Any changes after loosing a carer?

[mspurple]

Hi all, I am just wondering if there are any issues incurred if you are on DSP and have a carer, then your carer wants to stop being your carer? 

My daughter is currently receiving carers payment and allowance to assist me. I am wondering if anything happens to me (from/through centrelink) if she chooses to stop being my full time carer to be able to work full time. 

I do not want her to think she must be my carer for the rest of her life, I want for her to follow her dreams and not be restricted with work opportunities because of caring for me. She is young and may wish to travel or move interstate. I do not wish to keep her from doing the things she wants for her life and her future. 

If she did choose to move away or get a full time job and stop being my carer, is there likely to be any issues for me from centrelink? I have not known of this situation happening and have not been able to find anything about this type of situation in their info. I have been a carer myself in the past, however, I only stopped being a carer when the person I was caring for passed away from terminal illness. So I have no idea of what the process is if someone has a carer who chooses to stop being a carer. 

As I do not trust centrelink, my concern is that they will say that if I no longer have a carer I must no longer meet the requirements for DSP. I am hoping I am wrong as I do not wish to have to prove and fight and wait for them to realise that I will still meet the requirements. 

Has anyone got any first hand experience of this situation or know where I can find out what happens. 

I am hoping it will just be a case of them saying, ok no worries....no more carer payments and everything else stays the same. 

[wbmania72]

hello bodyfailedbrainfried.
My ex-wife used to be my carer up until 2015(divorced)
Since then i been recieving my dsp without a prob.

[tasjo]

Having a carer and receiving DSP are 2 different criteria...

If your daughter stops being your carer you are entitled to have someone else care for you... the only thing you can't do is be a carer if you have a carer yourself (unless it is your child I think).

The other thing to possibly consider is that she could claim her respite weeks so that you both have time to settle into things... she can have 9 weeks a year.

[mspurple]

Thanks for your answers wbmania72 and tasjo, that is very helpful.

I am aware that there are different criteria and I had thought about who else I could have as a carer, I think I would rather just struggle through on my own instead of have someone else as a carer. I also know that there are respite days available. I think it is approximately 63 days respite from memory? Ahh, I just checked the weeks you mentioned and it works out to exactly 63 days.

I have considered one of us going away for a bit to give her a break from her responsibilities towards me, and I still may choose to do that. I just really would like for her to know that at any time she chooses she can stop being my carer, she talks a lot about the types of work she would like to do for her future and I really do not want to have her compromise her life choices for me.

Just trying to find out the info before I may need it.

Thanks

[tasjo]

A friend of mine was in the same position - her daughter went into nursing but before changing things too much they had a year where they used the respite weeks to both have a break.

[mspurple]

My actual concern was that centrelink may have used the cancelation of a carer as a reason to re evaluate DSP eligibility.

I just didn't want to have any surprises from them if we make changes to our current situation. I will obviously still meet the DSP eligibility criteria, but I just really don't want to have to start gathering information and reports and fill in forms again.
The few weeks break I have had from worrying about what hoops they will want me to jump through have been great and very therapeutic for my mental health, so I just wanted to make sure I could stay in front with any medical reports or paperwork they may want if I no longer have a carer.

I have an obsessive need to know and understand what is happening in my life and what things are likely to come up in the future. (Issues with control and planning maybe? LOL) The more I find out now, the less I will stress and loose my mind if the situation changes. I like to be as prepared as possible for all likely situations.

Finding out that wbmania72 had a carer and now does not but his DSP stayed the same, has been a great indicator that the only thing that changes is that the carer stops getting carer payments. That has helped me to understand that they don't persecute you for your situation changing.

I was concerned that they may take the view that if you needed a carer and now you don't, you have improved and no longer need DSP.

Thank you both for your responses and the information. Massive help.

[krystal]

Having a carer isn't a prerequisite for being on DSP.

The only thing I can think of to be aware of is that DSP is based on the Impairment Tables.

If you required a carer to meet the criteria of any of the items on the Table/s, then you'll need to arrange assistance on the item or they might downgrade your points on that particular table.

It doesn't have to be a full-time carer, it could be just someone that comes in to help you with personal grooming, fixing food, shopping (whatever the Table criteria is) from an agency like SilverChain etc.

Just make sure the criteria of the Table/s are covered and you should be okay when and if you are ever reviewed.

[mspurple]

Hi krystal, thanks for that.
You have answered the question I was trying to ask but had not managed to word it well.

I believe my main points were for mental health with 10 or 15 points for physical function. I will see what I can find in my AAT report about the points awarded, then I may have more of an understanding of whether I will be affected with a change or loss of carer.

Thanks for your input. I now have an idea of what to look for and what I need to work out.