arghh bureaucracy....

[Helly68]

Not really a question but a bit of a rant. Apologies if this seems very small issues compared to what some people are going through....

I just find the bureaucracy, at a time when you want to spend as much time with a loved one as possible, a mountain.
POA requests that "get lost" by the bank. Three months now I have been trying to get access to an account...if they ask me to "bring my mother in" as other places "helpfully" suggested, I may scream...

Trying to understand why a GP has increased my Mum's drugs - waiting for a call back but there are so many people involved in this one it is hard to know if you are speaking to the right person...

The battle we had with the Local Authority to claim the Council Tax discount we were entitled to.....we got it, but they did their best to make sure no one knows they can apply and the applications system is as difficult as possible, especially for people unused to the internet....

And all the time the possibility of increasing care home charges as my Mum's condition deteriorates. I understand they have to do this, it is just no one seems to know if and when the charges may increase...

I could go on.....
Surely there must be a way to make this stuff easier for carers....

 

[nae sporran]

You have my total sympathy, Helly. Applying for Council Tax relief was a nightmare and the lady from social services who was supposed to help was more obstructive than helpful.

 

[Helly68]

You have my total sympathy, Helly. Applying for Council Tax relief was a nightmare and the lady from social services who was supposed to help was more obstructive than helpful.

Thank you for that. We found social services useless too. They are overwhelmed and if the family are involved they assume that is enough and leave you to it....

 

[nitram]

POA requests that "get lost" by the bank. Three months now I have been trying to get access to an account...if they ask me to "bring my mother in" as other places "helpfully" suggested, I may scream...

Find the email address of the CEO
https://www.ceoemail.com/
and send a concise, factual email outlining your problem.

It usually has the desired effect!!!

 

[Amethyst59]

I have two letters at home to be dealt with...one is a refund of council tax, the other an application for a rebate of tax to cover the period since my husband’s diagnosis. I rather hoped that we would just be sent a cheque, but I have to open an online account, to get the money paid into etc etc etc. Grrrr.

 

[Kikki21]

Not really a question but a bit of a rant. Apologies if this seems very small issues compared to what some people are going through....

I just find the bureaucracy, at a time when you want to spend as much time with a loved one as possible, a mountain.
POA requests that "get lost" by the bank. Three months now I have been trying to get access to an account...if they ask me to "bring my mother in" as other places "helpfully" suggested, I may scream...

Trying to understand why a GP has increased my Mum's drugs - waiting for a call back but there are so many people involved in this one it is hard to know if you are speaking to the right person...

The battle we had with the Local Authority to claim the Council Tax discount we were entitled to.....we got it, but they did their best to make sure no one knows they can apply and the applications system is as difficult as possible, especially for people unused to the internet....

And all the time the possibility of increasing care home charges as my Mum's condition deteriorates. I understand they have to do this, it is just no one seems to know if and when the charges may increase...

I could go on.....
Surely there must be a way to make this stuff easier for carers....

Totally with you & just try to get the COP forms sorted. I am sure the system is designed to put you off so you just say yeah whatever!
I am totally outraged at the moment at what a consultant psychiatrist wants to charge for an assessment fee to do my mum’s COP3 form plus home visit.
£460 for the assessment plus £150 for the visit.

 

[kindred]

Totally with you & just try to get the COP forms sorted. I am sure the system is designed to put you off so you just say yeah whatever!
I am totally outraged at the moment at what a consultant psychiatrist wants to charge for an assessment fee to do my mum’s COP3 form plus home visit.
£460 for the assessment plus £150 for the visit.

Yup. Know it costs this. A few weeks ago a social worker and a consultant psychiatrist came out to assess my husbands deprivation of liberty at his nursing home. The social worker said to me afterwards, what is this about, your husband has a high level of need and no capacity and is well cared for here!!
Why do they have to pay all this money for the assessment. It's barking mad. That fee for you is barmy, just awful. I am so sorry. Gxx

 

[Helly68]

So sad to see everyone spend8ng time and money trying to make things work. Council tax seems to be a particular problem....

 

[Helly68]

Find the email address of the CEO
https://www.ceoemail.com/
and send a concise, factual email outlining your problem.

It usually has the desired effect!!!

Thanks, I may try that....

 

[nitram]

I have to open an online account, to get the money paid into etc etc etc. Grrr

It need not be an online a/c, they just need a sort code and a/c number, presumably in Martin's name, sole or joint.

 

[Kikki21]

Yup. Know it costs this. A few weeks ago a social worker and a consultant psychiatrist came out to assess my husbands deprivation of liberty at his nursing home. The social worker said to me afterwards, what is this about, your husband has a high level of need and no capacity and is well cared for here!!
Why do they have to pay all this money for the assessment. It's barking mad. That fee for you is barmy, just awful. I am so sorry. Gxx

I literally was fuming about it!
However, it seems the nurse at the care home will fill it in - for free!!! I will of course check it out but I will bring the form for them ASAP!

 

[canary]

However, it seems the nurse at the care home will fill it in - for free!!!

Yey!!

 

[Helly68]

Unfortunately, pos seems beset with wrong information from the banks etc. Very few local staff seem to understand hence confusion above like the type of account. Why should it have to be online? Only, I suspect for the banks convenience. Makes me so angry.

 

[witts1973]

Not really a question but a bit of a rant. Apologies if this seems very small issues compared to what some people are going through....

I just find the bureaucracy, at a time when you want to spend as much time with a loved one as possible, a mountain.
POA requests that "get lost" by the bank. Three months now I have been trying to get access to an account...if they ask me to "bring my mother in" as other places "helpfully" suggested, I may scream...

Trying to understand why a GP has increased my Mum's drugs - waiting for a call back but there are so many people involved in this one it is hard to know if you are speaking to the right person...

The battle we had with the Local Authority to claim the Council Tax discount we were entitled to.....we got it, but they did their best to make sure no one knows they can apply and the applications system is as difficult as possible, especially for people unused to the internet....

And all the time the possibility of increasing care home charges as my Mum's condition deteriorates. I understand they have to do this, it is just no one seems to know if and when the charges may increase...

I could go on.....
Surely there must be a way to make this stuff easier for carers....

I know what you mean about the council tax discount it was a pain and I had a differing story each time I rang,I was surprised that the doctors surgery asked me for £10 so the doctor could sign the form declaring my mothers mental impairment as required on the council tax discount form ,as for the P.O.A you don't have to take your mother in,ours went Ok thank God but it helped that we both banked at the same bank

 

[canary]

The people on the desks at the bank often dont know what to do about POA.
Book an appointment with the bank manager, say that its to register POA and ask what you need to bring (usually the POA and some identification). You shouldnt have to bring your mum at all

 

[SeismicPenguin]

Not really a question but a bit of a rant. Apologies if this seems very small issues compared to what some people are going through....

I just find the bureaucracy, at a time when you want to spend as much time with a loved one as possible, a mountain.
POA requests that "get lost" by the bank. Three months now I have been trying to get access to an account...if they ask me to "bring my mother in" as other places "helpfully" suggested, I may scream...

Trying to understand why a GP has increased my Mum's drugs - waiting for a call back but there are so many people involved in this one it is hard to know if you are speaking to the right person...

The battle we had with the Local Authority to claim the Council Tax discount we were entitled to.....we got it, but they did their best to make sure no one knows they can apply and the applications system is as difficult as possible, especially for people unused to the internet....

And all the time the possibility of increasing care home charges as my Mum's condition deteriorates. I understand they have to do this, it is just no one seems to know if and when the charges may increase...

I could go on.....
Surely there must be a way to make this stuff easier for carers....

 

[SeismicPenguin]

Sympathise. I am on my 2nd council tax application - they really, REALLY dont want to give the discount. Our dementia nurse encouraged me to apply but I got knocked back. Dementia nurse insisted we should be entitled so I got a GP form signed and sent it off, to the address on the form. 6 weeks later it was returned to sender as the office is no longer there. Took 30 mins of scouring council website followed by 30 mins Tring to get to speak to a real person on the phone before I had the correct address. Still awaiting outcome. It really is just the last thing you need when you are already stressed out of your box by this hideous disease.

 

[Kevinl]

To the people who talk about a CT "Discount" you're asking for the wrong thing, a discount is a means tested reduction of CT for houses with low incomes. You should be asking for a CT "Disregard" which is a non means tested disregard for CT purposes foe someone with a "Severe Mental Impairment" as per the Local Government Finance Act 1992, anyone with an SMI doesn't count for CT purposes nor do people under 18, students and a list of other "disregarded" people.
I got my discount by filling in a 4 page form (16 questions I think) and submitting it, they e-mailed me and I took a photo on my phone of the diagnosis letter from the memory clinic and the DLA award letter and e-mailed it back to them, they did ask for permission to contact the GP but I've no idea whether they did or not, I certainly didn't.
GP's cannot charge for signing the for an signing an SMI discount form refer them to the British Medical association if they do (link below) it's also in their NHS contract that they can't charge.
I know what you mean about the nightmare of paperwork, running around and conflicting opinions whit a PWD, it's just part of the burden.
K

https://www.bma.org.uk/advice/employment/fees/certificates-no-charge

 

[malomm]

Oh yes, if you want to see bureaucracy developed into an art form, come to the South of Italy. Why draw a straight line from A to B when you can design an arabesque.
Keep smiling
Malomm

 

[Amethyst59]

It need not be an online a/c, they just need a sort code and a/c number, presumably in Martin's name, sole or joint.

No, I think it’s more complicated than that, or I would have just done it straight away. I need to look at it again. I put it away to ‘do another day’, and the day has never seemed to come. It’s taking all my time to supervise the running of his life, selling his house, maintaining the house till it’s sold etc etc.