Working in partnership for the people of Herefordshire
Older people
Services for Older People
We can give help to older people whose Community Care Assessment shows that they need our services and who also meet our eligibility criteria. Carers can also have an assessment and get help to meet their needs.
Your Community Care Assessment will show which things you need help with. We will then work with you on a Care Plan, to plan just how and when the help you need will be given.
Examples of the kind of help we can arrange are:
- Help with personal care, like washing and dressing
- Meals
- Support for carers
- A place at a day centre
- Adaptations or equipment in your home to make managing easier
- Short term breaks for you and for your carers
- Reablement service to help you regain independence
- If necessary, longer term residential or nursing home care
Some people receive payments from us (called Direct Payments), so that they can employ their own assistants to give the care which is needed.
There may be a charge for some of these services. How much you are asked to contribute towards the cost will depend on your income, benefits and savings. We will work with you to complete a financial assessment and can then work out how much (if anything) you will be asked to pay.
More information is in our leaflet 'Services for Older People and Adults with a Physical Disability', you can download a PDF version by clicking on the link below or you can get a copy from one of our offices. If you want to ask for a Community Care Assessment for yourself or someone you care for, please contact our Duty Social Worker.
Herefordshire's Joint Visiting Team
The Herefordshire Council's Welfare and Financial Assessment Team and local Pension Service have joined forces and are working together as a "Joint Team" for older people.
Older people can now get help with claiming benefits during one single visit to their home. All team members have a wide range of experience in working out benefit entitlements and helping people claim the right benefits.
What you can expect from us
- We will be polite and helpful at all times.
- If we are coming to see you we will tell you the date and time of the visit, and the name of the officer who will be visiting.
- Staff will be clearly identifiable by wearing or producing Herefordshire Council or Pension Service identification.
What we do
Working together as a Joint Team, we share information with each other. This makes it easier to check your entitlement to benefits, and improves the service delivered by Herefordshire Council and the Pension Service.
We can help you with filling in forms for any benefits that we think you might be entitled to.
We will also carry out assessments under the Blue Badge scheme (parking badges for disabled people) for people who are unable to get into the Council's INFO centres.
If you are in residential care or have home care or day care services paid for by the Council, we will carry out a financial assessment of your income and expenditure. The Social Care Finance Team will then notify you what, if any, contribution you may have to make towards these services. When we come to do the financial assessment we also carry out a benefit check for you, to make sure you are getting all of the benefits you are entitled to.
If you need to provide documents to support benefit claims or financial assessments, we can also help you with this by verifying them on behalf of the Council or the Department for Work and Pensions.
We are also members of the Herefordshire Signposting Scheme and have been trained to identify other services that will make life easier and safer for older people. We will arrange for you to be contacted by these service providers.
We can help you with any of the following benefits:
| Name of benefit / concession | Type of benefit | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Attendance Allowance |
Not income based: for those aged 65 or over |
Intended to help with the cost of care |
| Bereavement Benefit | National Insurance based |
For widows and widowers |
| Carer's Allowance | Not income based, but can be effected by earnings & other benefits |
Paid to the carer of someone who gets Attendance Allowance or Disability Living Allowance, care component at middle or high rate |
| Disability Living Allowance | Not income based |
Intended to help with the cost of care &/or mobility |
| Housing & Council Tax Benefit | Income based |
Intended to help with the cost of rent & council tax |
| State Retirement Pension | National Insurance Based |
Intended to provide basic pension during retirement |
| Pension Credit (Guaranteed) | Income based for those aged 60 or over |
To top up basic pension to meet minimum level set by government |
| Pension Credit (Savings) | Income based for those aged 65 or over |
A bonus element to provide extra income for those who have saved |
| Blue Badge | Mobility related |
Parking concession for people with permanent and substantial disability |
How to contact us
Telephone: 01432 363756 or 01432 363686
Email: welfarerights@herefordshire.gov.uk or hereford.localservice@thepensionservice.gsi.gov.uk
In writing: Joint Team, St Nicholas House, 6 St Nicholas Street, Hereford, HR4 0DD
If you don't want us to visit you at home, you can make an appointment to see us at one of our information points. Please telephone us to arrange a convenient time.
'Services for Older People and Adults with a Physical Disability' information leaflet
Services for Older People and Adults with a Physical DisabilityIf you need help to understand a document, or would like it in another format or language, please call 01432 260500 or email info@herefordshire.gov.uk
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