not2old

on that point, I found the following

Benefits - Alzheimer's Society

Benefits rates and income/savings thresholds - Alzheimer's Society

formula

They want to bring in the changes but SF are stopping them.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-31798766
Which means that NI will have to make a 600 million pound cut at last count (and still counting) to their spending in other areas to pay for that part of their welfare bill that the rest of the UK will no longer fund.

If their spending cuts won't already be bad enough, the much needed welfare cuts that we have been told about for the last 3/4 years and that were in the Tory election manifesto that they promised if they were elected, were announced in the budget last week.

No surprise that NI have said that because the NI parties can't agree on the devolved powers they already have, they don't want the extra powers on offer to NI that England and Wales will take to run their own countries.

formula

You really need to be looking at the immigration rules that also affect British citizens who have been residing abroad i.e. no claiming for 2 years when they return. And the new welfare changes that were announced in the budget last week as well as existing rules i.e. someone of pension age cannot claim PIP.

When the welfare changes in last weeks budget are implemeted, as well as those changes going through under the Welfare Reforms, it will also affect those already claiming in many cases depsite what the rules say now.

Editha

The budget made no changes to PIP, Attendance Allowance, or Carer's Allowance.

The two year rule only applies to benefits, not NHS continuing care or social services support.

The OP may find this factsheet from Age UK useful.

formula

From just the benefits part (and not the welfare reform part which does affect these claimants) the budget has made a change to those claiming these benefits if they also rely on other benefits too or the disabilty part of other benefits that gave extra money.

The new lower household welfare cap in the budget also applies to these claimants too as they aren't given an exemption from that, just that their DLA/PIP benefit money only isn't used in the calculations for their benefits household cap.

As DLA/PIP is an in work benefit, I haven't seen any exemption for these in this most recent budget to prevent them from the rises in the social housing rent if their household income is over 30k (40k inside London). Unless I missed it? Which I could have done.

I haven't seen any exemption for these claimants for any of the SMI (Support for Mortgage Interest) benefit changes either; nor for the July interest rate reduction that SMI pays. Again, I could have missed them.

As the governmnet have already talked about making more benefits means tested and named DLA as one of these benefits, that can't be ruled out in future either.

Editha

It is virtually impossible to reach the welfare cap unless you have dependent children, which is unlikely to apply to a couple in their sixties.

Nor has there been any suggestion that they will be applying for social housing. Or that they will be applying for a mortgage in their sixties.

It is confusing for people asking for help from this forum to give them advice, which though accurate, doesn't actually apply to people in their circumstances.

formula

The OP is leaving his parents in a dangerous place for a while, but they are British citizens. He may not know what help is available for his parents and that they could return to the UK with him. You can't expect people to ask the right questions if they don't know what questions to ask. The advice does apply to his parents circumstances.

Some people also like all the information so that they can make an informed decision.

I've checked about the welfare cap and it seems the UK now has two welfare caps. The household welfare cap and the cap on the UK's annual welfare bill that starts this tax year which will call for some tough decisions by whatever government had got elected.

That's the household cap and according to those on benefit forums who can work these things out, if they claim Housing Benefiit then a single parent with just 2 children can get caught by the household cap. If they don't claim HB then a couple with 4 children will get hit by the cap. A few people do still have dependent children in their 60s.

Claiming DLA/PIP does give an exemption from the household welfare cap (I was wrong) but parliament did not give DLA/PIP an exemption from the other cap, the UK's annual welfare bill. Any of these benefits can be changed/removed to make sure the UK keeps to this new cap on the annual welfare bill

https://www.gov.uk/government/upload...Accessible.pdf

Table B.1: Benefits and tax credits in scope of the welfare cap

In scope

Attendance Allowance
Bereavement benefits
Carer’s Allowance
Child Benefit
Christmas Bonus
Disability Living Allowance
Employment and Support Allowance
Financial Assistance Scheme
Housing Benefit (except HB passported from JSA)
Incapacity Benefit
Income Support
Industrial Injuries Benefits
In Work Credit
Maternity Allowance
Pension Credit
Personal Independence Payment
Personal Tax Credits
Return to Work Credit
Severe Disablement Allowance
Social Fund – Cold Weather Payments
Statutory Adoption Pay
Statutory Maternity Pay
Statutory Paternity Pay
Tax Free Childcare
Universal Credit (except payments to jobseekers)
Winter Fuel Payments

Editha

Stop digging, formula.

formula

The OP has parents in danger who could be in the UK. I give information on what help they can get as they are British citizens.

Yet you call that digging?

Why has this information upset you?

Pulaski

Formula's advice seems clear to me, and mostly "on point". You should also remember that many people read these threads for advice without ever posting, or even registering on BE, therefore it is entirely appropriate that advice be fairly complete and not narrowly tailored to the specific circumstances of the OP.

mojoman

Thanks everyone who posted. I appreciate the help.

BEVS

Hi and welcome to BE mojoman.

Have you any thoughts about where you may wish to settle? As someone has written, services and support can vary around the country.

My own MIL has advanced Altzheimers now at 86. Looking back , it onset in her 60's also. Probably because of a severe and neglected thyroid issue.

She is supported in her own home with her 78 yr old brother as carer. However, when the support was finally put in place it was also necessary for the family to choose which care home should would go to if the need arose. The first 3 choices, all close to her home and immediate family were and are oversubscribed so there was quite some decision making to do.

Funds impact on benefit assistance and some benefits seem to impact on others. Ii can be quite convoluted if you are not used to it all.

If you are confused or need further clarification over anything you have read, then please do feel able to ask away. Sometimes the written word can be rather .

Do get in touch with the Alzheimers Society and have a chat. They will be able to guide you if you intend for your parents to live with you and also if you will be looking for some form of independent living for them. Here in NZ we have retirement villages where small bungalows can be bought. It gives the unaffected spouse the chance to live a life whilst there is support for the husband/wife with an attached care facility. No idea if such places exist in the UK.

What type of work would you hope for. Something in tourism perhaps?

mojoman

I would be staying with a friend to begin with in Kirkby in Ashfield (not really sure of where that is, Nottingham somewhere!). Once I settle in then I can see whats what with work and where I would live. Work wise, not too sure, I would probably try to get anything to begin with, perhaps tourism, I have also cheffed for a few years but I am not fussy at all. The greater plan is to also study as well.

I think its going to be best if I get over there first and start dealing with everything, I saw what a nightmare it was to get my dads pension sorted out (took almost two months of paperwork back and forth) so I feel face to face is probably the best way to go when it comes to getting things done?

formula

Thank you Pulaski.

formula

Talking of face to face, I've just remembered that the DWP do a thing now where they will come out to the home of UK pensioners and make sure they are getting all the help they can have. Don't forget to use them too for your parents.