carer's allowance wait time?

artfulangel

Hi All
I have been follow the tread for the last year or some an I am familiar with all you stories. Delighted to see that things seem to have picked up a bit of pace. Carers received my application on 6th Feb 2012. It seems I should shortly receive a request for up to date bank statements.(I am in receipt of DCA).
My question for anyone who has a similar experience is this, over the last 12 months I have on several occasions borrowed money from Family and friend to help with my mortgage etc.(All borrowed has to be paid back when I get carers. These monies were lodged to my bank account to cover the direct debits and obviously will show on bank statements. If I include a note with bank statements explaining payments will this suffice.
I appreciate your thought and I hope the good news keeps coming for everyone.

mossy69056

artfulangel wrote: »

Hi All
I have been follow the tread for the last year or some an I am familiar with all you stories. Delighted to see that things seem to have picked up a bit of pace. Carers received my application on 6th Feb 2012. It seems I should shortly receive a request for up to date bank statements.(I am in receipt of DCA).
My question for anyone who has a similar experience is this, over the last 12 months I have on several occasions borrowed money from Family and friend to help with my mortgage etc.(All borrowed has to be paid back when I get carers. These monies were lodged to my bank account to cover the direct debits and obviously will show on bank statements. If I include a note with bank statements explaining payments will this suffice.
I appreciate your thought and I hope the good news keeps coming for everyone.

hi artfulangel
had a similar problem like this beore
you should get a signed note from each person saying they loaned you the money and the dates they gave it to you.make sure they put their contact number on the note aswell
best of luck,hang in there

Lord Spence

mossy69056 wrote: »

hi artfulangel
had a similar problem like this beore
you should get a signed note from each person saying they loaned you the money and the dates they gave it to you.make sure they put their contact number on the note aswell
best of luck,hang in there

I collect dca every month from post office and lodge it same day and when my wife collects child benefit she does the same thing she lodges it into my account as she doesn't have a bank account, I was just going to make a note of this on a post it, hope that's enough for them, I'm in receipt of fis so they surley must realise that we're within the €665 means limit

smurphysutton

Hi LauraAraon, I sent in bank statements back in November, and they sent me a letter in December about the hours I worked, and a form to fill in as I don't live with the person I'm caring for, I sen them in the Wednesday before Christmas, and given Christmas hols etc, I found out last Friday that I have been approved, so I've been very lucky, its being back dated from Feb last year when I applied and they said my first payment will not be till the 7th February. Artulangel, I had to borrow to help pay the bills as well and it was on my bank statement they never queried it, but to cover your own back I agree with Mossy69056 get notes from whom ever you borrowed. Just to let you know I applied on the 10th February and my applciation was received the 17th February, so again I'd say i was extremely lucky.

LauraAaron

I'm really glad most seem to have had great news recently, so this gives me great hope for mine.I want to thank everyone who has taken the time to reply to me its like a tight knit family here just so glad theres people who are in the same boat and understand what each are going through x

tipplady

i agree with you lauraaaron, we like a tightknit family only we know what it is like to all be in the same boat, it is great when we hear one of us has gotten good news i have been told i should hear in the next week or two could be a oral hearing i dont mind at this stage as long as something is happening has anyone been to an oral hearing just to know what to expect, good luck everyone hope lauraaaron we get good news at the same time x

mossy69056

just got the respite grant in the post this morning for 2012
things are looking good
for some reason they turned me down for 2011 even though im the carer since april 2011.cant understand as they said it was medical reasons but why did they give it to me for 2012
any ideas as to why?

mossy69056

sorry about this but im very confused now
rang the respite grant office but they wouldnt tell me anything and switched me over to carers allowance office.Explained to them what happened and the letter i got about the respite grant and she said the respite made the decision to award it to me even though i was not getting the carers.i told her the when i rang the carers last thursday the person told me that the medical had being approved.she said that there was no evidence in front of her to say it was and she shouldnt have told me that(odd as i never said it was a he or a she).she said she would put an urgent note on it to contact me ASP.
to make matters even more confusing(which i never said to her)
i rang the carers yesterday and told the girl that i was told last week that the medical was approved and did they need any more up to date information and she said NO that everything was straight foward with my case and to give it another while untill its up on the computer
god dont know what to think now,sorry i rang now,gone from a high to a low now

So Annoyed

They seem to be cutting back on arrears, so only giving it from a later date than application. I applied in may 2011, was refused in April 2012, appealed and won it in oct 2012, but they said only from sept 2012 as that's when they feel medically I was entitled to it. It's all money saving. I lost out on probably 9000 arrears. I didn't appeal that as I just couldn't go through it again, but they seem to be trying their luck.

So Annoyed

Mossy what date did they approve the carers from?

mossy69056

So Annoyed wrote: »

Mossy what date did they approve the carers from?

i was refused on the first time(april 2011) on medical(i passed the means test) and went for review at the start of august(2012).when i rang last thursday she told me the medical was approved and to wait a little while longer until they had it up and running.When i rang yesterday to see if the needed any up to date information i was told No everything was straight foward with my case and she would get moving on it.
but now this morning they told me "she" should not have said the medical was approved.i told her i got the respite today for 2012 and was turned down for 2011 on medical grounds,she said that the respite made the decision themselves to make the payment.
when i last rang the respite they told me they were waiting on the decision from the carers and if i was turned down to get back in contact with them
i dont know where i stand,it doesnt add up

So Annoyed

That is very odd

smurphysutton

Its been a week now since I was approved and it has been approved from 23rd February 2012, I didn't apply for respite grant should I have or will I automaticlaly receive it, I've been told in my letter my first payment will be on the 6th February 2013

So Annoyed

S murphy you will automatically get the respite.
That's what I don't understand about mossy getting it separately.

Mossy did you apply for the respite separately last year, or just the carers?

smurphysutton

Thanks So Annoyed, its very confusing alright just read my letter again, and they said I will be paid my arrears in a couple of weeks, hopeully

mossy69056

So Annoyed wrote: »

S murphy you will automatically get the respite.
That's what I don't understand about mossy getting it separately.

Mossy did you apply for the respite separately last year, or just the carers?

yes i applied for the respite at the end of october 2012
but respite told me they were waiting on the decision from the carers,then the carers said they have nothing to do with the respite
its all a bit confusing

mp22

mossy69056 wrote: »

yes i applied for the respite at the end of october 2012
but respite told me they were waiting on the decision from the carers,then the carers said they have nothing to do with the respite
its all a bit confusing

You can get the respite grant with out getting a carers payment.

If you are getting Carer's Allowance, Carer's Benefit, Domiciliary Care Allowance or Prescribed Relative's Allowance from the Department of Social Protection, you do not need to apply for the Respite Care Grant. It will be automatically paid to you in June.
If you are not getting one of these payments you should fill in an application form for the Respite Care Grant RCG 1 (pdf). If you are caring for two people or more you must fill in an RCG 1(a) Respite Care Grant form for each additional person (pdf) and attach it to your completed RCG 1 form.


from here http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/social_welfare/social_welfare_payments/carers/respite_care_grant.html

mossy69056

mp22 wrote: »

You can get the respite grant with out getting a carers payment.

If you are getting Carer's Allowance, Carer's Benefit, Domiciliary Care Allowance or Prescribed Relative's Allowance from the Department of Social Protection, you do not need to apply for the Respite Care Grant. It will be automatically paid to you in June.
If you are not getting one of these payments you should fill in an application form for the Respite Care Grant RCG 1 (pdf). If you are caring for two people or more you must fill in an RCG 1(a) Respite Care Grant form for each additional person (pdf) and attach it to your completed RCG 1 form.


from here http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/social_welfare/social_welfare_payments/carers/respite_care_grant.html

i read this when i applied for the respite grant
when i rang the respite before christmas about an update they told me they were waiting on the decision about the carers and to get back to them if i was turned down
if this is the case then the carers must have turned down the review even though i was told that the medical was approved
its hard to know when im getting different answers on the phone:(

LegacyUser

smurphysutton wrote: »

Its been a week now since I was approved and it has been approved from 23rd February 2012, I didn't apply for respite grant should I have or will I automaticlaly receive it, I've been told in my letter my first payment will be on the 6th February 2013

you and me smurphysutton received travel pass same week!! i got my paymeny today but wasnt expecting the arrears and 1700 respite...nearly fell to the floor when i saw my acc...you prob next week...

angielongford

Hi all.... seems there is a lot of confusion.. hope it all gets sorted in your favour. Mossy, I was wondering, when you approached your local TD for help with your claim, did you go to him or her in person or did you write or ring? I've never had to so something like that before and was wondering the best way to approach it. Thanks!

smurphysutton

steponit wrote: »

you and me smurphysutton received travel pass same week!! i got my paymeny today but wasnt expecting the arrears and 1700 respite...nearly fell to the floor when i saw my acc...you prob next week...

Fingers crossed but not expecting anything till the 7th of February which is only a couple more weeks away, but i'm so happy that its finally sorted its been the longest time of my life.:rolleyes:

mossy69056

angielongford wrote: »

Hi all.... seems there is a lot of confusion.. hope it all gets sorted in your favour. Mossy, I was wondering, when you approached your local TD for help with your claim, did you go to him or her in person or did you write or ring? I've never had to so something like that before and was wondering the best way to approach it. Thanks!

i rang for an appointment after i was turned down on the first go
i went to his office then and he said i should he gone to him first as that what he is there to do,to help.he said that the next step was to go for review and if that failed then appeal and last option was oral hearing.i gave him everything i had and he done out a great support letter and emailed it all into the carers for me
hope this helps you out

angielongford

Thanks Mossy! thats what I will do so. will let you know how it goes

smurphysutton

Angielongford, have you still not heard anything from them yet!!!!

mossy69056

So Annoyed wrote: »

They seem to be cutting back on arrears, so only giving it from a later date than application. I applied in may 2011, was refused in April 2012, appealed and won it in oct 2012, but they said only from sept 2012 as that's when they feel medically I was entitled to it. It's all money saving. I lost out on probably 9000 arrears. I didn't appeal that as I just couldn't go through it again, but they seem to be trying their luck.

hi so annoyed,just getting my head back together after the day i had
looking at the dates you should have a least being backdated to when u appealed after april 2012.if you look at the carers allowance booklet it says you will be backdated to the date they get your application!!!!
you have 21 days to appeal it and you should think strongly about doing it,even if its only a letter you get sent in to get the ball rolling before the time is up so as they have to reply to you.i think your right,they are trying their luck and hope you will be happy to just get the carers and not go after YOUR arrears and give up.you fought long and hard to be recognized as a carer so dont stop now

angielongford

Hi Smurphysutton, no I haven't heard a word since I rang them to be told that its with the medical people again to see if their original decision would be over-turned. I'm still chasing up a letter from my fathers consultant in Mullingar hospital and now I have an appointment with my local TD so at least i'm doing something. Judging by other posts it could be another 2 months with the medical people this time.... Do you think they turn down so many with the hope that they do not appeal? Anyway it will be worth it if my mum gets the carers in the end.

LauraAaron

Well.............................got my approval letter and travel pass today chuffed is not the word for how i feel payment starts 7/2/13 and im owed arrears from 5/1/12-6/2/13 which im tod will follow soon such a longgggggggggggggggg wait but sooooo worth it

angielongford

Hi Laura, I'm chuffed that you have good news at long last.... its terrible to have been put through such a long wait but its over for you now.... best of luck

mossy69056

LauraAaron wrote: »

Well.............................got my approval letter and travel pass today chuffed is not the word for how i feel payment starts 7/2/13 and im owed arrears from 5/1/12-6/2/13 which im tod will follow soon such a longgggggggggggggggg wait but sooooo worth it

ahh thats brillant laura
delighted for you,wish you the best of luck after your long wait:)

LauraAaron

Lord Spence wrote: »

I collect dca every month from post office and lodge it same day and when my wife collects child benefit she does the same thing she lodges it into my account as she doesn't have a bank account, I was just going to make a note of this on a post it, hope that's enough for them, I'm in receipt of fis so they surley must realise that we're within the €665 means limit

Lordspence they look at what is owed in back money then write to fis to c what they have paid us from the date we're entitled to carers and they deduct whatever extra fis has given which for last year was a 1/3 taxed and this year 2/3 taxed so they will deduct a big chunk at the end.