family fund and community care grants

[becky29]

i have been waiting to apply to the family fund, instead of asking for a hoilday i hope to get driving lessons and my peadritcian (sp) says she determined to get me mobilty at higher rate as she says i must be driving soon. not sure it will work out that way but you never know.

im having a problem with my household items, ive had to throw my daughters matteress away as her wetting it has gone way beyond scrubbing (we tried sheets but she would just strip them off before) and she often smears while we think shes fast asleep (she is so quiet when she does it). ive scrubbed her walls so much its taken the paint off, i washed the curtains so much they are not as pink as they used to be. she needs a new carpet as i can no longer scrub the smell out. as well as ruining my stairs carpet by knocking a full tin of sealed paint down the stairs and it falling at speed and exploding on the way down i had to take it up. between reece and alex they have totally ruined my sofa by constantly jumping on it. taps and door handles are falling to pieces because of the extra daily over usage. i hope to apply for a community care grant, does anyone know how to apply and how long it could take.

[cathrine]

we also had the same problem with smearing our OT got a safespace installed it has be a godsend as fully washable we still have his old safespace its big 8FTx8FT and needs a couple of small repairs to the zip take alook at the link

http://www.safespaces.co.uk/

[Daniel]

Hi Becky,
You can apply for a Community Care Grant if you are either:

already getting Income Support, income-related Employment and Support Allowance, income-based Jobseeker's Allowance, Pension Credit, or payment on account of one of these benefits likely to start getting one of these benefits within the next six weeks because you're moving out of care and any one of the following applies:

you're moving out of residential or institutional care to live independently

you're moving to a new home which will be more suitable for you following an unsettled period in your life and are being resettled by an organisation like a local council or voluntary organisation

you need help to stay in your home and not go into residential care or hospital

you need help because you or your family face exceptional pressure, such as family breakdown or because one of you has a long-term illness
you look after someone who is ill or disabled, or has been released from custody on temporary licence

you need help with expenses such as visiting someone who is ill, or to attend a relative's funeral

You won't get a Community Care Grant for:

any need which occurs outside the United Kingdom

educational or training expenses

a distinctive school uniform, sports clothes or equipment

travelling expenses to and from school

school meals

expenses in connection with court or legal proceedings

removal charges expenses or storage charges, where the local authority can help with these

domestic help or respite care

repairs to local authority or housing association homes

medical, surgical, optical, aural or dental items or services

debts to government departments, including tax arrears

investments

Council Tax

most other housing costs

fuel costs, except in certain circumstances

expenses of less than £30, except for travelling or daily living expenses
work related expenses

cost of buying, renting or installing telephones and call charges

daily living expenses such as food and groceries (except if for caring for a prisoner or young offender on release on temporary licence)

The one thing i would suggest is approaching your local social services and finding how there carers grants work as a carers grant does cover driving lessons.
Let me know what council your under and ill have a dig around?

[becky29]

barnsley council, south yorkshire. the things that are listed dont fall under what i need them for, i was advised by a family with 3 autistic children that i had been in contact with who said they had claimed it for the same thing (community care grant). they were from london so whether that makes a difference and i dont know how long ago it was. i got a community care grant when i moved into the house im in now about 8 years ago, i had nothing but a matress, a tv and a microwave and there was me and my two year old son we had moved from my dads one bedroomed bungalow into a 3 bedroom house. as it happened my sons other grandparents took him on hoilday for 2 weeks (i was sad to let him go for so long but it wouldnt have been fair to let him stay while i had nothing). the grant came just in time and i did my sons bedroom first.

the family fund my daughters peadrician says i must ask for driving lessons, and that is why i didnt ask them for a hoilday. although i am thinking i may be applying to late in the year

[Daniel]

So have you now applied for the driving lessons and sent the application?