allowancws

[maricharle]

Hi All, As I found it extremely difficult to get a copy of the Local Authority policy on SG regs and the allowances I wonder how many other people have had the same problem. It took my solicitor 9 months and 4 final hearings to receive a copy. Obiviously it's as well guarded as the crown jewels which are kept a few miles down the road.

The allowances are made up of two components the first the national minimum allowance and the second the needs based allowance. The latter is made up of bands A-E which attracts a percentage of the national minimum allowance 0%-100%. Starting from no additional needs at A 0%, Educational statement ect at B 25%, sensory impairment etc C at 50% so on and so forth. These components appear to be income led and not so stringently means tested as the main allowance.

The local Authority I dealt with never mentioned them prior to filing their support package at the first final hearing. Therfore I wonder have other Local Authorities failed to mention them and are all those who are entitled to these allowances receiving them.

I thought I would mention this because if carers who would be entitled to these alowances are not being told about them then, any Local Authority not doing so could be challenged.

Like everyone else on this site I hate the discriminatory policy on allowances and look forward to the day we have a single allowance for all.

[Help 1870]

Some LA's are really good at publishing their allowances and they are easy to find. Many arent though, which kind of makes you wonder what they are hiding, or even if this have considered a childs needs in this way.

I know a LA close to us doesnt use needs based payments outside of therapeutic or treatment fostering payments, yet one 50 or so miles up the road does.

I was once told that if I want something I had to ask for it. I received a shrug of shoulders when I replied if you dont tell me what is available how do I know I should be asking.

[youngagain]

Under the special guardianship guidance section 103 says that local authorities have a duty to provide enabling information to prospective special guardians with that enabling information being advice on how to access an assessment for special guardianship support services including financial.The information has to be provided as I understand it 3 months prior to the making of any sgo so that prospective special guardians are fully informed on how to faceless support. Importantly the law says that a prospective special guardian is one that has notified the local authority of their intentions to seek an SGO. It is also important that you personally read the report to the court provided and compiled by the L.A. as in our case the L.A. did not advise of any support available and fraudulently entered in to the report that we had rejected any offer of financial support.They later admitted not providing the information. So check the report before the court has seen it and challenge it in court if needs be.

[youngagain]

Whoops I meant access not faceless although it seems quite coincidentally fitting

[yogibear]

Firstly I will admit to being utterly uninformed regarding all/any allowance we could get?
The first time we had my g/s for 9months, and received nothing.
This time round ( going to court Monday for r/o ) He's been here since October, trying to think of a way to put this without upsetting any one....
We decided... rightly or wrongly? that as we are reasonably financially secure, we wouldn't try for anything, and any monies we could have had would go to someone else more in need? But after reading some recent threads, maybe we should look at things again. I would like to add though, what ever financial position we were in.... that boy would/will always have been welcome and loved here with us.

Of all the things I've lost. I miss my mind the most.

[maricharle]

Hi Youngagain, IF you and I were not given the information it raises the question as to how many others weren't or whether carers are receiving the allowances they are legally entitled to. Like help said it makes you wonder what some of them are hiding by not giving out the information they're supposed to. I believe it's all about their budget and what they can get away with. For them budgetary savings come before the needs of vulnerable children.

From some of the posts on the sight particullarly where people are getting little or no allowance at all and where child/ren in their care have additional needs I would not be in the least surprised to find out some have not had their needs assessed. Please don't anyone take this statement as a critisism of carers as it's directed toward Local Authorities like the one I dealt with.

The access to resources manager involved in my case clearly stated my grandson had no additional needs. He ignored the fact completely that he was given one to one attention at school all day, was not allowed to mix with other children at lunch-time and had threatened staff with a large piece of glass these are just a few examples of what he must surely have regarded as acceptable behaviour. The man completely ignored what all the professionals said about his behavioral problems.

[Help 1870]

The very best of luck in court on Monday Yogibear.

Even if you are financially secure, it does no harm to be assessed for financial support, and if you can bear the intrusion, to continue being assessed for it at regular intervals. Even if that support is not awarded now or only awarded as a nominal amount, none of us knows what the future holds and it could be required at a later date, it will be easier to access if you are already in the system.

[maricharle]

Hi Yogi bear, I agree with Help. If you can get some sort of financial support it may be the Local Authority could help with court fees as well if you are ever taken back to court over contact issues as many people have been.

All the very best for Monday I will be thinking of you.

[youngagain]

Best of luck Monday yogibear,maricharle the reality is that councils do not assess children's needs in some circumstances and the whole subject is a legal minefield.I am at the latter stages of challenging the council over this subject,I do not expect to win or does the child want for anything but in principle after the way we were all treated, I am exhausting all avenues to expose the councils under handed policies.