Am I a Carer? Expand A carer looks after a friend, partner, family member or someone in the community who needs help due to illness, disability or frailty. Carers are unpaid but may still receive welfare benefits like Carers Allowance. You do not have to care full time or live with the person you care for or receive Carers Allowance to be a carer. Caring for someone covers lots of different things, including: Personal care – help with washing, dressing, eating and taking medication Practical care – shopping, cooking, cleaning and help to attend appointments Emotional support if someone is isolated or gets worried and anxious.
Do I have to live in Redbridge? Expand I don’t live in the same borough or County as the person I care for – who should I ask for help? It is the duty of the local authority or Council where the person you care for lives to assess their care and support needs and to offer you a Carers Assessment. If you live in Redbridge or the person you care for lives in Redbridge – you can access our support services. If you want to find a carers centre closer to where you or your dependent lives search here Carers Trust Website.
What is Carers Assessment and how do I get one? Expand What is a Carers Assessment and how do I get one? Under the Care Act 2014 if you are providing unpaid care for someone you are entitled to a Carers Assessment. (This applies to carers over the age of 18). A Carers Assessment is a discussion between you and the Council, face to face or via telephone to look at the impact that caring has on your life. The Council will use the information you have given them during the assessment to produce a support plan detailing the help you will get as a carer. Carers in Redbridge eligible for support services from the Council are subject to the Council’s charging policy. The level of charge is determined by a financial assessment and takes into account the financial circumstances of the carer. You can learn more about Carers Assessments and how to prepare for them on our Carers Rights page. To request a Carers Assessment, call Redbridge Adult Social Care's First Contact Team on 020 8708 7333, option 2, or refer yourself on the Redbridge Adult Social Care website.
Preparing for an Assessment Expand Prior to the assessment try to think about all the things that you have to do as a carer and any difficulties you have because of your caring role. Are you sleeping and do you get enough exercise? Do you have time to yourself? Are your relationships affected? Are you worried about having to give up work or education? Are you isolated? Is the person you care for getting enough help? Do you struggle with the level of care you are providing and what is the impact on your physical and mental health and wellbeing. You can also ask about respite or having a break from caring as it may benefit your wellbeing. To request for a Carers Assessment click on this link to Redbridge Social Services
Getting help for the person you care for Expand Getting help for the person you care for If the person you care for needs more support or you need a break from caring either you or the person you care for can contact your local Council and ask for a Needs Assessment. The Needs Assessment should look at the support needs of the person being cared for regardless of any help you are providing as a carer. Your Council will use the national eligibility criteria to determine if someone is eligible for support services, including help with personal care, getting out in the community, staying safe and accessing work, education and volunteering opportunities. The assessment will look at how a person’s needs affect their wellbeing and quality of life. As a carer you can get involved in the assessment process with the consent of the person you care for. Try to be honest about the support you provide and any impact this has on you. Remember, it should never be assumed that you are able or happy to provide care, be clear about what you are willing to do. If someone is eligible for support a care plan will be agreed explaining what the person’s care needs are and how they will be met. Once the care plan has been agreed the person being cared for should get a copy. If this has not been done, make sure you request a copy. Someone eligible to receive care and support will also be financially assessed to see whether they need to pay for all or some of their support. The financial assessment will look at the person’s income and capital, (savings, investments etc), and take into account any day to day outgoings and disability related expenditure.
What help is there for parent carers? Expand Parent carers can access support from several organisations in Redbridge. Redbridge Children's Services If you are the parent of a child with a disability, you can request an assessment from Redbridge Council to determine if you are eligible for a care package. The Redbridge Children with Disabilities Team provides support to children and young people who have been diagnosed with a permanent, severe or profound disability, and their families. Parents, carers, professionals or members of the public can make a referral to the Redbridge Multi-agency Safeguarding Hub to request support for children and young people who require services from the Children with Disabilities Service. To request support, complete the referral form here. Information and advice can be obtained from the Children with Disabilities Service Duty Worker by contacting 020 8708 6092. RIASS (Redbridge Information, Advice and Support Service) RIASS provides advice and support to children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and their parents or carers in Redbridge. RIASS provides guidance on navigating services for children with SEND, including Education, Health and Care plans (EHCPs), educational support services, appeals, SEND travel assistance, and so on. Lean more on their website here. Empowering Parents Together (EPT) EPT helps parent carers of children and young people aged 0-25 with special educational needs and disabilities to improve and make positive changes to not only their lives but also the lives of their families. They provide information, support and training to empower them to take part in helping to shape local services and make a difference in Redbridge. EPT host coffee mornings and workshops for parents and carers. To learn more about their work and how to join as a member, visit their website.
I am under 18 and caring for someone – what help can I get? Expand RCSS support carers from the age of 16 (see our Young Adult Carers page). We understand that young carers miss out on many of the opportunities available to their peers including education and training. We offer information and advice on employment, training, and education opportunities. We work alongside Carers Trust UK Young Carers Futures Programme to locate opportunities for young carers and partner with Morgan Sindall to provide free courses. From April 2015 all young carers are entitled to an assessment from their local authority. The assessment should take a whole family approach taking into account how the needs of the person being cared for impact on the child who is identified as a possible young carer, or any other member of the household. The Care Act 2014 places a duty on local authorities to assess young carers before they turn 18 so they have the information they need to plan for their future. This is called a Transition Assessment. The assessment must consider whether the young carer is likely to have support needs after they turn 18 and how eligible needs can be met under the adult statute. Young Carers Under 16 Anyone in Redbridge under the age of 16 and caring for someone can access support, advice, and social opportunities from Endorphins. To request support or information from Endorphins, call 07595 304 532 or email [email protected].
What financial support is available for carers? Expand Welfare Benefit Fact Sheet Here is a summary of the main benefits you may be entitled to as a carer along with information about how to claim them. Please note, this is a brief guide only and intended to help you decide if you may be eligible to make a claim. Benefits can be complicated to calculate but there is a lot of helpful information online via the Government website www.gov.uk You may also speak to a member of our Community Support Team or book an Advice Surgery Appointment contact us on 020 8514 6251 . Carers Allowance (CA) Carers Allowance is the main benefit for carers. To be eligible for Carers Allowance you must be aged 16 or over and not in full time education. You must also be providing at least 35 hours of care for someone per week. Carers Allowance is not based on your National Insurance contributions nor is it means tested so is not based on you or our partner’s income or capital. However, if you work the amount you earn can affect your entitlement and if you earn more than £123 per week, (after deductions), you will not be eligible to receive the benefit. To claim Carers Allowance the person you care for must be in receipt of a qualifying benefit: The middle or higher rate of the care component of Disability Living Allowance (DLA); Either rate of the daily living component of Personal Independence Payment (PIP); Either rate of Attendance Allowance (AA); Armed Forces Independence Payment (AFIP). If you are already in receipt of certain benefits including the State Pension this may affect your entitlement to Carers Allowance. For more information click on the link for Carers Allowance. To request a CA claim form: 0800 731 0297 Personal Independence Payment (PIP) If you are aged 16 – 64 and have a long term disability or need help with daily activities and you are not already receiving Disability Living Allowance you can claim PIP. PIP is a tax free benefit and is non means tested i.e. you can claim it regardless of your income, savings or National Insurance contributions. You can claim PIP if you are working or in education or if you are in receipt of Carers Allowance and have care needs yourself. PIP does not affect other benefits and can help you to qualify for certain benefits such as help with Council Tax. You may spend your PIP however you choose and you do not have to use it to pay for care. However, the Council can take PIP into account during a financial assessment for care services. There are two components of PIP; a daily living component and a mobility component and either can be paid at the standard or enhanced Rate: Please check on Personal Independent Payment for the current rates or to apply. You can receive payments for one or both components of PIP. The assessment for PIP looks at how your disability or condition affects your mobility and/or your ability to carry out daily activities and scores you accordingly. The first stage of the claim process is a telephone call to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), who will ask you some questions to check you are eligible to claim. Make sure you have your National Insurance Number and details of your GP or health professional with you during the call. If you are deemed eligible you will be sent a claim form to complete asking for information about how your disability affects you. You normally have to complete the PIP form within 1 month. Your completed form is looked at by a health professional and you may be invited to a face to face consultation. A decision letter about your claim will be sent to you within 6-8 weeks. If you do not agree with the decision the letter includes details about how you may appeal. To claim PIP call: 0800 917 2222 Attendance Allowance (AA) Attendance Allowance is a non means tested benefit that can be claimed by anyone over the age of 65 with care needs. You can also be a carer with care needs and already claiming Carers Allowance and it will not affect your benefits. The person you care for may also be eligible for AA. Claiming AA may help you to get other benefits such as help with Council Tax. However, the Council can take AA into account during a financial assessment for care services. You may spend your AA however you choose and you do not have to use it to pay for care. To be eligible for AA you must be over state pensionable age and need help looking after yourself because you have an illness or disability. You must have the illness or disability for at least 6 months before you quality for AA. (You can make the claim beforehand but will not be paid any benefit before 6 months have passed). Please click on the link to get more information, Attendance Allowance. To claim you should ring the AA Helpline (numbers at the bottom of this factsheet) and ask for a form to be sent to you. You will have around 6 weeks to complete the form. The form is very long as it asks questions about the help you need both during the day and the night. The type of help you need must include personal care e.g. help with washing, taking medication, communicating etc and/or monitoring e.g. needing to be checked on for your own safety. To receive the Higher Rate of AA you must need help both during the day and night. Remember, what matters is whether you need the help, not whether you are already getting it. To request an AA claim form: 0800 731 0122 Pension Credit Pension Credit is a means tested benefit for anyone that has reached State Pensionable age and have income or capital under a certain amount. Please note, the State Pension age is gradually increasing and is set to be 66 by October 2020 irrespective of gender. The rules for mixed aged couples changed in May 2019 and if only one of you is over State Pension age you must claim Universal Credit instead. If both of you are over State Pension age then you are eligible to claim Pension Credit. There are two parts to Pension Credit, Guarantee Pension Credit and Savings Pension Credit. Guarantee Pension Credit tops up your income to the appropriate amount the Government says you need to live on based on a ‘minimum guarantee’ and any other amounts you are entitled to. (Additional amounts can include a Carer Addition if you are receiving Carers Allowance for example). Savings Pension Credit rewards people over State Pension age that have a second pension or modest savings. Your income and capital will affect the amount you get. If you reached State Pension age on or after 16th April 2016 you are no longer eligible for Pension Savings Credit. This is unless your partner reached State Pension age before this cut off date or you were already in receipt of the benefit. To check the current rates click on the link for Pension Credit. To claim Pension Credit call: 0800 991 234 To get more information on current rates on various benefit click on this link: Benefit and Pension Rates
What are my rights as a working carer? Expand There are around three million people in the UK juggling work and caring – so you are not alone! It is your decision whether to tell your employer that you are caring, but it could be helpful as your employer may be understanding and have policies in place that offer additional support to the legal requirements. If you have been in your job for 26 continuous weeks or more you are entitled to ask for flexible working. You should make the request in writing to your employer setting out the different working patterns that you want and how these will support your caring role and enable you to continue working effectively. Your employer can refuse your request but needs to have a good reason for doing so. If you need time off work for an emergency you may be able to use the right to time off for dependents. The time requested needs to be reasonable under the circumstances and does not have to be paid. Many carers leave work because of their caring responsibilities. Leaving work is a big decision and you should consider how this will affect your wellbeing as well as your finances. Try to consider all of the alternatives, like flexible working, paid/unpaid leave or even a career break and discuss this with your employer. For more information on employer/employee rights and responsibilities visit ACAS. Carer's Leave Carers are eligible for one week of unpaid carer's leave. Employees can take up to one week of leave every 12 months. A ‘week’ means the length of time they usually work over 7 days. For example, if someone usually works 3 days a week, they can take 3 days of carer’s leave. They can either take a whole week off or take individual days or half days throughout the year. For more information on your right to carer's leave, visit the UK government website here.
Planning for emergencies – what happens when you are not around to provide care? Expand When you care full time for someone, having an emergency plan in place can give you piece of mind in the event of an accident, family crisis or emergency. It’s a good idea to make a list of emergency contacts and keep it in an easily accessible place. Ensure you have an In Case of Emergency (ICE) contact in any mobile phones (simply preface the contact name with ICE). Tell your employer you are a carer in case you need emergency time off. Have a Carers Assessment. Tell your GP you are a carer.
Lifeline Expand Lifeline – Lifeline is an alarm which is programmed to your home telephone, and a pendant which can be worn on the wrist or around the neck. When pressed, staff at the Redbridge Control Centre will be alerted to the fact that you need help and act appropriately. Immediate support is provided 24 hours a day, and the Service can include text messaging for those who are deaf or hearing impaired. To be eligible for the Redbridge Lifeline Service you must be resident in Redbridge and have a land-line telephone. Anyone caring for an adult (18 and over) can apply for an emergency alert card. For more information look at Redbridge Lifeline and Telecare Services.
Telecare Expand Telecare – Assisted technology is available for installation in the home to help promote independent living. This includes bed and chair sensors, fall detectors and property exit sensors, alongside monitors that detect potentially dangerous situations such as smoke, fire, carbon monoxide and gas. The various Telecare sensors are linked to the Lifeline alarm service and are monitored by Redbridge Control Centre staff who will arrange help when the sensors are triggered. You can ask the Council for an assessment to see if you are eligible for support to have assisted technology in your home. If you do not want to be assessed by the Council you can contact Redbridge Lifeline directly. Please note, Lifeline and Telecare services may be free of charge if you are on certain eligible benefits or you have been assessed as eligible by the Council, (including a financial assessment). If you do have to pay for the service you can find details of the costs and more information can be found on this website Redbridge Adult Social Services (My Life). For more information look at Redbridge Lifeline and Telecare Services.
Planning for the future Expand Lasting Power of Attorney allows a person to make decisions on behalf of a person who lacks mental capacity. Mental capacity is the ability to make and communicate decisions. When making a Lasting Power of Attorney, the person who gives permission for someone to make decisions on their behalf is called a donor. The person who makes decisions on a person’s behalf is called an attorney. There are two types of Lasting Power of Attorney: Property and Financial Affairs (covering financial and property decisions) and Health and Welfare (covering decisions about health and care). To be valid, a Lasting Power of Attorney must be registered with the Office for Public Guardian. You will also need a certificate provider to register a Lasting Power of Attorney. This is someone who can confirm that the person making the Lasting Power of Attorney knows what they are doing and is not being pressured or coerced. There is a fee to register a Lasting Power of Attorney although there are reductions or exemptions under certain circumstances. Remember, once a person loses mental capacity they can no longer grant a Lasting Power of Attorney. In this instance, the Office of Public Guardian can appoint someone called a Deputy to make decisions on their behalf. This is just a summary of some of the points to consider when making a Lasting Power of Attorney, for more information visit power of attorney or Office of the Public Guardian. (insert links for these). You do not have to appoint a solicitor but as in all legal matters professional advice is advisable and can give you piece of mind.
Looking after your health as a carer Expand Being a carer can be hard work but you need to make sure you look after yourself too. Keeping healthy will reduce the risk of you being unable to look after someone due to a problem with your own health. Below are some top tips on keeping healthy and making sure you look after your own needs: Tell your GP or health professional that you are a carer. Tell your doctor if you’re feeling low and ask what help they can give you. If you’re looking after someone, look after yourself too. You matter just as much as the person you care for. Look after your health. Make sure you get regular check-ups from your doctor. If you’ve got a symptom you’re concerned about, get it checked out quickly. Don’t leave it to get worse. Try to take a few minutes every to relax and centre yourself and do something that lifts your mood. Look after yourself emotionally. Caring is hard, and can be draining and make you feel depressed, low or anxious. Talk to us, or other carers, friends or family members about how you feel. Join one of our support groups or activities to meet other carers. Ask for help, people often want to help but don’t know how. Give them specific things that need doing and specific times you need them to come. They may well be pleased to be asked and this could give you a welcome break. Take a break, even for a few hours. This will help your recharge your batteries. Use this for your interests if you can, rather than chores like grocery shopping. You may be able to get some funding to help with the cost of respite services as part of a Needs or Carers Assessment from Adult Social Services. To ask for a carers assessment contact Redbridge Social Services on 0208 708 7333 Don’t feel alone. Get in touch with other carers or other people with interests similar to yours. If it’s difficult to get out, you could join an online group if you have access to a computer. Redbridge Carers Support Service hold regular support groups where you can meet other carers for mutual support or to socialise. We also provide volunteer befrienders who can visit you at home for a chat or take you out. If you would like a volunteer just call us. Eat well. A balanced diet includes at least five different portions of fruit and vegetables a day (either fresh, frozen or tinned). A third of your diet should consist of starchy foods (bread, cereals, potatoes, pasta and rice). Also try to cut back on salt, sugar, saturated fats and 'trans fats' which can push up your cholesterol level and increase your risk of heart disease. Your GP can provide you with dietary advice. Exercise, even going for a walk around the block or doing a few stretching exercises can help improve your fitness and mobility. Exercise can also lift your mood and help you sleep better. Join one of our weekly activities like Tai Chi, Chair Based or yoga to improve your health and wellbeing. You can make friends too.
Health and Wellbeing Toolkits for Carers Explore our FAQs about health and wellbeing resources tailored for carers, including helpful toolkits and links to trusted websites. Expand What are health and wellbeing toolkits for carers? Our toolkits are designed to provide carers with practical guidance, support, and strategies to manage their health and wellbeing in challenging times. Where can carers find reliable resources? We’ve compiled a list of trusted websites and organisations offering valuable information and services. These include mental health support, physical wellness guides, and stress management techniques. Explore our curated links: • Carers UK • NHS Health and Wellbeing • Mind - Mental Health Support Don’t hesitate to use these resources to focus on your own wellbeing.