financial support |
Please click the pictures below to down your copies of our parent and carer My Guides on Financial Support in Bexley and Direct Payments |
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It’s really important to get the right information and help when you’re caring for a child or young person who has special/additional needs or is disabled.
Please refer to our drop down sub-menu for more detailed information on individual financial support and benefits. The information below tells you about the support you might get. It doesn't go into detail, but explains where you can get more information (Information is subject to change without notice, please contact individual organisations for updates). |
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Bexley's Local Offer has information on financial support for families, children and young people.
Carers Support Bexley is able to support parents and carers of children and young people with DLA (Disability Living Allowance) and PIP (Personal Independence Payment) up to and including appeals.
Contact (previously known as Contact A Family) can offer advice on benefits/financial support and completing claim forms. Their national freephone helpline can also put you in touch with local help to complete any forms. Call 0808 888 3555 to find out more.
Family Fund are the UK’s largest provider of grants to low-income families raising disabled and seriously ill children and young people. They help ease the additional pressures families face. They can help with essential items such as washing machines, fridges and clothing but can also consider grants for sensory toys, computers and much needed family breaks together. They help families across the UK who are raising a disabled or seriously ill child or young person aged 17 or under.
There are many other benefits and concessions, which you may qualify for so it is always best to get a full benefit check done regularly.
On-line 'Benefits calculators' can help you find out what you may be able to claim.
Entitled To is a national organisation helping people find out what they could claim.
www.entitledto.co.uk/benefits-calculator
Turn 2 Us offer a benefit calculator and also a search facility for grants for disabled children and young people.
www.turn2us.org.uk
Your child/YP may be entitled to financial help from other sources, for example a grant from the Family Fund. This can be paid for specific items to help relieve the stress arising from the day to day care of a child under 18 years who has a severe disability or serious illness, for example laundry equipment, transport expenses, help with driving lessons for you, clothing and holidays.
Types of benefits:
Other sources of financial help:
There are a range of other benefits that families may be able to access depending on their circumstances. These include:
www.gov.uk/browse/benefits/disability
www.cafamily.org.uk/know-your-rights/benefits-and-tax-credits/
Carers Support Bexley is able to support parents and carers of children and young people with DLA (Disability Living Allowance) and PIP (Personal Independence Payment) up to and including appeals.
Contact (previously known as Contact A Family) can offer advice on benefits/financial support and completing claim forms. Their national freephone helpline can also put you in touch with local help to complete any forms. Call 0808 888 3555 to find out more.
Family Fund are the UK’s largest provider of grants to low-income families raising disabled and seriously ill children and young people. They help ease the additional pressures families face. They can help with essential items such as washing machines, fridges and clothing but can also consider grants for sensory toys, computers and much needed family breaks together. They help families across the UK who are raising a disabled or seriously ill child or young person aged 17 or under.
There are many other benefits and concessions, which you may qualify for so it is always best to get a full benefit check done regularly.
On-line 'Benefits calculators' can help you find out what you may be able to claim.
Entitled To is a national organisation helping people find out what they could claim.
www.entitledto.co.uk/benefits-calculator
Turn 2 Us offer a benefit calculator and also a search facility for grants for disabled children and young people.
www.turn2us.org.uk
Your child/YP may be entitled to financial help from other sources, for example a grant from the Family Fund. This can be paid for specific items to help relieve the stress arising from the day to day care of a child under 18 years who has a severe disability or serious illness, for example laundry equipment, transport expenses, help with driving lessons for you, clothing and holidays.
Types of benefits:
- Your young person may get Personal Independence Payment (P.I.P), if aged 16 to 64, to help towards some of the extra costs arising from a health condition or disability. You may also be able to claim 'new style' Employment and Support Allowance.
- Your child may get Disability Living Allowance (DLA) if aged under 16. The amount of Disability Living Allowance you get depends on how much their disability affects them.
- Carer’s Allowance (also covers information on Carers Credit) is a benefit for people who can’t work full-time because they are caring for a child who is disabled or who has special/additional needs.
- Universal Credit is the new benefit that is replacing various other benefits. For more information - please download the leaflet from Contact - Guide to Universal Credit for Disabled Children and families (see above - top right picture).
- There are two tax credits: working tax credit (WTC) - a means-tested tax credit for working people on low incomes and child tax credit (CTC) - a means-tested tax credit for people with children. Both tax credits are paid by HM Revenue and are claimed on the same form - TC600. This is available from your local HM Revenue office or the tax credits helpline, 0345 300 3900.
Other sources of financial help:
There are a range of other benefits that families may be able to access depending on their circumstances. These include:
- income support is a means-tested benefit to help individuals or families on a low income and with savings below £16,000
- housing benefit is for those who pay rent and are on a low income
- support with council tax is for those who are liable for council tax and on a low income - help varies from area to area depending on the local scheme in your area. See Contact A Family's guide to Help with council tax bills for more information
- council tax disability reduction if you need extra space in your house because of your child's disability.
www.gov.uk/browse/benefits/disability
www.cafamily.org.uk/know-your-rights/benefits-and-tax-credits/
Personal Budgets
A personal budget is a sum of money allocated to you as a result of an assessment of your needs. The amount of money you are awarded is based on your 'eligible needs’, which the local council's policy says it has a duty to support.
Local authorities might offer families the option of a personal or individual budget.
Refer to our Personal / Individual Budget page for more information.
A personal budget is a sum of money allocated to you as a result of an assessment of your needs. The amount of money you are awarded is based on your 'eligible needs’, which the local council's policy says it has a duty to support.
Local authorities might offer families the option of a personal or individual budget.
Refer to our Personal / Individual Budget page for more information.
Direct Payments
A Direct Payment is money paid to you on behalf of your disabled child to purchase support and short breaks and is an alternative to receiving a commissioned service owned or arranged by the London Borough of Bexley.
Families who meet the criteria will be offered the opportunity to have a Direct Payment in place of a service and are able to use this flexibly to “buy” their short breaks from an inclusive setting, or by employing a worker as agreed in the care plan.
You can only get direct payments if your child or young person has been assessed by social services as needing care and support services. Direct payments can be made to:
Inspire Community Trust acts as Bexley's Local Authority’s broker for Direct Payments and supports families with information and advice in setting up their service. The Trust operates a help line and monitoring service. If you are interested in Direct Payments, there is a factsheet and handbook available. HELP LINE NUMBER: 020 3045 5341.
For more information on Direct Payments, please see: www.gov.uk/apply-direct-payments
A Direct Payment is money paid to you on behalf of your disabled child to purchase support and short breaks and is an alternative to receiving a commissioned service owned or arranged by the London Borough of Bexley.
Families who meet the criteria will be offered the opportunity to have a Direct Payment in place of a service and are able to use this flexibly to “buy” their short breaks from an inclusive setting, or by employing a worker as agreed in the care plan.
You can only get direct payments if your child or young person has been assessed by social services as needing care and support services. Direct payments can be made to:
- disabled people aged 16 or over (with short or long-term needs)
- parents for children’s services
- carers aged 16 or over (including people with parental responsibility for a disabled child)
Inspire Community Trust acts as Bexley's Local Authority’s broker for Direct Payments and supports families with information and advice in setting up their service. The Trust operates a help line and monitoring service. If you are interested in Direct Payments, there is a factsheet and handbook available. HELP LINE NUMBER: 020 3045 5341.
For more information on Direct Payments, please see: www.gov.uk/apply-direct-payments
You can apply for a Disabled Facilities Grant if you’re disabled and need to make changes to your home, for example to:
https://www.gov.uk/disabled-facilities-grants
- widen doors and install ramps
- improve access to rooms and facilities - eg stair lifts or a downstairs bathroom
- provide a heating system suitable for your needs
- adapt heating or lighting controls to make them easier to use
https://www.gov.uk/disabled-facilities-grants
Charitable funding for children's equipmentMany families are finding that equipment and/or adaptations for their children cannot be funded by statutory services and are therefore seeking alternative funding means - particularly charitable funding. To assist you in these situations, the Disabled Living Foundation have listed a range of national charities including Caudwell Children, Family Fund, Family Action, Lifeline 4 Kids and Whizz Kidz. However - before you seek charitable funding (or buy) equipment for your child, we would advise you to seek specialist advice. This will help you plan for both immediate and long term needs, will increase awareness of the alternatives on the market, and to check whether the equipment you need can be provided by the statutory services (if this hasn't already been investigated). Furthermore, most applications require the support of a qualified health or medical professional.
https://www.livingmadeeasy.org.uk/scenario.php?csid=172
In addition to this, the latest edition of 'A guide to grants for individuals in need' is published by the Directory of Social Change, and should be available in your local library.
You can also search for charities on the website, Turn 2 Us: www.turn2us.org.uk.
https://www.livingmadeeasy.org.uk/scenario.php?csid=172
In addition to this, the latest edition of 'A guide to grants for individuals in need' is published by the Directory of Social Change, and should be available in your local library.
You can also search for charities on the website, Turn 2 Us: www.turn2us.org.uk.
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Please click the picture for an excellent guide from Contact
'Money Matters', about many different types on financial support. It includes:
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Please download the 'Universal Credit and Disabled Children' from Contact A Family. (Click on the picture.)
