MONEY. for children with disability

Transcription

1 April 2006 MONEY for children with disability If you have a child who needs extra looking after because of sickness, disability, development delay or behavioural problems, read this booklet

2 CareLine Information Centre for Wandsworth CareLine is a local telephone helpline service. It provides information on health and social care services which are available to people who live in Wandsworth. CareLine can provide up-to-date information on all the services mentioned in the charter. The service is free and calls are charged at standard rates. Opening hours are Monday to Friday 10am to 8pm; Saturday 10am to 1pm. Phone: (020) (and 24-hour answerphone) Minicom: (020) Fax: (020) careline@clara.net Website:

3 If you look after a child with an illness or disability, this leaflet will help you to work out which benefits you might be able to claim. For example, the child you look after may have a physical or mental disability, a learning disability, behavioural problems or developmental delay. Many carers (and the children they look after) do not claim all their benefits - read on to make sure you re not missing out. The leaflet also includes information about benefits your child can claim when they reach 16 - even if they are still at school. You are responsible for claiming benefits for your child until they are 16 - you are known as an appointee. If a young person with disabilities cannot manage their own affairs at 16, you can continue to be their appointee - or another adult can be appointed instead. Benefit rates for 2006/7 are included on pages 24 to 25 - these will change in April This booklet is correct at the time of going to print, but there may be other benefit changes during the course of the year - please get advice. Most asylum seekers and other people from abroad cannot get these benefits - please get advice before claiming benefits. April

4 Benefits for Children Child Benefit You can claim Child Benefit for each child under 16 (or sometimes 19) who lives with you. Child Benefit is worth a week for your eldest or only child (and a week for every other child). Child benefit is not taxable and is paid on top of any other money, benefits and savings you have. You do not have to be the child s parent to claim. You cannot normally claim if you are fostering a child through the council s Social Services Department. You can claim if you normally live in Great Britain. You can get a higher rate of Child Benefit of a week if you are a lone parent whose claim began before 6th July To claim: contact the Inland Revenue s Child Benefit Helpdesk on (or for textphone users). Or visit the Inland Revenue website at Send the child s birth certificate or adoption certificate (if you have it) with the claim form (CH2 for the first claim or CH497 for subsequent claims). If you claim late you may be able to get your benefit backdated - get advice. The Child Trust Fund (CTF) The CTF is a tax-free savings plan for children. It is available from April 2005, but covers all children born on or after 1st September CTF is managed by the inland revenue. How much is it? Each child will receive an initial government payment of between 250 and 277 (the higher amounts for children born between September 2002 and April 2005, 250 for children born after April 1st 2005) there is an additional payment of 250 for children from low-income families (for instance those on full child tax credit with a household income at or below 14,155). 2

5 Who is entitled to CTF? If you are entitled to child benefit for a child, that child is entitled to CTF if born after September 1st Children in local authority care will qualify for CTF, and the government will assist with setting these up. You do not have to make a claim for CTF. Entitlement is subject to immigration status you cannot get CTF if you have no right of abode or are not a settled person in Great Britain. How is a CTF set up? The person responsible for a child will receive a voucher, plus information about how to set up a CTF. There will be various account providers, including banks, insurance companies and building societies, and different types of account. You choose the provider you wish to use, and make an application to them. Parents will receive a pack to help choose what type of account would be best in the circumstances. If an account is not set up within a year, the Inland Revenue will do this and will contact the person who is claiming child benefit to discuss what to do about the account. Can I pay in any extra? Relatives and friends can pay in a strictly limited extra sum of 1200 per year When is the money released? Parents cannot have access to the fund; the money is locked in to the fund until the child is 18. There are rules for the early release of money if a child is terminally ill. What can the money be used for? CTF belongs to the 18 year old if they can manage their own affairs who may choose to spend the money in the way that best meets their needs. Can I appeal against a CTF decision? CTF is subject to the same appeals structure as the social security system. There is a telephone helpline - ring between the hours of 8am and 8pm on , there is also a website at 3

6 Disability Living Allowance (DLA) If you have a child under 16 with a physical or mental illness or disability, you may be able to get Disability Living Allowance (DLA). DLA is a weekly benefit which is not taxable and is paid on top of any other money, benefits and savings you or your child have. You can claim even if you are in work - no matter how much you earn. The child must have needed help for at least 3 months (unless they are terminally ill - then they get help straight away - see page 8). How much DLA you get for the child depends on how much care and supervision they need during the day and night, how restricted their walking is, and how much guidance or supervision they need when walking outdoors. If you already get benefits or Child Tax Credit, a successful DLA claim for your child could mean that these increase - get advice. If you get Income Support that might increase by up to a week - see page 11 for more information. DLA is paid in two parts DLA Care and DLA Mobility. You can get both parts or just one. DLA Care DLA Care can be paid from age 3 months or from birth if the child is terminally ill. It is paid at three different rates depending on how much care and supervision the child needs. It can sometimes be difficult to get DLA Care for a child because all young children need help and supervision. You will need to show that your child needs more help or supervision (because of their illness or disability) than other children of the same age. DLA Care provides help for children who: need regular help during the day with things like washing, dressing, eating, drinking, going to the toilet, walking, talking and listening (or other help with communication), taking medicines, or kidney dialysis; or 4

7 a lot of supervision to prevent them from having an accident or putting themselves or others in danger. They must need more help or supervision than other children of the same age; or need regular help during the night with things like changing or going to the toilet, turning in bed, helping to settle to sleep, taking medicines; or another person has to be awake to check on them to prevent them putting themselves or others in danger. Your child could qualify for DLA Care, for example, if: you have to feed them - other children of the same age may only need their food cut up for them; or they need someone to actually watch over them - other children of the same age (although they still need someone around) may only need the person to be in another room; or they need extra help because they have a condition like: sickle cell, hyperactivity/attention Deficit Disorder, behavioural problems, diabetes, brittle bones, haemophilia, cerebral palsy, a hearing or sight loss or a learning disability. These are just examples - other physical or mental disabilities may also mean your child can get DLA Care The child will qualify for the middle rate of a week if they need help during the day or night, or if they need help both during the day and night. A lower rate of a week is paid if the child does not satisfy the above rules, but does need some help during the day (because of their illness or disability) with things like washing, dressing, going to the toilet, eating or taking medicines. Children who are terminally ill If the child you look after is terminally ill and not expected to live more than 6 months, special rules allow them to automatically qualify for higher rate DLA Care. You will not have to show that they need help or supervision. Your claim should be dealt with very quickly. Your child s doctor or consultant must complete a DS1500 form, which you should send with the claim. Your doctor will have a copy of this form. 5

8 DLA Mobility DLA Mobility is paid at two weekly rates: a higher rate of (payable from age 3), and a lower rate of (payable from age 5). Your child could get higher rate Mobility if: they have a physical disability and either cannot walk at all or only for short periods, or can only walk very slowly (for example because walking is painful); or the effort of walking may seriously affect their health. (Children with lung, chest and heart conditions, and haemophiliacs are likely to qualify under this rule); or they have no legs or feet, either from birth or through amputation; or they are deaf and blind and need help from another person to be able to walk outside; or they have a severe learning disability and get higher rate DLA Care. This includes children who can physically walk but have severe behavioural problems. Get advice if you think the child you look after qualifies under this rule. The lower rate is paid if your child can walk but needs someone to guide them most of the time in places they do not know well. This is most likely to apply to children with learning disabilities, behavioural problems or hearing or sight loss. But remember, they must need more help than other children of the same age when walking outdoors. Residence conditions The child must live in Great Britain and must have lived here for at least 6 of the last 12 months. Babies under 6 months old must have lived here for at least 13 of the last 26 weeks. People from abroad should get further advice. To claim: get leaflet DS704 from your local social security office and request a form by returning the tear-off coupon. Or contact the Benefit Enquiry Line for a form on freephone (or for textphone users). You will be given six weeks to return the form - your claim will then be dated from the day you telephoned. 6

9 The child will not normally be visited by a doctor, but you will need to fill in a very long and detailed form. Many parents find it difficult to complete - get advice if you need it from a local advice agency or an attached social worker at your child s school (if they have one). Make sure you give as much information as you can about the extra help or care your child needs or any difficulties they have. The more information the DLA Unit has, the easier and quicker it is for them to make a decision. If your child is in hospital when you first claim, DLA will not be paid until they are discharged. Remember to tell the DLA Unit if your child gets DLA and goes into local authority care (for example, a children s home or foster care), even for short periods. 7

10 Benefits for you For more information about the benefits included in this section, contact CareLine for a copy of our Money for Carers booklet (see page 27). Carer s Allowance If your child gets the middle or higher rate of DLA Care you may be able to get Carer s Allowance (CA) for looking after them. CA is a weekly benefit for people looking after a disabled person full-time. You can claim Carer s Allowance if you:- are aged 16 or over; and are not in full-time education; and spend at least 35 hours a week looking after someone; and live in Great Britain and have lived here for at least 6 of the last 12 months; and earn no more than 84 a week (after deductions) - but some earnings can be ignored. For example, if you pay someone (but not a close relative) to look after your child while you are at work. Up to half of your net earnings can be ignored in this way. Remember to tell your local social security office if you are working. Carer s Allowance is usually worth a week. Your claim can be backdated for up to 3 months. 8

11 Effect on other benefits If you already get other benefits (such as Retirement Pension, Incapacity Benefit or a bereavement or widow s benefit), you cannot usually get CA as well. But it is still worth claiming - you could get up to more each week if you also get Income Support, Income-based Jobseeker s Allowance, Housing Benefit or Council Tax Benefit. This is known as the Carer Premium - make sure you don t miss out! To claim: get form DS700 from your local social security office or ring the Benefit Enquiry Line on (or for textphone users). Remember: don t delay your CA claim if you are waiting to hear about your child s DLA claim - you could lose money! Taking time off from caring If you get CA you can have up to 4 weeks off from caring in any 6 months and still get your CA. This can be longer if you or the child you look after has been in hospital. If you want to arrange a break from caring, contact your local Social Services office. They can also tell you how your other benefits might be affected. Getting extra help Social Services can assess your child s needs and may be able to provide services to help you. For example, help with getting aids and adaptations to make life easier at home. You may be able to get Direct Payments from Social Services to arrange your own services (for example to help you care for your child). If you have a disabled child and would like Social Services to assess their needs ring (020)

12 Income Support April 2004 changes During 2004, the way that money is paid for children will change. All support for children currently included in your Income Support (IS) and Income-based Jobseeker s Allowance (IBJSA) will be provided through Child Tax Credit (CTC). New claims for IS or IBJSA will now only include money for you (and your partner if you have one). You will have to claim CTC for your children. If you were getting IS or IBJSA before 6th April 2004 you will be automatically transferred onto CTC during 2005 and Your local office will contact you with details about this. CTC also includes extra amounts where a child is disabled. You may be able to claim Income Support (IS) as a carer if you are on a low income. You can get IS if you look after a child who has claimed Disability Living Allowance (DLA) or gets DLA Care. Income Support is a weekly benefit which can be paid on top of other money you have coming in up to certain limits. Lone parents and people who are ill can also claim. You can claim if you: are aged 16 or over (see Pension Credit on page 12 if you or your partner are 60 or over); and do not work, or you work for less than 16 hours a week, and your partner (if you have one) does not work or works for less than 24 hours a week; and have savings of 16,000 or less, savings of over 6,000 may affect how much you get. How much Income Support you get depends on how much money you have coming in, the size of your family, age, health, disability and savings. Extra amounts (called premiums) are paid if you are sick or disabled or have children (but see section above about changes from April 2004 to the way that money is paid for children). Your Income Support will increase by a week if you have a child who gets DLA (any rate) or is registered blind - this is called the. Disabled Child Premium. You can get this premium for each child you care for who qualifies. A further is added if your child gets higher rate DLA Care. But see section above. 10

13 Any Carer s Allowance (CA) you get will be taken off your Income Support - but you should still claim CA. Claiming means your IS will increase by an extra a week - this is called the Carer Premium. But it can only be included if you have claimed Carer s Allowance. If your child has recently been awarded DLA or is registered blind, you may now be entitled to extra money - get advice. Example: Jasmin is a single parent with a 12 year old child (Peter) who has cerebal palsy. She gets DLA Care and Mobility for Peter and CA for looking after him. The social security office work out that she needs each week - this is made up of: Personal Allowance (Jasmin) Personal Allowance (Peter) * Family Premium * Disabled Child Premium * Carer Premium Total: As she already gets CA and Child Benefit, she will get Income Support. Peter s DLA does not affect her Income Support. They think she needs She already has CA and Child Benefit They will pay her If Jasmin has health problems or disability herself, she could also get a Disability Premium of a week. She may need to prove that she is unfit for work to get this. *see page 11 for details of changes to the way that money is paid for children from April

14 To claim: get a form Al from your local social security office and return it with all the information they need within one month. If you are a person from abroad and have conditions attached to your stay in this country, get advice before claiming Income Support. Pension Credit Pension Credit is a weekly entitlement for people aged 60 or over. It guarantees pensioners a minimum weekly income and rewards people with modest savings or second pensions. It is paid on top of money you or your partner already have coming in up to certain limits. For more information ring Careline for a copy of our leaflet Money for Pensioners - see page 27. To claim: call the Pension Credit Claimline on (or for textphone users). Income-based Job Seeker s Allowance If you cannot get Income Support, you may have to sign-on for work to get Income-based Jobseeker s Allowance (IBJSA). IBJSA is worked out in the same way as Income Support, but there are special rules for carers. Contact your local Jobcentre to claim. Help with housing costs Help with housing costs is paid in different ways, depending on whether you rent or own your home. If you rent your home If you rent your home you may be able to get Housing Benefit to help with your rent. How much you get depends on how much rent you pay, your family circumstances and how much money you have coming in each week. Your savings must be 16,000 or less (unless you are a pensioner receiving Pension Credit Guarantee). 12

15 The Disabled Child and Carer Premiums may be included when your benefit is worked out (see pages 11-12). Some working parents with child care costs can have these taken into account when Housing Benefit is worked out. This means you will get more help towards your rent. From April 2005 Wandsworth will be taking part in a pilot scheme to introduce a new way of working out Housing benefit called Local Housing Allowance, this will affect you if you live in private rented accommodation, currently get Housing Benefit or are making a new claim. To claim or get advice: contact the Council Tax and Benefits Service in the Town Hall on (020) If you need help to make your claim and cannot get out, they can arrange for someone to visit you at home. If you own your home If you own your home you may be able to get help with mortgage interest payments and some service charges if you or your partner get Income Support (IS), Income-based Jobseeker s Allowance (IBJSA) or Pension Credit Guarantee (PCG). The interest is paid direct to your lender, but may not meet all your interest charges. How quickly you get help depends on when you claimed benefit, when your mortgage began and how much you borrowed - get advice. To claim: contact your local social security office, Jobcentre or local Pension Service. If you receive IS, IBJSA or PCG but do not get this help contact your local benefit office or get advice. Living in someone else s home If you live with a close relative you cannot get any help with housing costs. If you are a boarder or sub-tenant in someone else s home, you may be able to claim some Housing Benefit. 13

16 Other people in your home If other people live with you permanently, you may get less Housing Benefit or help with your mortgage. Someone staying with you temporarily should not affect your benefits. Help with Council Tax If you pay Council Tax and have a low income you may also be able to claim Council Tax Benefit. You can claim whether or not you are working. How much you get depends on how much council tax you pay, the size of your family and how much money you have coming in each week. Your savings must be 16,000 or less (unless you are a pensioner receiving Pension Credit Guarantee). The Disabled Child and Carer Premiums may be included when your benefit is worked out (see pages 9-10). Some working parents with childcare costs can have these taken into account when Council Tax Benefit is worked out. This means you will get more help towards your council tax. Claim from the Council Tax and Benefits Service at the Town Hall. Even if you cannot get Council Tax Benefit you could get your bill reduced, for example if: the child uses a wheelchair indoors, or your home is adapted because of a child s disability, or you use rooms differently because of this. Grants from the Council You may be able to get a grant from the Council if you have to improve or adapt your home because of a child s disability. Contact Social Services for more details. For more information about Council Tax discounts and disability reductions contact the Council Tax section. To claim Council Tax Benefit contact the Council Tax and Benefits Service at the Town Hall on (020)

17 Tax Credits Child Tax Credit From April 2004, new Income Support (IS) claimants must claim Child Tax Credit for children. IS will only include money for adults. Existing IS and Income-based Jobseeker s Allowance claimants will be transferred onto the new system during 2005 and Your local office will contact you with details about this. If you have children under 19, you may be able to claim Child Tax Credit (CTC). CTC is money paid to support families with children who are in or out of work. Extra amounts are included where a child is disabled. It is paid to the main carer. If the child has recently been awarded Disasbility Living Allowance or is registered blind you may be entitled to more CTC. Working Tax Credit You may also get Working Tax Credit (WTC) if you or your partner are in low paid work for at least 16 hours a week. Extra amounts are included where a parent is disabled. WTC can sometimes include help towards the cost of childcare while you work. This includes childcare which is provided in your home (for example because you have a disabled child or work shifts) - get advice. For disabled children, help with childcare can be included until they reach 16. To claim Tax Credits or for more information: call the Tax Credit Helpline on (or for textphone users). Or claim online (and find out how much you could get) by visiting the Inland Revenue website at: 15

18 If you are sick or disabled If you are sick or disabled, you could get a sickness or disability benefit even though you are also a carer. Sometimes being a carer may have made your own health worse. If you already get Carer s Allowance you can carry on getting this and still claim a sickness or disability benefit. If you are unfit for work you could get extra money by claiming Incapacity Benefit. If you work for 16 hours or more a week, you may be able to claim Working Tax Credit. Our other booklets contain more information about benefits for adults with disabilities contact CareLine (see page 27) for copies. If your child is away from home Some benefits can be affected if your child is away from home (for example in hospital or residential care). You must tell the offices that deal with your benefits each time the child goes into or comes out of hospital or residential care (Social Security, Inland Revenue, Council Tax and Benefits Service). Remember: benefits can still be paid at the usual rate for any days your child spends at home - get advice about claiming Carer s Allowance during these visits home. Going into hospital If the hospital stay is for less than 52 weeks, many benefits are not affected - but there are exceptions. After 12 weeks, DLA for your child and Carer s Allowance will stop. Child Benefit occasionally stops, but it should continue if you are still regularly spending money on your child for things like clothing or pocket money. Income Support, Income-based Jobseeker s Allowance, Housing Benefit or Council Tax Benefit may also reduce after 12 weeks. Get advice if your benefit is stopped. 16

19 Going into residential care You can still get Child Benefit for a child away at boarding school. If your child is being looked after solely because of their disability, Child Benefit will continue for 12 weeks. After that, it can continue if you give money to your child or regularly spend money on them. Child Benefit can be paid for the first 8 weeks if a child is in local authority care. You may continue to get benefit after 8 weeks if the child regularly returns for home visits - get advice. DLA Care stops after 28 days, but DLA Mobility is not affected. Periods in hospital and in residential care can be linked together - get advice about this. Your Income Support, Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit will reduce as soon as the child you are looking after goes into residential care. State Second Pension (Additional State Pension) Carers, people on low earnings or with a long-term illness or disability can get extra state pension when they retire through the State Second Pension Scheme (S2P). S2P is paid on top of your basic pension when you retire. For more information about S2P, contact CareLine (see page 27) and ask for a copy of our leaflet, Money for Carers. For a full guide ring (or for textphone users) and ask for a copy of leaflet PM9, State Pensions for Carers and Parents - Your Guide. 17

20 When your child reaches 16 At 16, young people with disabilities can usually claim benefits in their own right - even if they are still at school or college (but get advice before they claim). If the young person cannot manage their financial affairs at 16, you can continue to be their appointee and claim benefits for them. See page 15 for information about what happens to your benefits if your child claims their own benefits at 16. Which benefits can they claim? Most 16 or 17 year olds with a disability can claim a week extra on top of any Disability Living Allowance they still get. It may be that it is better to claim Incapacity Benefit as the long term rate may be higher than Income Support or it may be that if claiming Incapacity benefit you can get an Income support top up. It can be very difficult to work out which is best, it depends on age, level of disability, length of time on benefits etc so it is important to get individual advice. Incapacity Benefit: Incapacity Benefit (IB) is a weekly benefit for people who cannot work because of an illness or disability. Most 16 and 17 year olds with disabilities can get IB if they have been unable to work for 28 weeks (the 28 weeks can begin before their 16th birthday). They can claim even if they have paid no national insurance contributions. A young person can get IB even if they are still at school or college as long as they are studying for less than 21 hours a week. People studying for more than 21 hours could still claim if they are attending a course for people with disabilities. To claim, contact your local social security office for claim form IB(Y)1. Income Support: Some 16 and 17 year olds with disability can claim Income Support on top of other benefits even if they are still at school or college. They will need to inform the social security office that because of their disability they are unlikely to get a job within a year even if they leave school or college. They can still get Income Support even if they are on a training scheme or work for 16 hours or more a week. But they must show that because of their disability their earnings or hours of work are reduced. To claim, contact your local social security office for a form. 18

21 Disability Living Allowance (DLA): If the young person has been getting DLA, their claim will be looked at again when they reach 16. The young person will not necessarily lose their DLA but it could be paid at a different rate. Some young people may now be able to get DLA Care lower rate at 16 even if they did not get DLA as a child. They can claim this if because of their disability, they cannot prepare a cooked main meal for themselves. For example, they may not be able to lift or carry pots and pans, wash, peel or chop meat or vegetables or use gas or electricity safely. For more about DLA see pages 4-7. Make sure your child does not miss out - contact a local advice agency for a full benefit check before they reach 16. And get advice if any benefit claims are refused - see page 27). What happens to your money Some of your benefits and tax credits will be affected if the young person you look after claims benefits in their own right. Child Benefit will stop if they get Incapacity Benefit, Income Support, or a Training Allowance. You will also lose any money included for them in your own benefits - for example, the Disabled Child Premium in your Income Support, Child Tax Credit (CTC), Housing Benefit or Council Tax Benefit. You may lose CTC altogether if the young person is your only child. Carer s Allowance can continue if your child still gets DLA Care at the middle or higher rate. The Carer Premium will then also be included in your Income Support, or Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit. IMPORTANT: Get advice (contact details of advice agencies are provided under useful contacts at the end of this booklet) before your child claims if you get Income Support, Income-based Jobseeker s Allowance or Child Tax Credit to find out if your family will be better off if your child claims separately. 19

22 Other help you can get Help with health costs All children under 16 can get free prescriptions, glasses, dental treatment and fares to hospital. 16 and 17 year olds also qualify if they get Income Support in their own right, or if they are in full-time education. Some families who get Tax Credits can also get free prescriptions. Others may get help because they are on a low income. People getting Income Support, IBJSA (or who qualify on low income grounds) will get help with their fares to take a child to hospital. Some families getting Tax Credits will also get this help. Claim at the hospital. Help with transport There are a number of schemes to help children with disabilities get around. For example: road tax exemption and the Blue Badge Scheme to help with parking, the Taxicard Scheme offers taxis at reduced cost and travel permits to use on public transport. For rail travel there is the Disabled Persons Railcard, you can apply for this by calling (textphone ). Call CareLine on (020) for more information. Help with school expenses Your local Education Department may be able to help with getting a disabled child to and from school. Contact the Education Department on (020) for more details. You can also claim free school meals if you get Income Support or Income-based Jobseeker s Allowance. Some people on Tax Credits can also get this help. Contact your school about this. Free milk You can get free milk if you are looking after a child who cannot attend school because of their disability or if you get Income Support or Income-based Jobseeker s Allowance and have children under 5. You can also get this help if you receive Child Tax Credit and have a low income. Contact your local social security office for more information. This scheme is being replaced by the healthy start programme which should be available nationally during

23 Nappies You can get free disposable nappies from your Primary Care Trust if the child you look after has a disability, is aged 3 or over and still needs to use nappies. This includes children whose condition makes it hard for the child to be dry or means that toileting has been delayed. Ask your health visitor or clinic about this. Community Care Grants If you get Income Support, Income-based JSA or Pension Credit you may be able to claim a Community Care Grant from the local Social Fund. You can claim if you care for a disabled child or young person. If the young person gets Income Support in their own right, you can claim in their name. You can claim for things like: cookers, washing machines, bedding, essential furniture, clothing, heaters and minor house repairs. You may get help with other things as well including fares to visit someone in hospital. Savings over 500 (or 1,000 for people aged 60 or over) will reduce the amount you get. You can also claim loans from the Social Fund. There are two types of loan, Budgeting loans and Crisis Loans. Budgeting loans are available to those who have been receiving Pension Credit or Income support or income based Job Seekers Allowance for at least 26 weeks and who need things they can t afford at the time they need them. The loans are for between 100 and Saving of over 1000 or 2000 (for people over 60) will reduce how much you can get. Crisis loans are available to anyone and are to meet emergency expenses and which is needed to prevent serious damage or risk to you or your childs health and safety. Both types of loans have to be repaid from your weekly benefit - so always claim a grant first. If your application for a grant is refused - get advice. To claim: get form SF300 (or SF500 for a budgeting loan, SF401 for crisis loan) from your local social security office. List the things you (or the child) needs and the cost. If you are claiming for replacement items try to show that the items need replacing for reasons linked to ill-health, disability, or to ease extra stress on your family. Try to get a letter of support from someone who knows about your family s health problems - for example, your doctor, health visitor or social worker. Send this to the local office with your claim. 21

24 Sure Start Maternity Grants You can claim a grant of 500 for each child (or expected child) if you receive Income Support, Income-based Jobseeker s Allowance or Working Tax Credit (which includes a disability addition). Some people getting Child Tax Credit can also get this help. Claim on form SF100 (Sure Start) from your local social security office or Jobcentre plus office (The claim form MUST be received by the social security or Jobcentre plus office within 3 months of the childs birth). The Family Fund Any family caring for a severely disabled child under 16 (including children with learning difficulties) can apply for a payment from the Family Fund. It is meant to relieve stress arising from the day-to-day care of a disabled child. You can apply for anything which would make life easier for you and the child such as: washing machines, clothing, bedding, holidays, help with transport (including driving lessons for a main carer). To get this help your yearly income must be 23,000 or less before deductions. To claim or for more information: contact the Family Fund, Unit 4, Alpha Court, Monks Cross Drive, Huntingdon, York YO32 9WN. Telephone (or for textphone users). Or visit the Family Fund website at Vaccine Damage Payments Scheme You may be able to get a Vaccine Damage Payment if you are severely disabled and your disability was caused by vaccination against certain specified diseases. For more information contact your local social security office or Jobcentre Plus office and ask for leaflet HB3. Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme You can get information about this scheme from the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority, Tay House, 300 Bath Street, Glasgow G2 4LN. For advice about applying call freephone or visit their website: 22

25 If a Claim is Refused Get advice straight away if a benefit or tax credits claim is refused - you may be able to get the decision looked at again. For most benefits you only have one month from the date of a decision to ask for an appeal or a review. For advice about an unsuccessful claim, contact one of the agencies listed on page 28. In particular, get advice if you have been refused DLA for your child. Do not delay asking for your claim to be looked at again. If you are near the time limit - send off a short request to the social security office and then get further advice. Remember, many people who challenge decisions are successful. Customer Services Many of the benefits and tax credits in this booklet are dealt with by different offices. Most have Customer Services sections that can deal with complaints and help resolve problems with claims. Contact your local office if you have any difficulties and ask for Customer Services. 23

26 How Much? These weekly amounts will change in April Child Benefit: Only/eldest child Lone Parent Rate* All other children (each child) *(if claimed before 6th July 1998) *Incapacity Benefit: Short-term lower rate Short-term higher rate Long-term rate You will get these extra amounts after 52 weeks if your ill health or disability began: - before age before age * Carers Allowance: Disability Living Allowance: Care Higher rate Middle rate Lower rate Mobility Higher rate Lower rate * You may be able to claim extra money for your partner. CHILD TAX CREDIT Elements Family: Yearly Baby Addition Child 1, Disabled Child 2, Severe Disability Child Income Threshold 58, WORKING TAX CREDIT Elements Adult Single: Yearly 1, Couple/Lone Parent 1, Working 30 Hours or more Disabled Worker 2, Severe disability Aged 50+ Working hours 1, Working 30+ hours 1, Childcare: 70% of eligible costs up to a maximum of (1 child) or (2+ children) Income Threshold 5,

27 INCOME SUPPORT Personal Allowances Single: (usual rate) (higher rate) or over Lone parent: (usual rate) (higher rate) or over Couple: *At least one aged 18 or over (maximum) Both aged 18 or over Children: From birth to day before 19th birthday *Different rates often apply - get advice. PLUS Premiums Family - Standard/Lone Parent Rate Disability: Single Person/Lone Parent Couple Enhanced Disability: Single Person/Lone Parent Couple Child Severe Disability: Single Person/Lone Parent Couple (one qualifies) Couple (both qualify) Disabled Child (for each child who qualifies) Carer By December 2006 IS and IBJSA claimants are expected to transfer to Child Tax Credit. 25

28 Your notes Use this page to keep notes about the claims you have made and other useful information. 26

29 Useful Contacts Social Services Children and Families Services East District (020) Welbeck House West District (020) Wandsworth High Street SW18 2PS Wandsworth Citizens Advice Bureaux (020) Battersea: 14 York Road, SW11 Minicom (020) Roehampton: 1 Portswood Place, SW15 Tooting: 4th Floor, 215 Balham High Road, SW17 Minicom (020) Ring for weekday opening hours. Independent, confidential, free advice advice@wandsworthcab.org.uk over the phone. More complex queries dealt with by appointment with a specialist advice worker. CareLine (020) For details of Social Services and local Monday-Friday 10am-8pm health services, and local groups that Saturday 10am-1pm can give help and support, including Textphone: (020) local advice agencies. Social Care Advice Line (020) Specialist advice on disability benefits Monday-Friday 10am-4pm and all social services and related matters. Social Security Office (020) Opening hours and telephone advice: Monday-Thursday 9am-5pm, Friday 10am- 5pm Council Tax and Benefits Service (020) Textphone: (020) Opening Hours: Monday-Friday 9am- 4.30pm Early Years Centre 1 Siward Road, SW17 (020) Assessment centre for children with special needs Contact a Family (020) Advice and support for families with children with special needs wandsworth@cafamily.org.uk Continued/... 27

30 Share a Family (020) Short-term care for disabled children shareafamily@hotmail.com and young people Education Benefits Travel passes: (020) Free school meals: contact your school Awards and grants for over 16 s (020) Battersea Law Centre - Education Rights Project (020) Legal advice with education questions and some community care issues Jobcentre Plus Lambeth, Southwark and (020) Wandsworth District Office, Wentworth House, Sternhold Avenue, London SW2 4PG For details of Local Jobcentre Plus offices Benefits Enquiry Line Textphone HM Revenue & Customs (Inland Revenue) Directgov The Family Fund Unit 4, Alpha Court, Textphone Monks Cross Drive, Huntingdon, York YO32 9WN Sure Start Unit Department for Education and Skills and Department for Work and Pensions Level 2, Caxton House, Tothill Street, London SW1H 9NA The Child Trust Fund Waterview Park, Mandarin Way, textphone Washington NE38 8QG 28

31 Wandsworth Council Social Services Department Designed and produced by the Corporate Communications Unit SS.787 (rev.7.06)