This is probably an opportune time to mention Disability Related Expenses and the Care Act 2014. Anybody receiving services – generally through a Person Led Assessment – will be charged for those services. However, you should always be left with a minimum Income which should take into account any disability related expenses (DRE’s) that you are paying for .
DRE’s are classed as any expenses that you have to pay out as a result of disability. This could be extra heating, laundry costs, adaptations for clothing, food required for a special diet, cost of the internet if you have communication problems and/or sight problems- and this is your main form or only form of communication. Basically, the list is endless. It will depend on the disability. You can even claim for the cost of having an assistance dog if you need one for your disability, too.
It has come to my attention that local authorities are not including DRE’s as part of their assessment – normally they are written into the report – and therefore thousands of people with disabilities are missing out on money they are entitled to under the Care Act 2014.
Whenever you have an assessment, make sure that you have a list of your DRE’s, with receipts, to give to the assessor, and make sure you keep copies of these. It is my experience that they tend to get lost in the system.
Here are a couple of useful links for further information.
http://www.real.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Reals-guidance-on-disability-related-expenditure-12-April-2017-PDF.pdf
https://www.independentlives.org/disability-related-expenses-explained
DRE’s are classed as any expenses that you have to pay out as a result of disability. This could be extra heating, laundry costs, adaptations for clothing, food required for a special diet, cost of the internet if you have communication problems and/or sight problems- and this is your main form or only form of communication. Basically, the list is endless. It will depend on the disability. You can even claim for the cost of having an assistance dog if you need one for your disability, too.
It has come to my attention that local authorities are not including DRE’s as part of their assessment – normally they are written into the report – and therefore thousands of people with disabilities are missing out on money they are entitled to under the Care Act 2014.
Whenever you have an assessment, make sure that you have a list of your DRE’s, with receipts, to give to the assessor, and make sure you keep copies of these. It is my experience that they tend to get lost in the system.
Here are a couple of useful links for further information.
http://www.real.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Reals-guidance-on-disability-related-expenditure-12-April-2017-PDF.pdf
https://www.independentlives.org/disability-related-expenses-explained