Struggling to cope with caring?

Transcription

1 VOLUME 5, ISSUE 2 May Newsletter 2018 Struggling to cope with caring? We support Manchester s 60,000 unpaid carers

2 Support Groups The Groups are about having a break from your caring role so you can meet other carers, know you are not alone as a carer, get support you need and at the group we always have guest speakers and a brew. Here are the dates, times and names of the guest speakers for the next upcoming support group meeting. Forum Meeting 12.00pm 2:00pm Methodist Central Building, Oldham Street M1 1JQ 1st Monday of the 14th May 2018 due Moving and Handling training to Bank Holiday North Group 10.30am 12.30pm Cheetham Hill Medical Centre, 244 Cheetham Hill Road, M8 8UP 1st Wednesday of the Guest Speaker: To be confirmed 6th June 2018 South Group Crossacres 2nd Tuesday of the Guest Speaker: 12.00pm pm Community Resource Centre, 1 Peel Hall Rd, Wythenhawe, M22 8th May 2018 Moving and Handling Training 5DG Hulme Group 11.00am pm The Church of the Ascension 108 Royce Road, 3rd Monday of the 14th May 2018 Group Guest Speaker Self Help Services Manchester M15 5LA Levenshulme Group 6.00pm pm Energy Box, Levenshulme High School, M19 1FS 1st Thursday of the 3rd May 2018 There is the opportunity to use the sports facilities and join classes for free East Group 11.00am 13.00pm Openshawe Resource Centre, 10 Catherine Street, (Off Ogden Lane) M11 1WF 4th Wednesday of the 23rd May 2018 Moving & Handling Training

3 Free Cookery Workshop For Carers Would you like to learn how to cook healthy meals from scratch? Would you like to cook a range of meals from around the world? Then this workshop is for you! Wednesday 9th May 10:30am 14:00pm Lifted Carers Centre Alpha House Rowlandsway, Wythenshawe Manchester M22 5RG Who Cares Carers Radio Show Two of our Trustees Catherine & Gaynor have started their own radio show called Who Cares. The show is on Allfm 96.9 and is on the airways every Thursday from 12pm - 1pm. The show is appeals to unpaid carers in Manchester and they give information about events and services available to carers and play music on the show. Tune in!

4 April 2018 Dementia Peer Mentoring Service receives NCVO Approved Provider Standard Manchester Carers Forum has been awarded the NCVO s Approved Provider Standard (APS) for the charity s Dementia Peer Mentoring Service (DPMS). The APS is the national quality standard designed specifically for mentoring and befriending projects. The DPMS is a telephone and face to face befriending service which connects the family and friends of people with dementia with former unpaid carers who are able to offer a listening ear, friendship and support. Ian Coxon, the DPMS Coordinator, said The APS is recognition of the hard work and dedication shown by our volunteers, and the positive feedback received from the unpaid carers we aim to serve. A carer receiving face to face mentoring from a volunteer tells us I really look forward to my volunteer coming, she s a lovely person. She really cares and she understands about being a carer. I get extremely good support from her. She s a great moral support and a good listener. If you would like to find out more about volunteering for the Dementia Peer Mentoring Service please contact Ian Coxon on or ian@manchestercarersforum.org.uk

5 Benefits updates from Carers UK A quick summary of the benefit changes and updates that have taken place in the last few weeks: Loan payments to replace support for mortgage interest. From April 2018 anyone who needs help with their mortgage costs via a means tested benefit will no longer receive it as part of their benefit, it will instead be offered support in the form of a loan. The DWP has written to people who were already getting help, advising them that it will be withdrawn and asking them if they wish to accept the loan instead. The Carer s Allowance earnings limit went up from 116 a week (after deductions) to 120 a week (after deductions). Although this is welcome news, with the rise of the National Living Wage to 7.83 an hour, those carers who are working 16 hours at National Living Wage will remain over this earnings limit ( 7.83 an hour x 16 hours = a week). There are certain deductions that can be made from earnings for Carer s Allowance purposes, such as half of any contributions you make to an occupational or personal pension, and so any carers in this situation might want to take a look at our Carer s Allowance information to see if any of these deductions apply. Certain benefit rates were uprated, the key ones for carers being: Carer s Allowance which went from a week to a week; and the carer premium (carer addition within Pension Credit) which went from a week to a week. The rates for Disability Living Allowance (DLA), Personal Independence Payment (PIP) and Attendance Allowance were also uprated. For more information on these benefits see our benefits information. Continuing Roll-out of Universal Credit (UC) Universal Credit is a single means-tested benefit replacing Income Support, income-based Jobseekers Allowance, income-related Employment and Support Allowance, Housing Benefit, Child Tax Credit and Working Tax Credit. UC is made up of a personal allowance (dependant on your circumstances) and elements rather than the existing premiums, for example a carer element paid to certain carers.the roll out of UC across the UK is continuing and by December 2018 the whole of the UK is expected to be covered, meaning that working age people wishing to make a claim for means tested benefits will have to claim UC. You can check whether you can currently claim UC in your area on the revenue benefits website.people already receiving means tested benefits will only need to claim UC if they have a change in circumstances that means they have to make a new claim for one of the above means-tested benefits. The managed migration of people on existing benefits to UC is due to start in 2019 and be completed by 2022.

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