Vaccine - unpaid carers

[Florelei]

Is anyone else having significant problems with their GPs? I am registered as a carer with them and asked them yesterday if I was included within group 6.

They said they wouldn’t be putting anyone forward as a carer in group 6 without either evidence of carer’s allowance or a carer’s passport from the council. I can’t claim carer’s allowance as my earnings are just over the threshold even though I only work part time.

I rang the council who didn’t know what I was talking about.

Has anyone else experienced this and does anyone have any tips?

Many thanks in advance.

Just seen this:
www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/coronavirus-vaccination/book-coronavirus-vaccination/

When they say eligible for carers allowance, do they mean eligible (eg caring for someone with a qualifying benefit) or in receipt of carers allowance? I am so pissed off about this - it’s essentially making it means tested.

I’ve fought so hard to hang on to my little part time NHS job because it’s important to me (7 hours a week, and I earn too much). Absolutely ridiculous.

Does anyone know if the carers element of universal credit also makes you eligible? I'm not entitled to CA as I'm a student but my son has ADHD and gets mid care and low mobility dla rates (pretty sure I shouldn't be getting the carers element either but they have pushed back multiple times that I am entitled to it, I'm sure they'll ask for it all back in a few months time!). I haven't seen anything about the carers element, they just gave it to me because I already claim UC and get the disabled child element and I am his carer.

Have sent a message to Carers Direct, will update if I get a response

If you actually go through the form you get this, so it seems they’ve updated the front page but not the main form 🤦‍♀️

I read it for carers that do not receive CA will be seen by GPs. I thought it was just a blunt tool to remove a large section of easily identifiable carers to hubs for GPs to concentrate on others.

Hi, I am having the same issue, they say the media has got it wrong etc but as long as it’s coded correctly in the gp system then we can book centrally, however, I’ve not been able to do this. I’m wondering if there is a software glitch and the booking line is not picking this up.

@SinkGirl I've just had the same thing. I called 119 and they said they are aware of the glitch in coding and are working to fix it. They asked me to call them back on Thursday if I haven't had success booking online even if I haven't a text or letter invitation.

Interestingly the first page asks if you are eligible for CA and not in receipt of it. As I understand it, you can be eligible for it in that you qualify as a carer, but not be in receipt of it as your income is too high. When I got through to 119 I was simply asked if I am a carer and I confirmed I am and that my status as such is coded on my GP file. No mention was made of Carer's Allowance at all.

Carers Direct worse than useless.

According to the government page linked, eligibility to CA includes income below the threshold so it’s a grey area. I suppose if it allows me to book I will do it and turn up with DLA letters and hope for the best.

I know of a 20 year old whose gran is classed as vulnerable as she has cancer. Her dm and herself have had the jab, apparently she is classed as a carer? I know she does not live with either of them.

Carers not in receipt of CA and not eligible for it are going to get bumped right down the group 6 list if it's left to GPs, and possibly left off it, especially given the recent advice sent to surgeries regarding the statement about the cared for person needing to be at significant risk of illness or death in relation to covid. And there are lots of us who fall between those cracks, mostly parent carers - ds2 is 13 and autistic but doesn't qualify for DLA so I don't qualify for CA. And he's not at extra risk of illness from covid in his presentation of ASD. My gp has noted that I'm a carer in that I have a child with needs significantly greater than their peers, but because they're mostly emotional support needs the surgery will not confirm one way or another whether they've applied the necessary covid code for group 6 priority. Pffft.

I am concerned that there will be too many carers whose relationship with their GP is really going to suffer after this. There are known risks of being a carer and untreated depression is a big one. How do you discuss the pressures of being a carer when your GP doesn’t even consider you worthy of being one.

I think we’re stuffed. Sounds like this needs to be GP led yet our GPs don’t seem to believe it snd are saying that the software hasn’t automatically grouped us! Funny I’ve been taken off for asthma so that update seems to have got through ok!

GP has confirmed I am in group 6 because of bad asthma and a carer to SN child in receipt of Carer's Allowance yet still say group 6 can't be done yet. My dh is at a different surgery in same town and he got text over a week ago and is booked in for Saturday. I was told all of group 5 from my surgery have not been vaccinated yet. I heard on TV group 5 and 6 would be done together but surgery won't hear of it suggesting group 6 will will most likely be released with group 7. I have friends in a different surgery in town in group 6 and they went together and had vaccine on Monday. Very frustrated.

I am having a bloody nightmare with this. Keep going round in circles

@Zarabara123

Hi, I am having the same issue, they say the media has got it wrong etc but as long as it’s coded correctly in the gp system then we can book centrally, however, I’ve not been able to do this. I’m wondering if there is a software glitch and the booking line is not picking this up.

I called today and explained the group 6 but not in receipt of CA. Quotes green book tables etc etc. The woman on 119 agreed and said the system wasn't up to speed with the green book and to try back next week in the hope that the on line system had caught up with actual guidance. GP hopeless.

@caringcarer - cohort 6 are absolutely now eligible and GPs are being told to focus on them. Show your practice this letter from 13 Feb which announced the opening of cohort 6.

The charities seem very quiet about the definition change, wondering if the numbers are so high they worry about the group 1-9 target. They have not just changed the definition for covid if people are actually having the carers code removed from their records.

I did that with links to the letter, gov website, green book, screen shots circling the info etc. They said they are still waiting for guidance as if they need a carrier pigeon to hand deliver the message to them before they pull their finger out! It also sounds like their software should automatically group people where they should be if coded correctly and it doesn’t. So as someone else said GP useless. The main system doesn’t seem to be able to connect to the GPs coding either. I also have asthma and on fostair steroid inhaler but they’ve managed to take me out of the list based on the govt guidance they haven’t received! It’s very much a postcode lottery, seems like some GPs are actively seeking out unpaid carers to vaccinate and I’m hearing about lots of young mild asthmatics being vaccinated too according to Social Media. Frustrating!

I called my GP today and the first person told me they were unwilling to register me as a carer because 'we don't normally register parents as carers when the child is such a young age, you have to care for them!' queue laughter ... despite me explaining I am officially registered as his carer as he is receiving DLA, severe disability premium of UC and carers element of UC for his disability. Not eligible for CA as I'm a student. I did speak to someone else and they said they have listed me as his official carer but I bet they have not coded me correctly for group 6. Their tone was very all the way through, even though I said I can provide my letters and any evidence they need. I also cannot book through the link, I've just tried.

Also, sorry I didn't say this in earlier reply but when I went through the link (just tried again!) I had the same issue in that it only asked NHS no, DOB then if I am a frontline health or social care worker and then when I said no said I'm not eligible straight away, didn't ask me whether I am a carer or not

If I remember rightly it didn’t ask me if I was a carer it just gave me the booking option. So there was a link with NHS number and eligibility

Yes unfortunately we can’t book, it will only work if the gp has coded you correctly and even then it sounds like it’s not connecting. I think it’s a combo of system issues and GPs not listening/giving a shit

Honestly this is driving me insane!

@Wigeon thanks for the link that's really helpful and will be sent to Practice manager tomorrow!

I don't think the system is working but I'm struggling to pin down the disconnect. If anyone gets it to work and can share the questions they answered I would very much appreciate it!