A Guide to What You and a Disabled Child in Your Care may be Entitled to

Benefits for People with a Disabled Child


You will get this:
Child Benefit: This is a weekly payment for each child you look after

You may also get this:
Income Support: This is a weekly payment you may get if you don't have a full time job and your income is below a set amount. You may get community care grants for clothes, furniture, etc. from the social fund.

Working Tax Credit: This is a weekly payment you may get if your wages are low.

Child Tax Credit: This is payable if you have children and your income is not too high.

*Note with tax credits if you recieve DLA there are additional premiums

Disability element This is an extra payment for each disabled child you have this is around £2,800 per year.
Also if you recieve higher rate DLA then in addition to the £2,800 you are also eligible to claim Severe disability element which is currently around £1,130 extra on top of the £2,800.



Housing Benefit: This is help with rent. You may get it if you have a low income

Council Tax Benefit: This is help with Council Tax payments. You may get it if you have a low income.

Council Tax Disability Reduction: This is a reduction in you Council Tax you may get if your home is specially adapted for the needs of your disabled child

Disability Living Allowance (Care Needs): This is a weekly payment for a severely disabled child who needs a lot of looking after and has needed this for the last three months. It is paid at different rates according to your child's needs. You can appeal against a refusal or the amount awarded - seek advice from the Welfare Rights Service..

Carers Allowance: If your child gets Disability Living Allowance (Care Needs) at either the 'middle' or 'higher' rate you may also be able to get Carers Allowance.

Family Fund: This is an independent charity financed by the government which may help with special things for your disabled child. They may help with the cost of laundry equipment, holidays and outings for example.
http://www.familyfund.org.uk/

Don't forget things like:
Free dental treatment, free prescriptions, help with the cost of glasses, help with fares to hospital, road tax exemption.


Education benefits:
free school meals, clothing grants, bus fares.

Benefits :
How to claim them...
Child Benefit (Claimed by parent)
Claim on form CH2 or online at http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/childbenefit . Complete and return with the child's birth certificate to: Child Benefit Office, PO Box 1, Newcastle, NE88 1AA.

Income Support (Claimed by parent)
Claim by telephone from Jobcentre Plus on 0800 055 6688. If you are over 60, claim Pension Credit instead by contacting the Pension Credit Application line 0800 99 1234.

Working Tax Credit/Child Credits (Claimed by parent)
Get Form TC600 from an HM Revenue and Customs Enquiry Centre, or Social Security Office or Jobcentre, or contact the Tax Credit Helpline on 0845 300 3900 Alternatively, claim online at http://www.hmrc.gov.uk

Housing Benefit (Claimed by parent)
Get an application form from your local council

Council Tax Benefit and Council Tax Disability Reduction (Claimed by parent)
Get application forms from your local council office.


Disability Living Allowance (Care Needs) (Claimed by parent on behalf of child)
Get a claim pack DLA1 (child) from your local Disability Benefits Centre (0161 831 2000) or the Benefit enquiry line 0800 88 22 00. Fill it in and send it to: Disability Benefits Centre, Albert Bridge House, Bridge Street, Manchester M3 9AF. Remember to describe in full detail all the special care and attention your child needs. It might be best to get help and advice about this before filling in the form.

Carers Allowance (Claimed by parent/carer)
If your child gets Disability Living Allowance for Care needs at either the "middle" or "higher" rate, it is worth checking to see if you can also get Carers Allowance. Call the Benefit Enquiry line on 0800 88 22 00 for a claim form and send to Carers Allowance Unit, 1 Palatine House, Lancaster Road, Preston PR1 1NS, telephone 01253 856123. Alternatively claim online at http://www.dwp.gov.uk .


Family Fund
The Family Trust Fund, PO Box 50, York, YO1 2ZX
01904 621115
http://www.familyfund.org.uk/

Its always worth working out if you maybe entitled to any additional money or support as you maybe missing out.
When you have a disabled child every little helps so well worth checking your entitlement to ensure that the severe financial impact having a disabled child can bring is relieved even if only a little.
Use our benefit checker to see if you maybe missing out:
http://www.parentsofdisabledchildren.co....t-521.html

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Our Irish members can also use our new website for Ireland which is

Sorry if this is a repeat of any earlier post - but can anyone explain what changes are being proposed to DLA for children? My daughter currently receives middle rate care and higher rate mobility and I've just put in her renewal claim. There's been a lot of mentions to changes on the radio but I can't find any clear information on this.

Dla is switching to personal independence payments, however, children are exempt from this and will continue to receive dla. There are no plans to switch children over to PIP at all xxxx

Does anyone know if you should get your income support docked if you get carers allowance? I have friends that say they don't and they get to keep all of their carers allowance and get full income support is this right?

Shouldnt be no. You usually lose about £20/30 but obviously caters is £55? So your still better off on it. But yeah, it's taxable so they should lose some xxx


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I am here: http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=52.555265,-1.886587