If you are the parent of a disabled child, you may well have higher financial needs than the parent of a non-disabled child. You may need to pay for specialist support or equipment and your ability to earn a full-time wage could be reduced.
Some families of disabled children do struggle financially, but it’s important to make sure you are claiming all the financial help that’s available to you.
Disability Living Allowance
The main source of help available for the parents of disabled children is the Disability Living Allowance (DLA). The DLA is paid weekly, and the rate that you will receive for your child depends on the level of their needs. You could receive up to £110 per week per child.
There are two components to the DLA: the care component and the mobility component. You may be entitled to one part of the allowance, or both parts at the same time.
More information is available in our article: Claiming Disability Living Allowance for your child.
Carer's Allowance
If you care for your child for more than 35 hours per week and they are in receipt of DLA, you could be entitled to a carer's grant. The Carer's Allowance is for anyone (you don’t have to be a parent) who spends more than 35 hours per week caring for someone who is disabled.
Dependant upon other benefits the Carer's Allowance is usually paid at the rate of up to £48.65 a week, and deposited directly into your bank account.
In order to claim Carer's Allowance you can ask for a form at your local benefits office or download one from the Directgov website.
Direct Payments
Direct payments can be made to the parents of disabled children, instead of services. This means that parents of disabled children have greater choice and flexibility in the care services their children receive.
Direct payments for disabled children are available to parents with children aged over 16. Direct payments can be used for a variety of services such as:
To fund a short break for you and your child
To pay for assistance to attend an event or activity that will benefit your child
Personal care for your child
Employing a carer for your child
Your Local Authority will be able to provide advice on receiving direct payments for your child.
Disability Facilities Grants
If you need to make some adjustments to your home to facilitate your disabled child, contact your Local Housing Authority as they may be able to provide funding for this.
Grants to pay for property adjustments to facilitate a disabled child are not usually means-tested.
Other Benefits and Tax Credits
As well as the help detailed above, you may also be eligible to claim certain benefits and tax credits to help with your finances while raising a disabled child. Although some are not directly related to having a disabled child, they apply to the circumstances of many families with disabled children.
For example, if you are unable to work, or have to work less, because of your child’s disability, you may be eligible to apply for benefits such as Jobseekers’ Allowance and Income Support. Your Local Benefits office can advise you on assessment for relevant benefits.
I have a 12 year son, who has not progressed in his studies. Up to date he is still in primary three. He is unable to write well at times he writes letters upside down and are not readable. I am a single mother with six children. My husband abandoned me with the children. I have no house to sit with these children. How can I be helped?
Akiteng Betty - 1 February 2012 @ 1:57 PM
I am a mother of 3 kids my oldest is 24 and my middle child is 15. Then there is my youngest who is 6 with autisum. I live in a 3 bedroom apt. but the rent is very high. Her dad helps out a lot but it's still not enough. She is in school and has improved a lot. I apply 4 ssi for her but they denied me bc of income. I am on disability myself have a heart problem. I struggle everyday with this. I get foodstamps which is good but clothes wise it's very hard but I try my best. I just want to know who I can talk to about housing and other things to make it better 4 me and my family.
angelique Ferguson - 19 July 2011 @ 8:58 PM
I need help my son he 6 year old boy he suffering for (micro epilipes) my son need long term treatment i am sing mother i have three children i need financial supportmy children no house we stay one of room please canyou help me and my sonplease help
MRS. N. Najeema - 29 June 2011 @ 8:50 AM
I am a 33 year old mother ofa 15 mo old baby girl with Cerebral Palsy.I have never been able to work because of cronic kidney stones since I was 12, but have never filed for disability.I also have a 10 year old daughter.I was married before I had my baby so I was able to support her by my husband.I am now single and cannot work because my little girl has to have therapy at least 4 times a week and sometimes 5.I cannot afford to move into an apartment.I applied for SSI which I just now started getting, but that is not enough to pay for housing.Can I get help somewhere?Thank you Kristin Pece.
Kristin - 21 June 2011 @ 7:04 AM
can any one help me with this are got any info.can i get funding for my daughter,she is going to stubers for a weekend in august 2011 with p.a.c.t,could i get funding for all the things she needs.clothes the is a long list of things she needs,i have just got a new bed from family fund so they cant help
kath - 6 May 2011 @ 8:31 PM
i need help with my garden so my child can play out
heidi - 6 May 2011 @ 4:25 PM
I have a special needs daughter who I've just found out may never be able to play out safely without supervision. We are stuck in a first floor flat from housing association and my daughter is very down. We need help. She just needs a house with a garden so she feels free again.
jojo - 4 April 2011 @ 3:15 PM
We need help to sort out our big garden in the back of our house. It's in a mess, the surface is uneven, has trees and too many flowers and it needs to be sorted out soon. My daughter can't play out she has Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease that causes chronic inflammation of the joints. She has connective tissue disease as well. The garden needs to be clean and neat. I can't afford to sort it out. please can you give me more information on who and where to go for the garden improvement or grant.
shaz - 28 March 2011 @ 1:56 AM
We need help to try and sort our garden out for our disabled daughter to be able to play safely in, we have lived here for 6 months (council property) and apparently the council are not liable for the garden. Our daughter is hemiplegic and isn't very good on uneven surfaces and our garden is VERY uneven! How or where do we sort out any kind of help? The reason we were given enough medical points for her to have a house and gain outdoor space.
