NAFWC 16/06 - National Assistance (Assessment Of Resources And Sums For Personal Requirements) (Amendment) (Wales) Regulations 2006

Announces the revision of the savings disregard from up to £4.85 per week to up to £5.05 per week for individual supported residents aged 65 and over. The savings disregard will also increase from up to £7.20 per week to up to £7.50 per week for couples. These increases also came into effect on 10 April 2006;

Announces an amendment to the regulations to take account of the Civil Partnerships Act 2004;

Announces the planned updated disregard regarding adoption support payments, reflecting the implementation of the Adoption and Children Act 2002;

Announces the revised Personal Expenses Allowance (PEA) of £20 per week that came into force on 10 April 2006. It applies to everyone in care homes, including homes with nursing on the premises, receiving help from local authorities with social services responsibilities (hereafter referred to as ‘authorities’) to meet the cost of accommodation under Part 3 of the National Assistance Act 1948. It reminds authorities of the purpose of the PEA;

Reminds authorities that the weekly payment for NHS Funded Nursing Care paid by Local Health Boards for eligible residents in care homes with nursing is increased to £111.00 from 1 April 2006;

Advises authorities of the encouragement to exercise their discretion NOT to apply the liable relatives rule, as set out at Section 11 of the CRAG;

Reminds authorities of the disregard for the two current one-off Age Related payments by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to people over 65 in residential accommodation and for future such payments. Local authorities are also reminded of the request to equally disregard such payments from charges form home care. This disregard was detailed previously in NAFWC 36/2005.