country for long periods of time.
Sound like a fantastic opportunity though! Does the country you are moving to have a similar scheme? Maybe it is worth investigating applying for a care package there, could be possible even before arrival? Especially if you are a citizen. Your university can be very helpful here.

The only people who can answer this is the council and social work team. If they will consider it at all, it would have to go to panel for a decision . I have had direct payments for my daughter for 15 years , I very much doubt they will support you in another country as you no longer are the responsibility of social services . Weve applied for continued healthcare twice and been turned down . Your needs to meet the criteria for this type of funding have to be so dire that you wouldn't be well enough to travel ( we have been told dd can't travel by plane ) she can't walk, talk, use her hands, eat or communicate. I'm not sure if continued healthcare funding would cover this type of travel anyway. It would be interesting to know if they would cover it for studying so it's a good question ! Good luck

I'd be tempted to ask the European university what the arrangements for disabled students are. They will have access to support finding for students.
You could look at Turing arrangements too. There is meant to be special consideration for disabled students.

Yes, I'll ask the university about it and see what they say. The trouble is with care packages and social support is that I might need to exercise EU treaty rights to be eligible and learn the language to maneuver through the system.

@cutebutscary

The only people who can answer this is the council and social work team. If they will consider it at all, it would have to go to panel for a decision . I have had direct payments for my daughter for 15 years , I very much doubt they will support you in another country as you no longer are the responsibility of social services . Weve applied for continued healthcare twice and been turned down . Your needs to meet the criteria for this type of funding have to be so dire that you wouldn't be well enough to travel ( we have been told dd can't travel by plane ) she can't walk, talk, use her hands, eat or communicate. I'm not sure if continued healthcare funding would cover this type of travel anyway. It would be interesting to know if they would cover it for studying so it's a good question ! Good luck

Yes, I know what you mean. I fell quite short of the continuing healthcare eligibility criteria too. Not sure if they would accept this either if I did get continuing healthcare funding