My daughter has severe learning difficulties so does get high rate of care & ESA but since leaving school she goes to day centre 4 days a week which is great but the council takes £91 per week from her as contribution. This seems very high to me, anyone else think it is ?
I should have made clear she lives at home so is not in supported living.
My Autistic son goes to a day centre 5 days a week this is Surrey, he is not charged at all for attending .He does have to pay fir his respite care tho. It seems all the county councils do their own thing, some provide excellent services and some don’t. Your daughter does seem to be contributing quite a lot.
Thats a normal amount I would say, my son pays £141 per week, we are in Newcastle. He is in supported living, and this amounts to most of his PIP.
This used to be the case for my daughter she had to pay fairer charge towards day care and respite. She also has severe learning disability. I remember bring around £46.
About 6 years ago my daughter was reassessed and was given 100% health funding. She no longer has to pay this charge. It maybe worth checking in the future to see if your daughter who has severe learning disability can be reassessed for health funding.
Our social worker at the time suggested this to us, as our daughter was going to lose funding for her overnight respite, due to her needing waking night staff, and the respite facility couldn't provide this.
this is normal if your your daughter gets any kind of social services input, they will ask them to pay a contribution for care out of their benefits, usually from age 20 when child benefit stops…the government set a floor, which is a minimum amount of money that a person has to live on, and the council take the rest. You can fill out a form if she has specific disability only expenses, and if approved that expense can be disregarded, which why people pay differing amounts. She will be reassessed every time circumstances or benefits change. It was a shock when it happened to us too.
Yes the council charge for services and can take PIP and ESA into account as an income.You can lower this a bit by claiming disability related expenditure.
For example do you pay seerately for sitting service? Do you have to buy certain incontinence products like covers for your furniture.
Do you spend a fortune on special toys or equipment, maybe a mobile phone?
Carers UK have a section about claiming DRE, or maybe other people in your area can give you a heads up.
The social worker or co-ordinater should also be able to tell you what is likely to be allowed. Or you could ring the finance unit who charges you. They may be helpful. (In this day and age it probably better to look it up on their Web site and email them.
Good luck
Bed and board costs
Funding childcare costs for a 16 year old
day services when in supported living
Not getting out of bed all day
Experience of Supported Living
