3 and 4 Years

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 also get health benefits and 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.
  
  
• 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 your Council Tax that 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.
  
  (Mobility Needs) (Higher Rate only): This is a weekly payment for a child who has great difficulty walking outdoors. You can appeal against a refusal - 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.
  
  
• Blue Badge: This badge goes on your car and allows you special parking rights if your child has great difficulty walking.
  
  
• Family Trust Fund: This is an independent charity funded 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.

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 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 Tax 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 0845 300 3900. Alternatively, claim online at www.hmrc.gov.uk 
  
  
• Housing Benefit (Claimed by parent)
  Get an application form from your local office of Tameside Council's Customer Services.
  
  
• Council Tax Benefit and Council Tax Disability Reduction (Claimed by parent)
  Get application forms from your local office of Tameside Council's Customer Services.
  
  
• Disability Living Allowance (Care Needs) (Mobility Needs) (Claimed by parent on behalf of child)
  Get a claim pack DLA1 (child) from your local Disability Benefits Centre (0161 831 2000) or by sending off the coupon in leaflet DS704 from the Jobcentre or your local office of Tameside Council's Customer Service 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 and/or the difficulties your child has getting about outside.  It might be best to get 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 it to Carers Allowance Unit, 1 Palatine House, Lancaster Road, Preston PR1 1NS, telephone 01253 856 123. Alternatively claim online at www.dwp.gov.uk .
  
  
• 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.
  
  
• Family Trust Fund
  The Family Trust Fund, PO Box 50, York YO1 2ZX

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.