Family Fund

kazzah

you enver used to - but my original claim was back in 1994 and things were very different then - why not check out the family fund website and see if there is any info there?

chelsea1504

We have two of our children with disabilities. We applied for family fund and received laptop (on it now). Money towards holiday and for a new bed. We had a home visit from a lovely lady who asked us what we needed and what would help us as a family best. The only benefit we receive is DLA Low rate for one and high rate for the other, my husband works hard for everything else. The family fund helped with a treat. And by the way having a child with disabilities is very hard sometimes. Especially when you go shopping and whilst being distraught because the lighting in the supermarket hurts the 2year old with epilepsy other insensitive 'adults' tell him to SHUT UP!! Thank god for the lap top and home delivery.

cheap_charlie

I have a payment in my bank account today for £400. I haven't received a letter from the Family Fund but am assuming that's what it is.

I did check online to say my application had been processed and a letter sent to me - so my question is - does the money often reach your bank account before you get a letter saying what your award is?

I can't think of any other reason why I would have this money in my bank account...

justlikethat_2

I have been getting grants from the fund for my daughter now for quite a few years. Last year I used the online application for the first time and I think it took me about three minutes!

As long as you have applied before and your circumstances haven't changed this is the easiest way to apply for straightforward requests. Like others have said they tend to give you for two things you ask for but not usually the third.

By the way although it is a charity the Family Fund is 100% government funded. It is really there to help make up for the lack of proper funding of facilities for disabled children in the first place so nobody should feel bad about getting money from them.

When you think that every parent who cares full time for a disabled child saves the state hundreds of thousands of pounds each year a few hundred in a grant for a holiday or an orthopaedic mattress is nothing.

savemoney

I applied for a grant for my daughter the other week she is 17 so this will be the only time we will be able to apply.

kazzah

I am nor sure, but I thought the fund would only help up to the age of 16?
we stopped looking at the site and making a claim when our son ( now 18) turned 16

Js_Other_Half

kazzah wrote: »

I am nor sure, but I thought the fund would only help up to the age of 16?
we stopped looking at the site and making a claim when our son ( now 18) turned 16

This is what the current guidelines say :

We can now give grants for severely disabled young people up to age 17 in Scotland and Northern Ireland and up to age 18 in England and Wales.
Our age range is now:
0-17th birthday in Northern Ireland and Scotland
0-18th birthday in England and Wales

savemoney

Yes they raised not long ago

kazzah wrote: »

I am nor sure, but I thought the fund would only help up to the age of 16?
we stopped looking at the site and making a claim when our son ( now 18) turned 16

kazzah

just my luck !!
never mind- they did support us for a very long time- about 12 years all in
so i shouldn't complain really!

savemoney

We never claimed as my daughter only diagnosed 4 years ago a disability and it took us long time to get dla, and last year it was 16 so we never bothered so I missed out for her then