Means Tested SGO Payments

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EVG
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Means Tested SGO Payments

Post by EVG » Wed Feb 28, 2007 9:40 am

I am confused. Many people are quite rightly complaining about having a time limit of say two years put on their SGO payments and then it is means tested. However, my local authority means tests for the SGO allowance right from the beginning and every single year of the SGO order. So why are local authorities giving out this two year rule when after only one year they should be means testing anyway because that is in the regulations?

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Robin D
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Re: Means Tested SGO Payments

Post by Robin D » Wed Feb 28, 2007 12:55 pm

I suspect its because in some cases the carer is actually a foster carer to the child. I'e. The child is looked after by teh local authority and is placed with those applying for the SGO. In these circumstances, the LA can continue to pay the fostering alloence for two years. In other cases, its simply because the LA seem to be getting into a right old muddle! [:(]

Robin

Grandparent carer in Suffolk [:)]
Former F&F carer, foster carer, adopter and respite carer for umpteen children. Now retired and when with kids, making sure they 'go home' at the end of the day.

Bonnie
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Re: Means Tested SGO Payments

Post by Bonnie » Wed Feb 28, 2007 3:27 pm

Hi EVG, my grandchildren were places with me via SW so therefor I was being paid kinship allowance. When I get an SGO these payments will continue for two years, then I will have to reaply and it will then be means tested.

My arguement with LA has been that they can not and will not work out an offer on my present circumstances to at least give me some idea of what payment I would get in two years time.
LA will not commit that they will gaurentee any payment when it is means tested. LA want me to accept this as a financial offer. How can I accept this as they refuse to give me a figure. Its rediculous!

Bonnie xx
(((H U G S )))

EVG
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Re: Means Tested SGO Payments

Post by EVG » Wed Feb 28, 2007 3:48 pm

quote:Originally posted by Robin D

I suspect its because in some cases the carer is actually a foster carer to the child. I'e. The child is looked after by teh local authority and is placed with those applying for the SGO. In these circumstances, the LA can continue to pay the fostering alloence for two years. In other cases, its simply because the LA seem to be getting into a right old muddle! [:(]

Robin

Grandparent carer in Suffolk [:)]


Robin I am a foster carer for my grandchildren but I receive only a very small basic fostering allowance. This does not give me the right to receive the remuneration part for two years into SGO. That two years refers to foster carers who get paid a wage or what they call remuneration in addition to the basic fostering allowance.

EVG
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Re: Means Tested SGO Payments

Post by EVG » Wed Feb 28, 2007 3:56 pm

Bonnie and Robin. This is all very confusing for me to try and explain but what I am asking is if SGO allowances according to the regulations are means tested at the start of an SGO order and every year thereafter then this 'means testing at two years' does not make sense because they will already have been means tested in the previous two years! This suggests that a means test at two years is no different than a means test at one year.

Regulation 46 b states:

that he will complete and supply the local authority with an annual statement as to the following matters:
his financial circumstances

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Robin D
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Re: Means Tested SGO Payments

Post by Robin D » Wed Feb 28, 2007 4:52 pm

You are correct. Perhaps I've not made it clear and LA policies haven't helped much. .[V]

Its reasonably simple if we wipe away the mist! [;)] I believe the regulations can be summed up in the following two paragraphs:

If you apply for an SGO and are not currently a 'LA foster parent', any allowance will always be means-tested from day one and reviewed annually. You may not get an allowance at all either because the means test puts you out of range, or because the LA decides not to give you one as they are only obliged to assess you for support, not to provide it.

However, if you are applying for an SGO and are a 'LA foster parent', the LA can (but need not) continue to pay any remuneration part of the fostering allowance for two years after which a means-tested SGO allowance can be paid with an annual review. Its not spelt out but I'm told the idea was that if fostering allowance is
Former F&F carer, foster carer, adopter and respite carer for umpteen children. Now retired and when with kids, making sure they 'go home' at the end of the day.

EVG
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Re: Means Tested SGO Payments

Post by EVG » Wed Feb 28, 2007 8:19 pm

Robin

Wow! I think that you have got it! So even though the main normal SGO allowance is means tested from day one and every year from then on whether you have been a foster carer or not as per the SGO regulations these local authorities are taking a completely different criteria and ignoring the regulations completely in this respect.

The only thing that is not means tested, although some authorities offer this on a sliding scale, is the wage/remuneration of certain foster carers who carry on getting this for two years after SGO. So local authorities obviously don't know what they are doing and the stipulation by the government for means testing on a yearly basis for normal SGO allowances is being ignored for the first two years!

So being difficult why after two years are these local authorities switching to means testing when they should be doing this from day one if they paid out the correct and main part of the SGO allowance? It would save the local authorities even more money even if it is not in our best interests!

Just a small footnote - I wish that we getting sums in the

Rolo
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Joined: Mon Jan 18, 2021 1:22 pm

Re: Means Tested SGO Payments

Post by Rolo » Mon Apr 05, 2021 3:49 pm

Does anyone know how it’s worked out, sgo means tested, my husband earns on average 30000 per year
Thanks

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Suzie, FRG Adviser
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Re: Means Tested SGO Payments

Post by Suzie, FRG Adviser » Wed Apr 07, 2021 10:11 am

Dear Rolo

Thank you for posting on the Family and Friends carers discussion forum.

I see that you are concerned about how special guardianship allowance is worked out. This is set out the Statutory Guidance for Local authorities on the Special Guardianship Regulations 2005 (as amended). Regulation 13 deals with the need for assessment of financial support and the link below from the Guidance might help you to have a better understanding of what the local authority considers when doing the means assessment.

The Department of Education provided a model as guidance and I have included a link to this also, local authorities are likely to have their own, possibly taking account of this. You could ask the social worker to give you a copy of this.

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.u ... idance.pdf (see page 19)

https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/ ... 20APP1.pdf

I hope you will find this helpful.

Best wishes

Suzie

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