My social work provides me with four weeks respite budget per year. They have stated I can use this for a break away. To do this my PA has to come with me. If I choose to stay in a hotel, they will not allow me to use my respite budget to pay for a Bed and Breakfast rate. It has to be bed only. They also won’t allow me to help pay the food costs of my PA from the respite budget, even just the HMRC allowable food expense of up to £25 per day.
I don’t understand this. If my PA was employed by the local authority, they would be allowed to claim subsistence costs for being away from home to cover the incremental cost of them buying meals in a hotel.
Does anyone have experience of this?