Here’s the twist. The low rate is for “significant help.” The high rate is for “help throughout day and night.” The medium rate is for “frequent help.” But what the heck does “frequent” mean?
The government says it means “a significant portion of the day.” Not all day, just a lot of it. Imagine needing help at breakfast, lunch, and dinner, but not in between.
Changes to benefits what do they really mean
It’s like a strict math problem. Three help sessions = medium rate? Five help sessions = high rate? It drives parents bonkers. The rulebooks are thicker than a pasta diet.
The Secret Weirdness: “Attention vs. Supervision”
Here’s a gem. The medium rate can be met by needing “attention” or “supervision.” They are NOT the same. Attention is doing the task for the kid. Supervision is just watching them do it.
So, a child who needs you to physically lift them into a bath? That’s attention. A child who gets distracted and climbs on the roof? That’s supervision. Both count!
But here’s the killer: If the child only needs supervision at night? That’s still valid. Waking up to check on a sleepwalker counts. But only if it happens multiple times a week.
