A welcoming inclusive community coffee house in Taunton Somerset
Benefits & Financial Support
Here you will find links to any benefits and /or financial support you may be able to receive to help provide for your family. Some of these are means tested.
Even without a diagnosis you may be entitled to extra financial support .
Not sure how to claim Disability Living Allowance?
You can go online and print the form HERE ( your claim will be backdated to the date they receive the form)
Or you can phone HERE your claim will get backdated to the day you call and you will have 6 weeks to complete and return.
If you are struggling to complete please reach out as your application may be denied if there is not enough evidence, You do not always need any professional letters to support your application but they will help. If you have a teacher at the school who is in support or another professional it may be beneficial to add them to the application as a source of more information.
REMEMBER when completing the form, fill it out as honestly as you can. They need to hear the real struggles and remember these people making the decisions have never met your child so as much information as you can.
If you are in receipt of Universal Credit you will also be eligible for a disability and carers element. This will be backdated to the same date you start receiving ( whatever that backdated date is) but this must be requested as not always automatic.
Don't work? Earn £196 or less a week? Why not see if you may also be eligible for Carers Allowance.
You may be also eligible for reduction in water costs, council tax and more.
Disability Living Allowance
Disability Living Allowance (DLA) for children may help with the extra costs of looking after a child who:
is under 16
has difficulties walking or needs much more looking after than a child of the same age who does not have a disability
They will need to meet all the eligibility requirements.
The DLA rate is between £28.70 and £184.30 a week and depends on the level of help the child needs. If you are in receipt of UC you may also get a disability element as well.
Carers Allowance
You may be eligible for Carer’s Allowance if you, the person you care for and the type of care you provide meets certain criteria.
If your child is in receipt of DLA, your care for them for at least 35 hours a week and you earn less than £151 a week ( this will be calculated over a 12 month period and divided . If you claim UC you may also get a carers element on their too.
Blue Badge
Blue Badges help people with disabilities or health conditions park closer to their destination. You may be eligible if your child can be unsafe, struggle at times with anxiety. Unable to get in and out of the car without assistance. Maybe your child can become distressed and become unsafe near a road or in a car park.
There is a HIDDEN DISABILITIES application.
Personal Independence Allowance
Personal Independence Payment (PIP) is a benefit for people who are under State Pension age and need help with daily activities or getting around because of a long-term illness or disability. It isn't based on your National Insurance contributions and it isn't means tested, so your savings don't matter.
Tax credits and Working Tax Credits
If your child is disabled
You'll get extra child tax credits for each child or young person you're responsible for who either: gets Disability Living Allowance (DLA), Personal Independence Payment (PIP), Child Disability Payment or Adult Disability Payment.
You can only make a claim for Child Tax Credit if you already get Working Tax Credit.
f you do not get Working Tax Credit
You cannot apply for Child Tax Credit.
You can apply for Universal Credit instead.
