Adult disabled daycare travel class who pays

[Midsmum1]

Can anyone help that knows answers to this please or maybe experienced this.

Basically, my nephew has moderate learning disabilities. He has just turned 19. He is leaving education in July to go to a daycare sort of facility for adults with learning issues very similar to education not paid just a better setting for helping them learn around animals arts and crafts etc. This facility is a little bit away from where he lives he has a mobility car. His mum doesn’t drive. My nephew can’t drive because he’s too disabled and his dad can drive but can’t do the daycare driving him to and from because he’s at work. My nephew will have to claim his own universal credits and pip go directly to himself now as he’s 19 but my sister will have full care over the money because he doesn’t have the mental capacity. What happens with the cost or transportation to get him to the daycare facility because he has a mobility car does that rule out any transportation help or costs due to him having a mobility car is down to them to get him there? Or due to him still having low income, he could still get transportation a taxi or something? If you can’t get any help because of mobility car if the mobility car was sent back would he then be entitled to taxis? Obviously there’s no one to drive the car to get him to the daycare facility but taxi costs are looking about £60 a day and I think his income would be about £600 PIP and about £550 universal credit so obviously it doesn’t add up how we can pay for all of his Taxi because he wouldn’t have enough and he wouldn’t have no money for living costs as well as anyone gone through this and can help at all

Has this placement been arranged via his social worker? If so they would be the best person to ask. Each county will have their own rules for this sort of thing.

I don't think he'll get travel expenses covered, but if car gets sent back his payment would increase, not sure by how much.

The social worker said he has to pay all travel costs to the placement but I just obviously don’t know how he can pay the travel costs because basically the travel costs are looking about £2000 a month and his income will probably be £1500 max a month which obviously he has his living cost as well to come out of their food bills and yet somehow he has to pay £2000 a month so it just doesn’t add up so I’m not too sure what he is meant to do

Can his PIP pay someone to drive him there in his car? Personal assistant jobs of a few hours a week often involve driving around here.

Who’s driving the car that his Mobility pays for?

I’ve known it where transport is arranged by the day centre but paid for by the individual. It’s either a taxi car or a minibus but it’s definitely a subsided cost, so might not be as bad as you think. As a pp says, check with social worker/ council as rules will vary.

I presume the dad who’s at work. Motability might be the only way the family can afford a car. It’s not for the sole use of the person with disabilities.

I thought it was only to be used for the disabled benefit so the Dad for example couldn’t use it for getting himself to work.

OP your sister should contact the day centre, they will know how the others travel and may be able to offer advice.

It benefits the disabled person, if the Parent using the car to go to work, puts bread on the table!

But if it means the person the car is for is unable to get to their place of work / study without incurring excessive costs, then it’s absolutely NOT beneficial to the disabled person is it? Especially when it’s to the tune of £2k a month.

if he has a mobility car Social work will try and get someone from the family to drive him to and from but they don’t have to. Ask them to find a personal assistant hours to drive and collect him. Often they will back down and find a shared taxi route.

You need speak to his social worker and make it clear he needs support to get to and from his placement. You can also speak to the placement and see how other people get there (often they won’t know though)

i would suggest you contact your local carer centre to help with everything related to transition to adult services as this is probably the tip of the iceberg of issues your sister is going to come up against over the next few months.

Yes, of course, you are correct in this case.

In days gone by, transport would be included by minibuses that would go round picking people up.

With cuts in many areas now it would be more common for the person to be told to use their PIP. Of course it's tricky if he's already using his PIP/DLA for a mobility vehicle that no one can use.

There also used to be travel buddy training for people who had the potential to learn to travel safely on public transport themselves. They would have a buddy and gradually work up to doing it alone,

Whats The use of the mobility to car if he can’t drive it and he’s got no one to drive him? Isn’t the obvious thing to get rid of the car and the his PIP money would increase?

Some locations have a "friendly neighbour" scheme that may drive to & from

However, the driver may still need petrol expenses to be paid

This, or could the person who drives get flexible hours at work so he can drive him to the daycare place? It could be classed as carers hours.

I would have thought social care should be funding this (they can do income assessments to see if the person has to contribute to the costs). Unfortunately it can be difficult to get the support you're actually entitled too so it may take a bit of pushing/complaints.

He can get a free disability bus pass. However travels with him will have to pay for their ticket.

LA have duty to provide transport for DC up to 16. After that they have to pay themselves. I know this because my former Foster son who is 18 and we now care for under Shared Lives Scheme, has learning disabilities and we have had to drive him 20 miles to his college everyday and drive home then drive back 20 miles to collect him then another 20 miles home again. So 80 miles every day. Foster son owns the disability car and is supposed to pay us for fuel to get himself for college but he can't afford it as he only gets £316.98 UC as he's under 25. He gets PIP which he uses to buy himself toiletries and clothing and an occasional trip out. He gets housing benefit which he pays us for his room. We use our own car for driving everywhere else except use FS car for driving him around. We pay for fuel to drive former foster son to his college.

This, if the car can't be used what is needed for, is it purposeful? Where is it when he's at college?

Are you in England? If so, the local authority has a duty to meet any eligible needs, that includes transport, although there may be a contribution to care. Luke Clements, who is well regarded in the disability world, has an article here. It covers the unlawful blanket policy of mandating all disabled people use DLA/PIP to fund transport to day care centres.

Are DN’s parents aware the EHCP can continue until 25, or 26 in some cases? Sometimes LAs strong arm families into accepting the cessation of EHCPs because it benefits the LA.

@caringcarer mentioning transport to college for an 18 year old is irrelevant. College transport for sixth form age pupils comes under separate legislation (but even then the refusal can sometimes be challenged). Is he not also in receipt of the LCWRA element of UC?

The dad. But he works so can’t always drive the car and he works day time so can’t drive him to day care

Obviously without the car which he still does need for other things he goes too in the evenings , pip will go up about £230 a month but still doesn’t cover the 2000 travel

It’s 80 a day. As already checked. His income total is around 1500 a month before bills etc

No he isn’t getting lcwra as universal credit doesn’t go to him till he starts in July at the care centre