Financial Help

In this section there is a brief outline of the Government benefits and other financial help that may be available to you.

The rules and regulations that govern benefits are rather complex. Some benefits you are automatically eligible for and others depend on your income and individual circumstances.

It is important to seek expert advice if you believe you are not getting your rights. It is
also important to make sure that any information you have about allowances or benefits isup to date as they change so often.

020 7247 8763 (2p.m. - 4 p.m.) on Mondays and Wednesdays.

Local Department of Social Security Office Broadlands House, Staplers Road, NEWPORT, ISLE OF WIGHT PO30 2HX
Tel. No. (01983) 273000

The Disability Alliance produce an all-purpose rights guide for people with disabilities and their families called DISABILITY RIGHTS HANDBOOK. This is updated yearly and by regular Disability Rights Bulletin. The Handbook covers different types of benefits and financial aid available to people with disabilities and their families.

The handbook costs £8.50 for those on state benefit and £12.50 for others, and can be obtained directly from Disability Alliance.
Your local Citizens Advice Bureau, have a Welfare Rights Advisor will have detailed information about benefits and will be able to help you with your enquiries. (Telephone No. 0845 050 5165)

There is also a BENEFIT ENQUIRY LINE which offers free and confidential advice on allSocial Security Benefits for people with disabilities, their carers and representatives.Benefit enquiry staff cannot look at your personal records and can only give generalinformation and advice.

FINANCIAL HELP BENEFIT ENQUIRY LINE Tel No. 0800 882200 (Monday - Friday 8.30 a.m. - 6.30 p.m. and on Saturdays 9 a.m. - 1 p.m.)

is the main benefit for children with
disabilities. It is usually paid every four weeks and is a non-means tested benefit which means you will benefit regardless of your financial status.
Disability Living Allowance is payable in two parts and either, or both, can be claimed:-
1. Care Component
2. Mobility Component
CARE COMPONENT If, because of a physical or mental disability, your child needs a lot of looking after or help with personal care, they should qualify for the CARE COMPONENT. This is payable at three rates and it can be paid from three months or birth for terminally ill babies. You have to show the care needs of the child are
substantially in excess of the needs of a child without that illness/disability.

HANDY HINTS
When making a claim for benefit:-

professional, this will be helpful in supporting your case.

MOBILITY COMPONENT If a person needs help getting around, they may qualify for
the mobility component. The lower are limit is five years for children who qualify for the lower rate and three years for those who qualify for the highest rate.

The lower rate of mobility component is for children who can walk, but who may need someone to supervise them. The lower rate component has an additional test for children under the age of 16, which must prove that the child needs more supervision and guidance than a child of the same age.

The higher rate is for those who may be unable to walk or have severe difficulties in walking. It may also be paid to children getting the higher rate care
component who have a several mental impairment and severe behaviour problems.
In the case of terminal illness or where life expectancy is likely to be six months or less, there is no waiting period and DLA care component should be paid straight away.

To apply for DLA ask for a DLA Claim Pack (Form DLA 1). These are available from any DSS office or you can contact the Benefits Enquiry Line.

If you are applying for a child under the age of 16, there is now a special form called the DLA1 Child. The forms may look fairly complex at first glance and you may need to ask your social worker or Welfare Advisor for help in completing the form.

- if your child receives the middle or higher rate of DLA care component, you may also be entitled to receive Invalid Care Allowance.

In order to qualify you will need to spend at least 35 hours a week caring, this can be at any time during the day or night. You do not have to live with the person you are caring for.. If you work you must nor earn more that £72 per week and must not be in full time education (this is classed as over 21 hours a week). Also apply for ICA at the same time as completing the Disability Living Allowance forms, as there are strict rules on backdating benefits.

REMEMBER
Your claim can be backdated to the time that your asked for the form from the DSS if
you return the form with six weeks, therefore if you use a form from a Citizens Advice
Bureaus or other, you can only claim from the date that the completed form reaches
the DSS offices.

If you are on Income Support and you claim Invalid Care Allowance (ICA), you can also qualify for a Carer Premium of £24.40 per week, so it is worth claiming for both benefits, even though the amount of ICA will be deducted from your Income Support. Remember that you cannot be paid ICA if you are in receipt of certain benefits such as Incapacity Benefit or Severe Disablement Allowance. However you could claim ICA and be awarded an underlying entitlement would allow you to qualify for the Carer Premium on any Income Support and other means tested benefits you receive.

is a means-tested Benefit to help people who work less than sixteen hours per week and whose income is less than the minimum level set by the government.

You may be eligible for Income Support if you care for a child that receives middle or higher rate of Disability Living Allowance or if you are a lone parent. If you qualify for Income Support, the amount you get is worked out by adding up the personal allowances and any premiums you qualify for and then taking away the amount you already receive from things like part-time work or certain other social security benefits.

Personal Allowances are weekly payments towards day to day living expenses for you and your partner, if you have one, and for any children or young people for whom you are responsible.

Premiums are weekly additions to Income Support personal allowances for some people who have extra needs, for example, people with children.

If you get Income Support, you or anyone you claim will also get:-

is a benefit for those who are available for, and actively looking for, work. If you are caring for a disabled child, you can restrict the hours when you are available for work because of caring responsibilities. This is subject to a minimum of 16 hours a week.

is a new tax-free, means-tested payment that is
administered through the Inland Revenue and paid directly by the employers. It replaces Family Credit. It is for people who are on a low income and are working for 16 hours or more and who have at least one child.
It is for lone parents, as well as couples, and you can claim whether you are in a job or self employed.
The amount you can claim depends on the number of children you have, how old
they are and how much money is coming into your home at the time you claim. An extra amount is included if you child is awarded Disability Living Allowance.

Qualification for Working Families Tax Credit means you may be eligible for other types of help, such as free prescriptions, free eye tests, vouchers for lasses and fares to hospital.

(Rent Rebate or Rent Allowance) is a cash benefit to help you pay your rent if you are on Income Support, income-based Job Seekers Allowance or a low income. It does not matter if you live alone or with other people, or whether you are in work or unemployed. You do not have to have paid any National Insurance contributions.

You may be able to get help with most types of accommodation, for example council
housing, private rented housing, hotel, hostel, guest house or other similar accommodation. Even if you are not getting any other Social Security benefits you may still be able to claim Housing Benefit, providing you are on a low income.

is a financial help from a local council towards your Council Tax bill. If you are on Income Support, income-based Job Seekers Allowance or a low income, you may be able to claim help up to 100% of your bill. If you are not on any of these benefits but on a low income, you may still get some help towards your bill. People who are severely mentally impaired may not have to pay Council Tax.
Disability Reductions are available if you or a child have a major disability and therefore require a second bathroom, kitchen or other space to meet your needs. Contact your local council or your local Citizens Advice Bureau for a list of exemptions and reductions and how to apply.

- if you are on Income Support or income-based Job Seekers Allowance and you or someone in your family is disabled or serious ill you may be able to get a Community Care Grant to pay for certain items that you cannot afford out of your weekly benefit. For example, bedding, clothing, laundry equipment, gas and electricity reconnection charges, redecoration and furnishings, heaters and safety items and fares to hospital.
You may be offered a loan instead of a grant, but you would have to pay it back out of your weekly benefit.

there are two cash benefits (which may be paid in addition to
Disability Living Allowance) are available for young people over sixteen years old, who are unable to earn a wage, these are SEVERE DISABLEMENT ALLOWANCE (SDA) and INCAPACITY BENEFIT (IB).

is not a mean-tested benefit and you do not have to paid National Insurance in order to qualify. It provides a basic income for young people over sixteen years of age, who are unfit to work. If your child is in full time education,

DO:-
Take independent advice before agreeing to a loan. For details ask your Social
Security Office for form SF300.
they can be paid SDA providing they are unlikely to find paid employment within the next twelve months. SDA was abolished in April 2001 (new claims were accepted up until 5^th July 2001). Existing claimants will be protected (see below).

is for people who are incapable of work. It is a non-means tested benefit, but for most people you need to have worked and paid National Insurance at some point in order to qualify..

Young people who are already getting SDA will continue to receive it until April 2002.
After this time they will transfer to long term Incapacity Benefit (paid at a higher
rate). Those over 20 when SDA was abolished should continue to receive it as long as they are incapable of work.

In future, young people who are unfit to work will need to claim IB instead. New rules will help young people to qualify for IB even if they have never worked and paid National Insurance.
Now that SDA has been abolished there is no earning replacement benefit for a disabled person over 20 with insufficient National Insurance contributions to qualify for IB.

People who are incapable of work and on a low income can claim Income Support, either as a top up to SDA/IB, or where they are not entitled to these benefits.

The Carers and Disabled Children Act 2000 gives Local Authorities the power to offer
direct payments to people with parental responsibility for children with disabilities and
young people aged 16/17 years to purchase services.

Direct payments are only available via Social Services, and only to those children who are assessed as meeting the need for services. Direct payments are another way of providing services, offering children and their parents the opportunity to purchase care and support when it is needed.

Direct payments are not taxed, and will not affect any Benefits you may receive from the Benefits Agency. If it is agreed by Social Services, through your social worker, that you should purchase via direct payments, then you will need to set up a separate bank account. A contract with Social Services will also have to be signed, which will set out the responsibilities on both sides.

The legislation makes it clear that direct payments cannot be used to pay for care from any other family members, even if they are not living in the household.
You should be aware that if you are purchasing care on behalf of your child, and you are paying for a carer to come into your home, you would in effect become an employer with the carer as your employee, unless the carer is employed through an agency. As an employer you will be responsible for the payment of the employee’s National Insurance, holiday and sick pay, and need to have a basic knowledge of the current employment legislation.

If you do wish to employ a carer to provide care for your child, arrangements should be made for a criminal record check to be made on behalf of the carer. This can be organised by your social worker and will be paid for by the Social Services and Housing Directorate. Police checks can take some time but it would not be advisable to employ the carer until the check has been carried out. If you, or the proposed carer, are not willing for the police check to be undertaken, Social Services will be unable to offer direct payments.

For more information contact your social worker or the duty officer on 525790