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Factsheet 9a: Support and benefits for you and your disabled child 


Released  16 September 2003

You should expect services to offer support and advice about benefits. Receiving the correct support and benefits are your right, so don't feel embarrassed. This factsheet is a very simplified summary and tries to alert you to potential entitlements. There are many other sources of support and financial assistance we couldn't include, so please see Where to go for more help at the bottom of this factsheet.

Circumstance Benefits and Entitlements
You are responsible for a child: Child benefit, child tax credit (CTC)
The child is effectively an orphan: Guardian's allowance

Disability Living Allowance (DLA)
needs help with personal care care component, disability living allowance
needs someone to make sure they are safe care component, disability living allowance
needs someone to monitor their health care component, disability living allowance
has difficulty walking mobility component, disability living allowance
needs help to keep safe when out and about mobility component, disability living allowance
you need help to make a claim Factsheet 'Tips for Claiming Disability Living Allowance'

You are caring for your child, your child gets at least middle rate DLA and:
you earn less than £77 a week Carer's allowance
you get means tested benefits Carer's premium in means-tested benefits
you need help to care for your child: Carer's assessment and care plan setting out the services the local authority will provide
you wish to organise this help yourself Direct payments from Social Services to buy your own help, rather than have them organise this
you need a break Carer's special grant

You do not have enough to live on and:
are responsible for children Child Tax Credit (CTC)
a child gets DLA Disability element (this is a tax credit enhancement for disabled children)
a child gets DLA at the high rate for care Severe disability element (this is a tax credit enhancement for disabled children)
you don't work or work less than 16 hours a week Income Support (IS) including carer's premium
and are entitled to carer's allowance Income-based jobseekers allowance, carer's premium
work at least 16 hours a week, are a carer of a disabled child Working Tax Credit (WTC)
pay rent for where you live, are a carer and have a disabled child Housing Benefit including carer's premium, disabled child premium and enhanced disability premium
pay council tax Council tax benefit

You pay council tax and:
1. have an extra room in your house to meet your disabled child's needs (this must be suitable for a wheelchair user) or disability reduction
2. your home is accessible for your child if they disability reduction need to use a wheelchair indoors or disability reduction
3. you have a second bathroom or kitchen needed by your child disability reduction
there is only one adult in the household or the only other adults are certain carers single person discount

You need help with your mortgage and:
don't work, or work less than 16 hours IS
are signing on and looking for work Income based job seeker's allowance

You get other income related benefits or tax credits; you have needs hard to meet out of your regular income and:
have just had a baby sure start maternity grant
are responsible for a funeral funeral payment
have one-off household expenses (like household appliances, bedding or clothing) community care grant, budgeting loan
need fares to visit someone in hospital community care grant
have an emergency or disaster crisis loan
need help with NHS costs health benefits

Your child is severely disabled and:
you need help to pay for holidays and days out, household appliances, bedding, clothing, toys, equipment or driving lessons. The Family Fund

Your child gets high rate mobility component of DLA and you need help to:
meet the costs of running a car, exemption from road tax
buy or lease a car or wheelchair Motability
park close to your destination Blue badge

Your child needs extra help at school and: health benefits
these needs can be met within a mainstream school's budget support through School Action
with the help of outside agencies support through School Action Plus
these needs cannot be met by a mainstream support through a Statement of Special
school within their own resources Educational Needs

Your child needs help at home, or to join in leisure activities or have a break: Community Care Assessment. A care plan saying what services the local authority will provide and how.
you wish to buy in this help for your child direct payments from social services to buy your child's social care, rather than have social services organise this.

The benefits and entitlements referred to here are potential entitlements. You should seek independent advice before making a claim. With thanks to Disability Alliance for the use of this table, modified from their guide 'Don't Miss Out'.

Where to go for more help

This factsheet was written by aMAZE and the Audit Commission.