DLA..What else can I claim?

shameless-about-money

The Disabled Driver Motor Club offers discounts on ferries and eurolink etc.


http://www.disabled-motorist.co.uk/October/ferry.php

peterg1965

A quick one about the Disabled Facilities Grant. The whole system Nationwide is shambolic and service varies from Council to Council. there is no means testing anymore, the maximum grant available is £25,000 and is dependant on the adaptions to the home recommended by the Occupational Therapist. I started the ball rolling in Mar 06 for house adaptaions for my severly disabled son. I have not even been visited by an OT yet. I have written to Social Services, the local PCT, my MP (twice) and the wheels are turning very very slowly. It is a dreadful state of affairs, meanwhile my 15 year old son crawls around the house and up the stairs, where is the dignity in that?

As I said, be wary of DFG's its all talk and no action on the part of the Government and Local Council.

peterg1965

Oh and sorry I forgot. The other benefit for those with disabled children is Income Support. I found out via the local CAB that my son is entitled to Income Support and a disablility premium from his 16th birthday. That applies even if he is in full time study/education (which he is). It is means tested but the testing is only applied to him and his current income which of course is zero, with the exception of Child Allowance and DLA (middle Rate car and higher rate mobility component). I think the Income Support with disabled premium amounts to about £70 per week. Does anyone know if that is paid into my bank account as his parent/carer/nominated person, the same as the DLA is?

cabbage

Hi
Re the last post about income support for disabled young people. I think that probably the IS will have to be paid into a bank account but I'm not sure whether you could nominate the same one that the carer's allowance is paid in.
You should also look at claiming incapacity benefit for your son. There are special rules called Incapacity in Youth Rules which means that you don't have to have the same National Insurance contributions as someone who has worked and then gone off sick. You should claim before the age of 20 or if you have been studying up to 25 years old.
The waiting period before it kicks in is slightly different for youngsters rather than those off sick. At first your son would probably get an income support top up, then as the payments increase due to the length of time he's sick/diabled he may get above the IS rates and therefore no longer qualify for IS. He will get a premium added after approx a year to increase his basic amount.
Incap is good that way but bear in mind if he stays on incap instead of income support he will lose some of his passported benefits such as full council tax benefit, housing benefit, access to certain social fund payments. Also incap is taxed and IS is not.

lucym

If you live in Lambeth, Croydon, Sutton or Kingston you can register your disabled child and receive an ‘I Count’ card that can be used as proof of disability at various theme parks, swimming pools etc.

http://www.i-count.org/index.htm

I know that Merton has an ‘M’ card so I guess that other areas do something similar.

Morglin

This is a good scheme:


The Cinema Exhibitors Association Card is a national card scheme involving over 500 cinemas in the UK. This card entitles the holder to one free ticket for a person accompanying them to the cinema. The card holder must meet one or more of the following criteria:-

1. They are in receipt of Disability Living Allowance.
2. They are a registered blind person.
3. They are a holder of a Disabled Person's Railcard.

Application forms are available at all participating cinemas. The card costs £5 and is valid for three years from the date of issue. A listing of cinemas and further information can be found at https://www.ceacard.co.uk.

Lin