Dla awarded for son- what else to claim/report?

shy-but-need-help

hello, hope someone can help. We've just been awarded lower rate care and lower rate mobility for our son (has dyspraxia and ASD along with a few other issues but we never thought to apply until his physio and SENco told us to)

Now that he's been awarded it what else are we eligible for?

We've currently got in an application for housing benefit as dh has been cut to 2 day weeks- although survived the redundancies. I called to lt them know and they were interested until i said ds was under 16 and they became very dismissive- would we be eligible for the disabled child premium on this? or for council tax discount?

I have called tax credits but will the fact it's lower rate mean no increase in CTC?

Anything else worth looking at?

Either way we are thrilled to get the award we have, his issues have made it near impossible to place him in any local childcare and limited my work choices alot. I have DSs teacher and senco writing a list of things that we can consider getting him to help at school now we have the award.

Thanks in advance for any advice

mspig

You won't get help with council tax because he gets DLA its annoying as if he was over 16 you would.

Do you agree with the levels they have given you, as if you think that he has more problems than what the lower rate covers you can appeal against the decision - my 5 year old has ASD and mobility probs and we get middle rate care and lower rate mobility for him.

You could apply to the family fund for anything that he may require to help him or you(the family fund is a government fund), we applied in March (but it was for my other son who has a different illness) we got a washing machine, a dryer, clothes, toys, hoover, laminate flooring for his bedroom etc.

Sorry but there isn't much else out there apart from different charities that may help.

parisjordana

Im aggreeing with the above poster I wouldnt be happy with that award as your son sounds like he aquires more care than a person who would be on the lower rate,it doesnt go by what diagnosis they have but it does help but the level of care and help he needs and I have a son who has ASD along with a few other problems and wasnt happy to recieve a low rate so appealed because I found it almost an insult as he requires quite a lot of care compared to other 18 yr olds......obviously I havnt realy answered your question about other benefits as I dont know much on that but Im sure someone will come along and help you very soon...
Ms pig you mentioned that if a child becomes over 16 you would get help with council tax I didnt know this or am I reading this wrong.We have never had help with C/T.

Gemmzie

shy-but-need-help wrote: »

I have called tax credits but will the fact it's lower rate mean no increase in CTC?

That's wrong, call back again and ask to speak to a Team Leader if necessary.

Any entitlement to DLA gets an increase in CTC and there's a further extra allowance for those on High Rate.

shy-but-need-help

Thanks everyone for the replies.

I am fairly certain the lower rate for care is due to his age- he's not six until march and although he takes alot of work the fact he is still young means it's not as significant in comparison to other kids his age as it probably will be by the time he is 8, 10, 14 etc. I think it's most likely they've looked at is as many 5 year olds still need help with shoes, some help dressing etc- he's alot worse than that but not as distanced from typical child of his age as he will be when they all continue developing skills at neurotypical rate and he probably will still struggle or get worse or more demanding.

I shall call back tax credits and speak with them again... they'll be sick of hearing from me soon, I had to call when dh was cut down to two days, then again when he got moved back up to 3.5 then again when he went back to 2 (he works in a factory in the midlands and we all know how great the work situation is here right now!)

Shall look into family fund too- we moved house in august (council) and although it's the much needed larger house we hoped for it's been riddled with problems and all our "flooring fund" to put down carpets got eaten up replacing the floor boards which smelt of dog pee (council maintained because they weren't rotten it was fine by health and safety) I shall take a look at that as it might be of some assistance with winter and no carpet!

parisjordana

wow even im learning stuff from this thread....its interesting....yes i know what you mean by your son is still young and children of a similar age still need help with certain tasks,as my son has got older its so much more apparent than years ago,I see his friends he was at school with and they are young men now driving cars...its so strange yet my son still feels happier around 12-14 yr olds...and still is obsessed with the toys that come free with a mac donalds meal...or a starwars character....yet sometimes you can see him struggling to be a man and he wants to be the same as his peers as lately hes noticing how others dress his age and weve had to kit him out in a complete new "grungy" wardrobe....good luck with everything and Im so pleased you have been awarded something and at least it has been recognised that your son has needs.

shy-but-need-help

Thanks for the reply, I'm anticipating DS drifting further and further from his peers as he gets bigger... right now we're at that awkward stage where somedays you wish you could put a t-shirt on them explaining they're not naughty they just don't "get" normal. When he first began playschool he was just the very bouncy, clumbsy, tactile boy with very odd thought patterns, he's now year one and there's no doubt about it he's the odd child they find organising peoples coats by shade or smell and lunch boxes by size when he's meant to be in the toilet but got distracted half way there. It's very draining the days when you can see other mothers looking at him, who've never stopped to ask if there is anything different about him, but you can tell they're thinking self righteously that their child doesn't cry, flap, dance, run off etc etc. Mind you life would be so quiet without his little quirks and being one of four the other three tend to bouy him along with them alot of the time.

Thanks again for the reply.

mspig

shy-but-need-help wrote: »

Thanks everyone for the replies.

I am fairly certain the lower rate for care is due to his age- he's not six until march and although he takes alot of work the fact he is still young means it's not as significant in comparison to other kids his age as it probably will be by the time he is 8, 10, 14 etc. I think it's most likely they've looked at is as many 5 year olds still need help with shoes, some help dressing etc- he's alot worse than that but not as distanced from typical child of his age as he will be when they all continue developing skills at neurotypical rate and he probably will still struggle or get worse or more demanding.

My son was four when we first got his award through and it was at middle rate(he doesn't need help through the night so i don't get higher), so it won't do you any harm to put in a letter stating you appeal against the decision and the reasons why you think you should get middle/higher rate.

Shall look into family fund too- we moved house in august (council) and although it's the much needed larger house we hoped for it's been riddled with problems and all our "flooring fund" to put down carpets got eaten up replacing the floor boards which smelt of dog pee (council maintained because they weren't rotten it was fine by health and safety) I shall take a look at that as it might be of some assistance with winter and no carpet!

When we first moved into our house the house smelt of cat urine(most i the kids bedroom) - the housing went off the smell and replaces all the floorboard, put in vents under the floor to outside, replaced the doors and the kids window and said if that didn't work they would have to take the whole of the floor down and replace the ceiling and the beams altogether - luckily the first lot has worked. I would push the council for a second opinion.

kazzy73

shy-but-need-help wrote: »

Thanks everyone for the replies.

I am fairly certain the lower rate for care is due to his age- he's not six until march and although he takes alot of work the fact he is still young means it's not as significant in comparison to other kids his age as it probably will be by the time he is 8, 10, 14 etc. I think it's most likely they've looked at is as many 5 year olds still need help with shoes, some help dressing etc- he's alot worse than that but not as distanced from typical child of his age as he will be when they all continue developing skills at neurotypical rate and he probably will still struggle or get worse or more demanding.

I have a 4 year old daughter with ASD, recently diagnosed in oct 08. I dont think age is relevant in the level of DLA. My daughter turns 5 in Jan22 and then is able to get lower rate mobility alongside her mid rate care.

She does need extra help and has max support at primary although currently attends for half days only until further funding is provided. Her nursery told me about a special nursery for children with ASD called Stepping stones. Amazing people. all the staff have children with learning difficulties or severly handicapped.

I was informed by my healthworker and paediatrician about a local centre that may help with applying for DLA. Its what you put in the form that matters. Put in everything even if it seems irrelivant. They can either say No or Yes what do you have to lose.

As far as CTC goes, we were already getting as my partner is on a low wage and with 4 kids its a godsend!! Im not sure if ours will increase, i only informed HMRC on monday about the DLA. Only had 1 payment from them in December so far, so early days but would like to know if it does increase or would i owe tax office money?

I would definitely appeal against the result for DLA and get a professional carer to look at your claim. On the NAS.org website they have all sorts of comments to put in your claim, I used my diagnosis report and got my daughters paediatrician to back me up.

Good Luck with it all..;)

wornoutmumoftwo

My son's are 5 and 6 now and both receive middle care and lower mobility.

On top of this you can apply to your council for a free bus pass, which has made the world of difference to me as no more tantrum fuelled walks to school.

I told a women who used to work for the social that I was getting middle care and she actually told me to appeal for higher, I never as I am happy with the help I get via DLA, but I would certianly appeal a lower care rate.

I would actually expect my DLA to drop as they get older and need less help (hopefully).

One has ASD, the other has Global Development Delay.

wornoutmumoftwo

As far as CTC goes, we were already getting as my partner is on a low wage and with 4 kids its a godsend!! Im not sure if ours will increase, i only informed HMRC on monday about the DLA. Only had 1 payment from them in December so far, so early days but would like to know if it does increase or would i owe tax office money?

If you get middle care then it will increase, backdated to your DLA claim/3 months.