Carer's allowance

[~clover~]

I have no clue about this & was just curious.
DD2 has speech difficulties. She has lots of trouble getting people to understand, & has been seeing a speech therapist for a few months now. I think 4 or 5 months?
Anyway, mum mentioned someone she works with also has 2 children with speech problems, who see a speech therapist & she's entitled to carer's allowance.
Her oldest is now 15 & still recieving therapy, & form the impression I got, she is still on the carer allowance.
As far as I know, mum talked to her quite a bit about it to find out more for me. They have no other disabilities at all. Just the speech issues. I don't know if they are still hard to understand now, though, at 13 & 15 I think.
Do you think this would be worth me looking further into? Or is it not something I would be able to do anyway.
Just thought I would ask in case someone has any idea.
TIA

[Indadhanu]

Short answer, I doubt it.

The friend your mum knows would get the allowance as she has more than one child with a disability, and I'd say if its 'only' the speech issues (I'd say there might be more to it), they'd have to be REALLY severe to qualify.

from the Centrelink website

You may receive Carer Allowance (child) if you:

are looking after a child with a disability or medical condition who needs a lot of additional care and attention on a daily basis, or
you care for 2 children with disabilities and the children do not individually qualify you for Carer Allowance (child), but together create a substantial caring responsibility, and
you live with the child (children) you are caring for.

[~clover~]

I just read that bit & was thinking that too. Oh well.

[Indadhanu]

Don't be too disappointed about it though, better not to qualify really IYKWIM.

[~clover~]

Lol, yeah. I'm not too fussed. Just thought I'd check. Mum tends to blow things slightly out of proportion iykwim.

[Astrolady]

I get carer's allowance for Ashton who has speech therapy. The doctor also wrote down that he his lactose and fructose intolerant as well, but used speech delays as the major point. He told me I should have done it way back when for Kameron who had severe delays as a 4 yr old, but back then I didn't know i could be entitled to it.

[~clover~]

Really? Bri is 4 & is pretty far behind. She also has intolerance/allergies, but not lactose...only food colourings etc.
Her speech is the only thing I'm worried about with her starting school next year, but because everyone else is confident that she's ready in every other way, I'm just going to keep up the therapy & send her. The school is more than happy to have her & help out with her speech where they can.
Do you have any idea what I would do to enquire further?

[kawazuki]

doesnt hurt to fill out the form does it

[Pretty Butterfly]

I find it amazing the people who do and dont qualify. It is completley up to how your doc fills out the form from Centrelink.

I have recieved nothing for Kane, with all the problems we have, and will have for years to come, speech being a HUGE one. We have to travel to Sydney for speech testing and therapy, and still not a cent.

I have had 2 different docs fill out the form, and we still didn't get it.....

Good luck sweets. If you are entitled, I hope you get it.

P.S..... Its a lengthy form for a doc to fill out... you will payment depending on how Cenrelink assess that form.....

[~clover~]

Really? I wonder why you don't? That seems unfair?
I'll ask about it. Have no idea how it'd go, but I may as well.

[Lulu]

Apply anyway.
You never know. Is the speech therapy costing you much?

[Pretty Butterfly]

Definatly babe.
Just call Centrelink and they can post you the forms. There is a Carers Allowance, and Carers Payment , 2 seperate things.
You take them to her doc and they have to fill them out.

It really is 50/50 weather you will or not.
A friend has 3 asthmatic kids, who require nothing more than puffers through winter, and she gets it for 3 kids.
I have 2 asthmatic sons, on meds full time, I didn't get it for them ....

[~clover~]

Apply anyway.
You never know. Is the speech therapy costing you much?

Not right now, coz I'm through the public one, but she hasn't been returning calls & stuff so I'm thinking I'll have to find someone else who will keep up with it, which would mean going private. I'd like it to be more than once a month too.

[briggsy's girl]

PB - appeal it
if you're having specialist care, you can appeal it - you can appeal ANY decision made by c'link if you don't believe it to be fair. if the doctor has filled the form in such that you don't get a high enough rating, you can appeal it and provide YOUR statement as to what you have to do for your child that is above and beyond what is "normal" care

[Lulu]

PB, I *think your friend might just have been granted the Health Care Card for the puffers? Or does she recieve some $$$?

[Pretty Butterfly]

hhhmm, not sure Lulu, she says she gets extra money....

BG... I will!!!! He is under a LOT of specialists care!!!

We are down to 1 speechie here in town, and Kanes STILL hasn't even had 1 app yet! So far they are all in Sydney..... last month we went down for speech, $300 later..... for 1 speech app!!!! And he's hearing has dropped too.....

[~clover~]

We had that problem PB. i tried to start Bri when she was 3, but there was no speechie at Coonabarabran, which was an hour & a half from us.
It'd be closer to come here wouldn't it? Gotta be closer than Sydney! Thats just rediculus. It did take us 3 or so months to get in here.

[DaintreeDream]

Jodie, that sucks. I still cannot believe how the system works, it is ridiculous, it makes me so angry!
Please do apply again, we get carers allowence, it in no way covers the travel and tape and other expences for DD's needs but it is something I suppose.
I heard they have changed the requirements for the carers payment aswell, apparently to make it easier to get (or to include a larger range of needs) although I haven't looked into it as yet.

BJ - As the others have said, no harm in applying, you never know what kind of mood they are in . Good luck.