if your elderly relatives get guaranteed pension credit then they should apply for the Warm Home Discount, please all read this post!!!

[ssd]

have just found out my mum will get this, its £120 credit towards her electricity bill given as a credit on her lecky bill next march 2012

I only found out as i phoned her supplier to try to get her on a lower tarriff

I hadnt heard anything about this, apparently its a new government scheme, so it might be applied automatically but I wouldnt chance it myself (cynical, moi!)

way to do it phone whoever supplies the electricity for the old person and ask if they will get this deal..
also ask the supplier if the old person is on their priority list, this is a list for vulnerable people, eg the elderly who need everything explained in english with no jargon and dont want put through to a machine, and none of this here are 4 options, press A for.....nonsense, they just get put through straightaway to a person if they are on the priority services list

hope this helps some of you, I feel older folks havent got a clue how to apply for what they need, they think there is a magic fairy out there who gives them everything automatically, whereas we know most things take endless phone calls and sorting out!!!

ssdxx

the above deal is called the "warm home discount", thats what you ask for when you phone the supplier up

Thank you will look at that tomorrow. My parents are 82 and 85 respectively and both get state pensions and a small work pension each. My mum is on the full rate attendance allowance and i get carers allowance for her. My dad is being investigated for advanced bowel cancer at the moment which may unfortunately well turn out to be untreatable and therefore imagine will go on the fast track attendence allowance which is now available to people considered to have a terminal or chronic illness. I dont know whether they get guaranteed pension credit so am not sure if they will qualify for this.
My dad does really feel the cold because he has suffered severe weight loss from his condition and to be honest would have the heating on 24/7 which they really cant afford so I am always trying to find ways for him keeping warm whilst avoiding this. Day centre twice a week/ even opening curtains wide when sun shining in and then closing them all when it goes in. Keeping doors shut when heating on to using water left over in kettle to wash up/clean etc. Its still very difficult to keep the bills down to a reasonable level.

hope they can get this madam

sorry to hear about your dad too, I really hope they could get this and not worry too much this winter about bills

can I just ask, does your carers allowance affect what your mums gets in her attendance allowance? I was told ages ago if I got carers allowance for my mum is would come off her attendance allowance?

thanks SSD no it doesnt not at all. Someone else can only get carers allowance for looking after the person who gets the attendance allowance - iyswim - the person themselves who is on the AA cant get it. So if nobody claims it then it just goes unclaimed really which is a shame as its £55 per week which although low is still a significant amount to go wanting really. Also a bit annoying is this - if my dad gets to the point of needing to be cared for and gets full AA because of his condition then it will be me who will be looking after him when l look after mum (like l already do really) but l wont be able to claim carers allowance for him cos you cant get it for caring for two people. So that money will just stay in the system - even then the 'patient' doesnt get it.

that does seem unfair! you sound like you are doing a great job, it cant be easy

can I ask, do you live with your parents? and do they get any other care other than you? I look after everything for my mum, and i have arranged for homecare to go into her every day. But I dont know if thats enough to qualify for carers allowance, I'm not sure whats involved, could you maybe advise me if you dont mind? sorry if thats too intrusive a question

hi, I;ve just looked up carers allowance on directgov, it says I need to be looking after mum for at least 35 hours a week and I dont do that much, I worry about her 24/7 and do stuff for her every day but actual direct care 35 hrs, no

BTW, mums on full rate attendance allowance too but she's in sheltered housing, she is 84

Hi SSD - no i dont mind at all and no I dont live with my parents but have just moved them into a rented ground floor flat very near to me - round the corner really. I wouldnt worry too much about the 35 hours as you are allowed to count time you spend indirectly on your mum - for example I was on the phone one day to the Gas suppliers about a problem with their meter - nightmare - two hours minimum - but that sort of thing counts as time spent on the 'caree'. Also time you spend traveling to and from their property and time spent on shopping, cooking meals for them (at your own home I mean obviously) - so it all adds up. You'd be amazed - try doing a diary for a few days on every minute you actually spend doing something that you wouldnt be doing if it werent for your mum - even taking phone calls if for example you are your mums point of contact for the doctors or utilities etc You dont have to be actually physically present at their side for 35 hours iyswim. They do also ask the person you care for if they think you spend 35hrs on their care - on a form they send them when you claim. I think the 35hr rule is really more to stop people taking the mickey really -e.g. a neighbour who calls in with a newspaper and makes a brew five minutes a day trying to claim it etc. Also thats why I dont think you can claim it if you work full time or earn above a certain amount (not too sure of exact rules on this) - the thinking being youre not likely to be spending any great length of time on the person then in reality.

I dont think the sheltered housing pre-empties your claim either because my mum has carers in every day who help her shower etc etc but there is still plenty for me to do for her and I asked before she got this in place if it meant I cant claim carers allowance but it doesnt.

i called and asked the helpline, they said of mum recieves a disability premiun as part of her attendance allowance then any carers money would come off mum attendance allowance, i have all her paperwork but i dont know if she gets that and I cant ask them without being at hers as they need her permission, so will try to call them next time I'm at hers

do you not work madam52? I work p/t and earn just over the £100 a week point (just!!), so may not qualify anyway.....

No I retired to look after my parents as it was becoming increasingly difficult to do both effectively ( work and care - not both parents btw ) and then l got left some money which enables me to manage without working so as it was getting increasingly difficult to juggle anyway I just retired. I often dream of returning to work for a rest . I think you may be alright on p/t hours and that wage btw. The best thing to do is probably apply and see what they say but have never heard of carers allowance being taken out of the pocket of the 'cared for' iyswim. But I'm not an expert obviously only know what l know from my own circumstances.