Benefits for People with a Disabled Child
16 Years and Over
A Guide to What You may be Entitled to
Benefits for People with a Disabled Child
Important message for parents of a child with a disability - when your child reaches age 16
When your child reaches age 16 they may be able to claim Incapacity Benefit and/or Income Support. In many cases they will receive more income if they do this. The two case studies below show examples of how they may be better off or worse off doing this. Please contact the Welfare Rights Service for advice on your particular circumstances.
Case study 1 .
Mr. and Mrs. Plum have 3 children aged 3, 7 and 16. The eldest child, Robert, gets disability living allowance at the highest rate for personal care and low rate mobility. He attends a school for children with learning difficulties.
Mr. and Mrs. Plum are both working full time. They claim Child Tax Credit at the basic rate of £545 per year, and child benefit for 3 children.
Robert can claim incapacity benefit and income support, in his own right even though he is still at school, because he is following a course of education which is only available to young people with a disability. The total benefit he is eligible for is £84.40 and his Disability Living Allowance will not be affected. His parents will have to stop claiming child benefit for him so will lose £12.10 per week but they will still get Child Tax Credit at the basic rate because they have other dependent children. The household income will be higher if Robert claims in his own right.
Case Study 2 .
Mrs. Green is a single parent with one child, Sarah, age 16. Sarah attends the same school as Robert Plum and gets Disability Living Allowance at the same rate. However Mrs. Green is claiming income support and Carers allowance, with Child Benefit and Child Tax Credit for Sarah.
Mrs. Green gets the maximum amount of child tax credit for Sarah, including allowances because she is severely disabled, totaling £5812 per year (111.16 per week), plus child benefit of £18.10 per week. If Sarah claimed in her own right, she would get income support/incapacity benefit totaling £84.40 per week but her mother would lose all her Child Tax Credit and Child Benefit, totaling £129.26 per week. They are better off if Mrs. Green keeps claiming for Sarah as a dependent for as long as possible. She should seek advice again when Sarah is due to leave full time education or just before her 20 th birthday, whichever is soonest.
These are examples only and you should get individual advice about your own situation.
Young people age 16, 17 or 18 who move into post compulsory further education can claim education maintenance allowance of up to £30 per week depending on their household income. This is paid in addition to the benefits mentioned here.You will be entitled to:
- Incapacity Benefit (non-contributory : This is a weekly payment you may get from the age of 16 if you are unable to work because of sickness or disability. It may be paid even if you stay on at school.
- 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.
- 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. [note: Only people aged 18 or over have to pay Council Tax]
- Council Tax Discount: Your Council Tax may be reduced if you are aged over 18 and have severe mental impairment.
- Council Tax Disability Reduction: This is a reduction in your Council Tax you may get if your home is specially adapted for your needs.
- Disability Living Allowance (Care Needs : This is a weekly payment if you need a lot of looking after and has needed this for the last three months. It is paid at different rates according to your needs. You can appeal against a refusal or the amount awarded - seek advice from the Welfare Rights Service.
(Mobility Needs): (Higher Rate only). This is a weekly payment if you have has great difficulty walking outdoors or need direction/guidance from another person for safety reasons. It is paid at different rates according to your needs. You can appeal against a refusal or the amount awarded - seek advice from the Welfare Rights Service. - Carers Allowance: If you get Disability Living Allowance (Care Needs) at either the 'middle' or 'higher' rate your carer may also be able to get Carers Allowance.
- Education Maintenance allowance: This is a weekly payment to help you stay on at school after you reach 16. It will not affect any other benefits paid to you or your parents. The amount depends on your parents income.
- Blue Badge: This badge goes on your car and allows you special parking rights if you have great difficulty walking.
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...
- Incapacity Benefit
Call the Jobcentre plus contact centre on 0800 055 6688. They will take details over the phone to start off your claim. - Income Support
Call the Jobcentre plus contact centre on 0800 055 6688. They will take details over the phone to start off your claim. - Housing Benefit (Claimed by tenant)
Get an application form from your local office of Tameside Council's Customer Service.
- Council Tax Benefit and Council Tax Disability Reduction (Claimed by tenant liable to pay the Council Tax)
Get application forms from your local office of Tameside Council's Customer Services.
- Council Tax Discount
Ask at the Customer Services office if this applies to your home. - Disability Living Allowance (Care Needs) (Mobility Needs) (Claimed by or on behalf of disabled person)
Get a claim pack DLA1 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 8HB. Remember to describe in full detail all the special care and attention you need and/or the difficulties you have getting about outside or need for direction/guidance from another person for safety reasons. It might be best to get help and advice about this before filling in the form. - Carers Allowance (Claimed by parent/carer)
If you get Disability Living Allowance for Care needs at either the "middle" or "higher" rate, it is worth checking to see if your carer could also get Carers Allowance. Before making this decision it is best to get advice on your circumstances. Get a claim form DS700 from your local Jobcentre and send it to: ICA Unit 1, Palatine House, Lancaster Road, Preston, PR1 1NS. - Education Maintenance Allowance: Contact the Council Offices or look at the Education Maintenance Allowance page.
- Blue Badge (Claimed by Parent)
(There is a small charge for this) Get application forms from your local office of Tameside Council's Customer Services.
If you are thinking of starting work after being on any of these benefits, please seek advice.
If you want to know more about benefits, you can get help from Tameside Council's Customer Service 0161 342 8355, or telephone the Welfare Rights Advice Line on 0800 074 9985 on Monday, Wednesday or Friday between 9am and 12 noon.
A directory of information and advice providers is available or you can telephone 0845 345 4345, minicom 0845 609 6677.
Remember that this is a general guide to benefits and not a full authoritative statement of law. We have made every effort to ensure that the information is correct at the date shown at the top of the page.