Has RBKC sent you a letter saying your contribution is increasing due to you getting more benefits? If so, read this.

A couple of local PB users have approached the PB Team for help to appeal against an increase in their contribution. RBKC has started sending out letters that say that the council is re-calculating the contribution due to an increase in the DWP benefits (income support / DLA etc). For some people the increase is significantly more that the amount they recieved as an increase in benefits.

If you have recieved a letter about a significant increase (more than a couple of £'s) in the amount that you have to pay then please let the PB Team know. Don't forget that, if you have any "disability-related expenses" (money you have to spend because you are disabled that you wouldn't have to spend if you weren't disabled) these must be taken into account by the Council when they decide how much you have to contribute. This is in the "Fairer Charging" guidance that councils follow. The letter they sent you about the new calculatons might already include money deducted because of disability related expenses but do check to make sure that the amounts they have got are correct - after all it is not only benefits that increase each year - costs do too!!

If you have recieved one of the letter referring to the "increase in DWP benefits" and would like to appeal against any increase in charges, you can use the template below - all you need to do is put: your address, the date, the name of the person that sent you the letter about the increase in charges, your reference number (probably on the letter they sent you), the amount you used to be charged, the amount they say you have to contribute now and your signature. Then just post it off to the Council (the contact details are on the letter they sent you).

Below this line is the template for you to copy and paste into another program and print off (if you want):
_______________________________________

My address

Date

Dear

My reference number__________________

I have recently received a letter from you concerning a recalculation of my contribution to care services following the annual increase in the DWP benefits I receive.

Last year I was assessed as having to pay £               per week/month, however according to your recent letter I am now assessed as having to pay £             . The difference between the old and new amounts is more than the small amount that the benefits have increased by.

Furthermore, if disability related expenses have been taken into account in your calculations, these expenses are assumed to be the same as last time I was assessed whereas, in reality, everything has become more expensive. Additionally, your calculation does not take into account any new disability related expenses that I may have incurred since the last time I was assessed.

I would therefore like to appeal against this increase to my contribution and, until my appeal can be taken forward,  I request that you continuing paying my Personal Budget at the old rate to ensure that there is enough personal budget to meet my assessed needs as expressed in my Support Plan.

Yours sincerely,