New Advice and Advocacy Service launched

On 1 April 2015 a new important piece of legislation will come into force. The Care Act 2014 will change the way that community care is assessed and provided. At the RAF Benevolent Fund, we have launched a new Advice and Advocacy Service to provide members of the RAF family with advice to help them the benefits and care they're entitled to. Charlotte Bull, our Care Services Advocacy Executive, explains more.

When the new Care Act comes in, it could mean that the care you or a loved one receive from social services, might be different.

For example, the Care Act requires local authorities to look after carers in a way they have not had to before. It also changes the rules on who is entitled to care and who isn't.

And from 2016 there will be even more changes. For example, the rules on who pays for care and how much of a person’s own savings are protected, are being rewritten.

All of these changes can be confusing and worrying for people who require community care or help from social services. We recognise these concerns, which is why we have launched a new and free Advice and Advocacy Service.

Our new service aims to make the care system and welfare benefits system easier to understand. Our team are on hand to give you advice on what you are entitled to and how you can claim it. We can also help when things don’t go according to plan. With your permission we are able to act on your behalf to get issues sorted out. We may be able to write letters to your local authority; represent you at appeals and attend important meetings with you.

We have experience in helping with a number of issues including:

• care home top-up fees
• domiciliary care
• Disabled Facility Grants
• Continuing Heath Care, to name a few. 

We can also give you advice on benefits and how to appeal decisions you are unhappy about.

By Charlotte Bull