Budget - Carers' Respite Grant

Lady Chatterton

I've just heard on the news that there will be a €325 reduction in the annual Carer's Respite Grant reducing the payment from €1,700 to €1,375.

The grant is paid to more than 77,000 families in the country, 20,000 of whom receive no other support from the state for providing full-time care for a family member. It is used by carers to buy home care or pay for residential respite care in order to give them a break from their caring role.
The cut of more than 19 per cent has been criticised by the Carer’s Association which said it is “extremely disappointed” as the grant allowed carers a “much needed break”.

http://www.thejournal.ie/budget-2013-respite-care-cut-703321-Dec2012/

I honestly believe that Carers and the people they care for are being treated like second class citizens in this country, it is extremely upsetting considering that most carers work far in excess of 40 hours per week, it's often a 24/7 role with many struggling to get a nights uninterrupted sleep.

Most of the people I know who are in receipt of the respite grant use it on therapies and treatments that they can't obtain for their loved ones through the public health system, services such as occupational therapy, speech therapy etc.

I know other people who left highly paid roles to become carers and they use the respite grant just to make ends meet.

I hope pressure with be put on the government to overturn or reduce this cut :(:(

sunbeam

I love the way they neglected to mention this cut as if nobody would notice it.

Additionally there are cuts in the household benefits package-the ESB cut is particularly bad.

Lady Chatterton

Sometimes, the worst of the cuts only come to light in the days following the budget :rolleyes:

looksee

We have just had to install an electric fire as my husband is on oxygen and we did not like the idea of oxygen and an open fire, so that is producing significantly increased esb bills.

sunbeam

looksee wrote: »

We have just had to install an electric fire as my husband is on oxygen and we did not like the idea of oxygen and an open fire, so that is producing significantly increased esb bills.

Empathise completely. Our bils were huge in the final year of my mums life. I was going 20-22 hours per day and literally hadn't the energy to keep an open fire going, so we had our electric heaters on all the time. Its hard enough going through all that without being cold as well.

looksee

MrsD007 wrote: »

I've just heard on the news that there will be a €325 reduction in the annual Carer's Respite Grant reducing the payment from €1,700 to €1,375.



http://www.thejournal.ie/budget-2013-respite-care-cut-703321-Dec2012/

I honestly believe that Carers and the people they care for are being treated like second class citizens in this country, it is extremely upsetting considering that most carers work far in excess of 40 hours per week, it's often a 24/7 role with many struggling to get a nights uninterrupted sleep.

Most of the people I know who are in receipt of the respite grant use it on therapies and treatments that they can't obtain for their loved ones through the public health system, services such as occupational therapy, speech therapy etc.

I know other people who left highly paid roles to become carers and they use the respite grant just to make ends meet.

I hope pressure with be put on the government to overturn or reduce this cut :(:(

I don't really need the respite care grant at the moment, but 30-some years ago we had a baby with a terminal illness and it was quite impossible to get any respite at all. I couldn't leave him with friends as it wasn't fair to ask them to care for a baby with such an uncertain future. It was very hard on our other children, its only in that situation that you realise how important respite is.

Lady Chatterton

looksee wrote: »

I don't really need the respite care grant at the moment, but 30-some years ago we had a baby with a terminal illness and it was quite impossible to get any respite at all. I couldn't leave him with friends as it wasn't fair to ask them to care for a baby with such an uncertain future. It was very hard on our other children, its only in that situation that you realise how important respite is.

I do some work with young children with disabilities and what I've found from talking to their parents is that they tend to use payments like domiciliary care allowance and the respite grant to pay for basic services that they can't get from the HSE.

I'm living in Clare and there are huge waiting lists for services like Occupational Therapy, Speech and Language Therapy and Psychology service so parents tend to pay for these privately. Some of these therapies can cost between €75 and €150 per session.

As far as the respite grant is concerned, what the government fail to see is when you're caring for a child or adult with a disability or complex medical needs you can't access babysitters or help in the same way as other families. You have to pay for people who are qualified to deal with any medical issues that may arise, paying someone like that costs a lot of money.

Knine

This budget has been a direct attack on Carers who are the most vunerable in society.

Respite Care Grant
Childrens Allowance
More medication Costs
Motor Tax, many disabled children/adults can't go on public transport
Cutbacks in early intervention
Household Benefits Package.

It all really adds up in particular for Carers who are not in a position to supplement their income.

I'm sure also over the coming weeks there will be more sneaky cuts that will come to light

Skid

Of all the cuts in the Budget this was the meanest and least warranted.

Carers should be lauded and celebrated for the work they do. This was a cynical attack on an already modest payment to a group of people who the Government know are in the worst position of any sector to organise a protest.

sunbeam

I think that's half of the problem-most family carers aren't in a position to march on the Dail and publically embarrass the government. They don't automatically get annual leave, weekends or public holidays off. They aren't entitled to sick days or time off for doctor/dental visits etc. They are not in a position to bargain about their working conditions or go on strike and just keep going as long as they can for the sake of their loved ones. I wonder how our Dail deputies would cope having to work under such conditions.

I could have sworn that after the last FF budget Michael Noonan was on Primetime, specifically criticising the cuts to carers allowance and saying that surely the money could have been found elsewhere. Can't find a clip of this unfortunately.

mgn

Additionally there are cuts in the household benefits package-the ESB cut is particularly bad. [/QUOTE]


Whats happening with the cuts to the ESB.Do you get units to the value of 35 euro per month,or is the 35 euro to pay for standing charges too.

sunbeam

I'm not sure-they are very vague about it. From the ESB website 150 units at the standard rate of 0.1928 (inc vat) works out as 28.92. I took it that the 35 was to cover everything, but I hope I'm wrong.

mgn

I think i remember Joan Bruton saying yesterday something about shopping around for better unit prices,getting confusing.

Lady Chatterton

mgn wrote: »

I think i remember Joan Bruton saying yesterday something about shopping around for better unit prices,getting confusing.

I'm not sure about the household package but when she was asked about the cuts to the Back to School Allowance she definitely said that parents should shop around for the best deals on books and uniforms.

Knine

MrsD007 wrote: »

I'm not sure about the household package but when she was asked about the cuts to the Back to School Allowance she definitely said that parents should shop around for the best deals on books and uniforms.

As if mothers or fathers on a low income don't already shop around. FFS the books alone can cost twice the amount given

Lady Chatterton

Knine wrote: »

As if mothers or fathers on a low income don't already shop around. FFS the books alone can cost twice the amount given

I lost all time for Joan Burton over the cuts to DCA. I've spoken to quite a few parents who have received DCA refusals because their children with Down Syndrome or Autism were not deemed to be disabled enough. How bloody insulting :mad::mad::mad:

With regards to her comment in respect of the Back to School allowance, she is clearly out of touch - Firstly, school books tend to be the same price in all books shops and online suppliers so shopping around makes little difference.

Secondly, savings can sometimes be made on uniforms but there are schools that insist that children wear school jumpers, blazers or a pinafore with the school crest on them, these are usually provided by one supplier, so again there is no opportunity to save money there.

goulders

Its an awful pity we can't shop around for a better deal on our politicians

flutered

some four months ago the consultant i was attending told me to go home and live away the best i could, that a home care package would be arranged for me, i am still waiting to be contacted about it, perhaps they think that if they delay it long enough they will not have to supply it,

Lady Chatterton

Joan Burton is driving me completely nuts at the moment :mad::mad::mad: She was asked today about her decision to cut the respite grant by 20 percent and here's her reply:

Ms Burton said the cut of almost 20pc brings the carers respite grant back down to 2006 levels, telling RTE Radio: "I would like to be able to pay more but the fact is the Government must get the finances of the country and the economy of the country right."

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/budget/news/joan-burton-defends-cut-to-carers-grant-3318793.html

How many politicians would be happy to revert back to 2006 salaries? The answer is, very few!

End of rant

irishpancake

goulders wrote: »

Its an awful pity we can't shop around for a better deal on our politicians

But we can, and we should remind them, particularly Labour, that this is precisely what we will do at the next available opportunity.

It looks to me that FG will pull the rug out from under Labour on this Respite Care issue, as Brian Hayes and FG backbenchers are making more noise on this and they will reap the benefit, leaving Labour with a lot of egg on their face.

rubberdiddies

Of all the cuts ican remember in the recent budgets, this one sickens me the most.

It can only mean that the people that made this decision have never needed to care for someone and if they did, could afford to hire someone to do it for them.

This will make a saving of €25m next year, however just 2 days in hospital for all 77,000 cared for people will cost approx €30m (I'm basing that on what I think is a conservative figure of €200 per day in hospital).

Wheres the logic in that?
Why do we continue to have idiots running an entire country?

I brought this up with a local labour TD who happened to be at an event I was at last night. To say he was embarrassed is an understatement. I said to him that if he was truly embarrassed he should vote against his party leadership on this cut
Obviously I know that's not going to happen

sunbeam

Well when my mum was in hospital a couple of years ago there was a list on the ward wall of costs. If I can recall correctly the full economic cost of keeping her there (as a public patient) was over 1200 euro per day. And no, I didn't forget a decimal point.

That's over three times the reduction in the respite care grant.

Speak Now

MrsD007 wrote: »

I lost all time for Joan Burton over the cuts to DCA. I've spoken to quite a few parents who have received DCA refusals because their children with Down Syndrome or Autism were not deemed to be disabled enough. How bloody insulting :mad::mad::mad:

How do they decide if your new born baby with Downs is disabled enough?? All seems a bit crass :mad:

flutered

being disabled gives one the same entitlements as a marathon runner these days, the runner will brobably get a sports grant,

janmaree

It's been some weeks now and nothing to be heard about this cut anymore so I guess it's now cut in stone?

I just wish these politicians could realise that this grant is nowhere near enough to pay for any kind of meaningful respite care, for most of us it's just for chipping away at bills, not a fortnight's cruise. If they could be a fly on the wall to see us trying to cope with unhappy and confused elderly folk with mobility problems, vision impairment and incontinence difficulties, if they could see us bent over the washing machine day in, day out, if they could see us trying to be in two or three places at once when shopping needs to be done but toileting problems require constant assistance; if they could see what it's really like without their rose-tinted glasses, I don't think they would be quite so dismissive of our efforts. I really am very cross indeed about this cut and the way we have been so casually brushed aside.

There's a whole lot more to the carer's dilemma that doesn't even get mentioned, like caring until we're too old ourselves for re-employment and our savings are long gone, then being unceremoniously dumped on life's scrapheap when our care is no longer required. I dearly love the person I care for but I fear for the person that I have had to become in the process.

Lady Chatterton

janmaree wrote: »

It's been some weeks now and nothing to be heard about this cut anymore so I guess it's now cut in stone?

Yes, unfortunately the cut in the Respite Grant was passed in the Dáil and Seanad.

Phil Hogan did a u-turn on the alarm cuts to funding for personal panic alarms for the sick and elderly and we are supposed to grateful for that :rolleyes:

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/hogan-does-uturn-on-alarm-cuts-after-causing-distress-to-elderly-3350774.html

Knine

janmaree wrote: »

There's a whole lot more to the carer's dilemma that doesn't even get mentioned, like caring until we're too old ourselves for re-employment and our savings are long gone, then being unceremoniously dumped on life's scrapheap when our care is no longer required. I dearly love the person I care for but I fear for the person that I have had to become in the process.

This is a very worrying issue for many Carers, particularly those who care for their children with a disablity and therefore may spend many years caring. The goverment just don't care. They need a Carers Strategy in place for people who have been providing a high level of care for many years.

I also heard during the week the the North West Dublin Section of the Carers Association has closed this week due to lack of funds.

Lady Chatterton

Knine wrote: »

This is a very worrying issue for many Carers, particularly those who care for their children with a disablity and therefore may spend many years caring. The goverment just don't care.

This could be a very important case, the current DCA application and review process is very unjust in my opinion.

Knine

MrsD007 wrote: »

This could be a very important case, the current DCA application and review process is very unjust in my opinion.

I seen that earlier. There is a Facebook Group DCA Warriors set up to help support the fight for DCA.

anne9876anne

I am looking after 2 family members. Both are house bound, one is in bed most of the time because of having no power & needs constant care. I am only being paid fully for one person & 50% for the 2nd person. Not to happy with that but thats the way it is. The respite grant will be paid in june & i will be cut for 2 people, yet i am only being paid for one & a half. Now that is what i have a grievence with. If i was getting full payment for 2 people then obviously i could expect my grant to be cut for 2. But i am only getting paid for one & a half, then my grant should be only cut by one & a half. I cant leave the house because they depend on me so much, which means i cant get a part time job to try & make ends meet. Some days are very hard & even though the house is busy with callers etc, sometimes i feel so alone. I am just having a bad day & wanted to take my fustrations out on somthing or someone & i am sorry for anyone that is reading this because i know i am rambling on. But its good to get it off my chest sometimes. Sorry again. Rant over. I feel a bit better.

janmaree

Hi Anne, rant away I say! When you're feeling overwhelmed, it's either that or blow! You have so much on your plate that it's totally understandable how frustrated you feel and as for the house full of callers, well, that's a whole other kind of frustration. I'm in the same boat as you but I only care for 1 person and it takes absolutely all I've got to give. People don't realise that caring can be all consuming depending on the circumstances; you no longer have any kind of meaningful life of your own, you have very little personal privacy let alone the famous "me time" that makes me want to smack the face of anyone who mentions it!!! And then, on top of all the heavy duty grind that constitutes caring for incapacitated people, you have the constant fear of what happens to you when the caring is over. Do we join the dole queue, are we still young enough to be employable, are our skills still current enough to attract employers or are we all washed up, broke and possibly even homeless? The callers don't get that, and they wouldn't want to hear it anyway as long as it doesn't affect them - you are lucky indeed if they even ask how YOU are doing. The kind of loneliness that comes with the territory is truly depressing and you end up feeling like some kind of utensil, useful for the job at hand but disposable when there's no longer a use for you. So rant away Anne because I hear you, I'm there with you and going through the same thing. I would say though, if you haven't already done it, maybe make a call to the Carer's section, (Citizens Information online should have the contact details if you don't) and have a chat with them about it. I have found them to be very approachable and considerate although they are under awful pressure these days, it certainly can't hurt to try.

I really don't think you should feel bad about posting here when you feel like this, BTW, or indeed at any other time, I think that's what this new section is for.

Thinking of you and please keep in touch.
J.

anne9876anne

I thaught i was the only one in the world, talking about how hard it is doing full time caring. I know i'm not but its nice to hear other carers telling their stories. That's why it is so nice to have a place like BOARDS to chat to more people like me. I want to thanks to J for taking the time & trouble to reply to my post. It just goes to show that, yes there are people out there in the same boat as me but also that people in our situation need to talk to each other. Even if we cant change much, its good to talk. It takes a bit of the pressure off, somehow. Thanks again J. You seem to be a really nice careing person. We will keep in touch. Until next time, take care of yourself & remember i am only a message away.

SandySue

Hi Anne, just seen this thread. Your post is very brave and honest. Helped me to see others are going through the same thing. Sending you every good wish. Took on the same role myself, gave up job etc. to look after severely disabled parent and sibling. Used up all my savings and continue to use my allowance for all the little extras that our loved ones need to make life a bit more bearable for them (like all Carers). Never felt so lonely, exhausted and worthless in my life. I have several siblings, without family responsibilities, in some of the highest paid professions in this country - very generous with orders, absolutely no help otherwise. We really are invisible to society. Dread the future when I'm no longer needed as a Carer. However, like, I suspect most of us, would do it again in a heart-beat.
Your right- we should all keep this Board alive and stay in touch.
Take care

anne9876anne

Hi Sandy. Your life is the same as mine. You know, all us carers should all get together & have a good old chin wag. Its great to talk to someone who understands. Unless you are in this position, most people just dont understand what we have to do. I'm not saying its a thankless job but the people that should say thanks, ie, the family, just take it all for granted. I am looking after my mother & father in law. Both house bound. When my mother in law was discharged from hospital, the family said they would all rally round, & they did, for about 3 or 4 days. Then i was on my own. The only one that offered me a life line is the home help. She is a real lady, she comes for an hour each morning. For the rest of the day i am on my own. So i am very thankful i have such a nice person calling to the house each day. But never mind, things could be worse. Thank God, I have great health & our youngest son (16) is still at home, & he is my life. My other 3 kids have all moved out & working so i know i am very lucky. I could chat on this page all day but you dont want to reading about all my worries & problems. You have enough on your plate. We will keep in touch. Until next time, take care of yourself.

Joey the lips

A this thread is about cuts to the respite grant there is a lot I can say but will restrict it to this area.

Firstly on the respite grant. For years by both labour Fine Gael and previous govt. we were told the importance of paying respite for the sanity of cares but what is missed is while we have gotten a cut to respite we also got the household tax which means its a double cut.

Additionally a lot of carers have seen cuts to support services. You try get a councillor in the HSE. It won't happen. You will get a physchriatrist who's only solution is to medicate you.

What's also missed is support tools like medical cards etc. many carers will loose there medical cards due to new income limits which on paper might seem like your loaded but when attached to that mortgage that's killing you your not.


On the cut to the respite grant and the line "we are broke" it's not washing. Let me explain why. Labour and Fine Gael both understood and promised that carers were one of the most vulnerable in society. They recognised they were the element of society that were most at risk.they know all this years. They know that anything they say to justify a cut to carers is unjustifiable.

When a politician knocks on my door I simply say " I am a carer if you were me would you vote labour/fine Gael.

Knine

Joey the lips wrote: »

A this thread is about cuts to the respite grant there is a lot I can say but will restrict it to this area.

Firstly on the respite grant. For years by both labour Fine Gael and previous govt. we were told the importance of paying respite for the sanity of cares but what is missed is while we have gotten a cut to respite we also got the household tax which means its a double cut.

Additionally a lot of carers have seen cuts to support services. You try get a councillor in the HSE. It won't happen. You will get a physchriatrist who's only solution is to medicate you.

What's also missed is support tools like medical cards etc. many carers will loose there medical cards due to new income limits which on paper might seem like your loaded but when attached to that mortgage that's killing you your not.


On the cut to the respite grant and the line "we are broke" it's not washing. Let me explain why. Labour and Fine Gael both understood and promised that carers were one of the most vulnerable in society. They recognised they were the element of society that were most at risk.they know all this years. They know that anything they say to justify a cut to carers is unjustifiable.

When a politician knocks on my door I simply say " I am a carer if you were me would you vote labour/fine Gael.

Also add in the increased prescription costs, cuts to telephone, ESB allowance, the nappies & pads were changed to a different supplier & they are useless,

The last budget was a major attack on the most vunerable in society.

fergal.b

And the bin tags were another big hit for me, with nappies,peg feeds and dressings I have to put out my bin every week sometimes having to use my inlaws bin.:(






.

johnj1969

Hi,

Does anybody know if i am entitled to the respite grant. I am a full-time carer for my husband,who is on disability allowance & claiming for me. We never seen any reason to change the payment over as i collect our payment weekly.

I got passed from april last year after 7 years of applying but because i wasnt 6 months caring i could'nt apply for last years respite grant. But now i am extremely worried as i just seen on SW site that you cannot be getting a social welfare payment to qualify for the respite grant.

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

Please if anybody can shed some light i would appreciate it.

Caroline.

flutered

it comes automatically, it is shelled out on the first or second week of june, the tories/ joan burton hit it in the last budget.

Speak Now

johnj1969 wrote: »

Hi,

Does anybody know if i am entitled to the respite grant. I am a full-time carer for my husband,who is on disability allowance & claiming for me. We never seen any reason to change the payment over as i collect our payment weekly.

I got passed from april last year after 7 years of applying but because i wasnt 6 months caring i could'nt apply for last years respite grant. But now i am extremely worried as i just seen on SW site that you cannot be getting a social welfare payment to qualify for the respite grant.

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

Please if anybody can shed some light i would appreciate it.

Caroline.

I think you would already have a letter confirming next months respite grant payment if you were down to get it.

johnj1969

Jerry Seinfeld wrote: »

I think you would already have a letter confirming next months respite grant payment if you were down to get it.

It does'nt say anything about a letter on the information page,just that its automatically paid to full-time carers,which i am one of 24/7. This is what it says on main SW Carers information page:

"The Respite Care Grant is an annual payment for full-time carers who look after certain people in need of full-time care and attention. The payment is made regardless of the carer's means but is subject to certain conditions."

I think i may have read it wrong as it says if you are in reciept of SW payment & working 15hrs a week then i wouldn't be entitled. My stomach got weak when i read it at first...

To all other full-time carers out there,i would say take it a day at a time,unless you are doing it its hard to imagine how hard it is..God Bless.


C.

Speak Now

johnj1969 wrote: »

It does'nt say anything about a letter on the information page,just that its automatically paid to full-time carers,which i am one of 24/7. This is what it says on main SW Carers information page:

"The Respite Care Grant is an annual payment for full-time carers who look after certain people in need of full-time care and attention. The payment is made regardless of the carer's means but is subject to certain conditions."

I think i may have read it wrong as it says if you are in reciept of SW payment & working 15hrs a week then i wouldn't be entitled. My stomach got weak when i read it at first...

To all other full-time carers out there,i would say take it a day at a time,unless you are doing it its hard to imagine how hard it is..God Bless.


C.

We got a letter 2 weeks ago confirming date and payment amount.

johnj1969

Just got news that my respite grant has been set up for payment. If anybody is in my position & worried like i was Phone respite carers section & take it from there, I dont know if i am allowed to give Phone No here...

It was a huge relief to hear the news direct. Good luck to all carers & carers waiting on carers allowance/benefit.


Caroline.:)