Isn’t it discriminatory and intrusive that disabled people have to have all our disability related expenses scrutinised. Other people don’t have to justify every single thing they do or buy?
Could talking therapy, as a form of counselling, be considered a valid Disability Related Expenditure?
Annex C of the Care and Support Statutory Guidance states a claim for Disability Related Expenditure (DRE) arises when there are: any heating costs, or metered costs of water, above the average levels for the area and housing typeSo, if an individual lives alone in a property, their disability requires that room temperature is maintained at a particular level and, as a result, an above average heating cost bill arises the excess can be claimed as DRE. However, our local authority’s policy is modified if the property has two or more occupants. Any above average heating costs are apportioned between each occupant on the basis that each occupant derives a benefit from the additional heating costs. If there is a family of three persons in the property one of whom is disabled and requires additional heating their DRE claim is one third of the excess above average heating levels.The authority’s policy seems questionable:
In March I successfully managed to get my partner’s care contributions reduced to nothing after submitting his disability related expenditure but today he has received a letter unexpectedly from a new social worker saying he needs a review and he only had one completed just before Christmas. (Checked and it’s not an admin error they intend to visit.) There is no reason we can think of why this is necessary and I’m worried this is happening because they want to reduce his care now that he’s no longer paying such a big contribution. Can they do this?
Part 8.2 of the Care Act guidance relates to encouraging people to plan for future costs of education – 1) how does this work? 2) How is this accommodated within a financial assessment? 3) Can the cost of a future degree course be submitted as a DRE?