CTC - disabled child element

Foyzone

Hi there, this is my first post on MSE so be gentle!!!

I am hoping someone can help me with a query on CTC. I recieve the family element of £545. I have a daughter on middle rate care DLA. I have recently had another child, so informed CTC to recieve the baby element.

I have received a new award notice awarding me the baby element but also a disabled child element for my daughter from 5/4/07. Firstly am I entitled to this and secondly, why has this only been awarded from 05/04/07? She has been in reciept of DLA since May 2006. I informed CTC immediatley it was awarded and they stated it would not affect my award although they noted in on the system. Now 11 months later I am awarded a premium?

Could anyone advise if this is correct and would I be due arrears back to May 2006?

Many thanks in advance

Foyzone

Mrs_B_12

Yes, you are entitled to the premium, my daughter is on middle rate care DLA and we get it. Give them a ring and query if it can be backdated.

Gaz83

As Mrs B says, a child in receipt of DLA does indeed mean that you're due, in principle, the Disability Element of CTC. However if you didn't last year, it's strange that you have this year. Have you had any other changes in circumstance, a drop in income due to having another child, anything like that? Is your 07/08 award based on a lower income than your 06/07 income was?

Mrs_B_12

Have you also checked you are claiming any other benefits you may be entitled to? Plus any other help you may be eligible for. https://www.specialkidsintheuk.org is a great site for info and support from other parents.

filigree_2

It could be that having a second child has moved the threshold and now you're entitled to something you didn't get before.

My son was on middle rate DLA for years and we never got the disabled element, just the standard £545. I assumed that it was in some way means tested and that we earned too much. Does anyone know different? I'm wondering if it's worth phoning them to check. Yeah I know I should have done it earlier

doelani

this happened to me too, I used to egt teh disabled element noted on my CTC form but only got the basic £545 as we earned to much and it knocked it off again. I now get DLA myself and again am on CTC form as disabled element but makes no difference to the payment, still gst the basic about £545 a year again. Seems a bit pointless, they put it down then say " oh you earn to much so you are not getting anything extra"

the original poster may be different becasue she has just had another child and it could change the thresholds. Not sure how you can check this sorry.

Foyzone

Thank you for the replies. Just you let you know this is my third child, there have been no other changes to our circumstances. I am still employed and our Income has not changed, we are over the threshold for WFTC and always have been. Apart from when my last child was under one we have always just recieved the basic rate.

Seems some of us in the same circumstances are receiving different elements, I dont want to query it if they are going to take it straight back off me again!!!

If anyone not recieiving the element who thinks they should be does query it, I'd be really intrested to know how you get on

Cheers

Foyzone

Gemmzie

The problem is the tax credit staff themselves. They don't all know that DLA means you are entitled to the child disability element.

We were told we did not get it, phone again and questioned it and immediately had it instated and backdated.