Money and benefits

The Disabled Children's Service provides social care support for families with disabled children in the City of London and Hackney. Our aim is to act early on before a situation can develop and have serious consequences for the child and family.

We carry out a detailed child and family needs assessment, which informs the child's support care package. The package can include:

• Help with personal care and social activities
• Short Breaks services
• Transition services
• Direct payments

We refer high risk conditions to the Children In Need or Looked after Children Services.

You can find more information about the team on the Hackney Local Offer website.

A direct payment is a sum of money you receive from a local authority if you are assessed as needing help and support from social services. It lets you choose and buy the services you need yourself, instead of getting them from the local authority.

Direct payments are made straight into your bank account and can be used for services and activities such as:

• Transport
• Help with domestic tasks around the house
• Hobbies or exercise sessions
• Short breaks

If you receive direct payments you need to account for the money you spend. We will tell you what records you need to keep and what other information you need to provide.

Who can receive direct payment?

• A parent or carer of a disabled child
• A disabled young person aged 16 to 17
• A young carer aged 16 to 17

You can apply for direct payments on the GOV.UK website, or contact us to find out more. Call 020 7332 1224 or children.duty@cityoflondon.gov.uk.

Disability Living Allowance may help with the extra costs of looking after a child who is under 16 and who has difficulties walking or needs more looking after than a child of the same age who doesn’t have a disability.

Disability Living Allowance for children is a tax-free benefit made up of two components (parts). The child might qualify for one or both components. It is also not affected by your income, savings or employment status.

Eligibility

The child will need to meet all the eligibility requirements. To qualify for DLA, the child must:

• be under 16
• need extra looking after or have walking difficulties
• be in Great Britain, another European Economic Area (EEA) country or Switzerland when you claim - there are some exceptions, eg family members of the Armed Forces
• have lived in Great Britain for two of the last three years, if over age three
• be habitually resident in the UK, Ireland, Isle of Man or the Channel Islands
• not be subject to immigration control

There are some exceptions to these conditions if the child is living or coming from another EEA country or Switzerland.

The rules on residence don’t normally apply if a child is terminally ill.

The child’s disability or health condition

The child’s disability or health condition must mean one or both of the following apply:

1. they need more looking after than a child of the same age who doesn’t have a disability
2. they have difficulty getting about

They must have had these difficulties for at least 3 months and expect them to last for at least 6 months. If they’re terminally ill (i.e., not expected to live more than 6 months), they don’t need to have had these difficulties for 3 months.

Care component

The rate the child gets depends on the level of looking after they need, such as:

• lowest rate - help for some of the day or night
• middle rate - frequent help or constant supervision during the day, supervision at night or someone to help while they’re on dialysis
• highest rate - help or supervision throughout both day and night, or they’re terminally ill

Mobility component

The rate the child gets depends on the level of help they need getting about e.g.:

• lowest rate - they can walk but need help and or supervision when outdoors
• highest rate - they can’t walk, can only walk a short distance without severe discomfort, could become very ill if they try to walk or they’re blind, severely sight impaired.

Rates

The DLA rate is between £21.80 and £139.75 a week and depends on the level of help the child needs.

How to claim

Use the DLA claim form to apply for Disability Living Allowance (DLA) for children under 16. The form tells you where to send your application www.gov.uk/dla-disability-living-allowance-benefit

You can order a printed form by telephoning the Disability Living Allowance helpline on telephone number 0800 121 4600 or textphone 0800 121 4523 from Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm.

The DLA application form can be long and complex. You may find it upsetting to complete the form, however, it is important to reflect the impact the disabilities and needs have on the family.

There is extra money and support for nurseries and childminders looking after children with additional needs. There are two main sources of extra funding for  early years settings.  If eligible then they can claim both.

The SEN Inclusion Fund (SENIF) is money available to registered Early Years providers (nurseries, childminders etc.) for supporting children with special educational needs and/or disability (SEND). The money is for use in the setting that the child attends and will be given to the provider to be used to support the needs of individual children with SEND.

What is the funding used for?

Funding is use to support your child's needs within the setting e.g. reducing child to adult ratio in order to support your child, purchasing sensory/specialist equipment, training staff in any relevant training etc. Providers will be required to evidence how they are using the funding.

What is the eligibility criteria?

Two, three or four year olds without an Education, Health and Care (EHC) Plan, identified with a level of special educational needs and/or disability (SEND). Children aged under two may also be considered if there is a high level of need.  

Speak to your child's early years setting if you think they should apply for SENIF and ask them to contact us for more infnormation.

Carers allowance is the main benefit available for anyone who cares for someone more than 35 hours a week and they get certain benefits.

Carers credit can help with national insurance credits toward your state Pension if you do not get carers allowance but provide caring for more than 20 hours.

Carer's allowance

You could get £62.70 a week if you care for someone at least 35 hours a week and they get certain benefits.

You don’t have to be related to, or live with, the person you care for.

You won’t be paid extra if you care for more than one person.

Carer’s Allowance can affect the other benefits that you and the person you care for get. You have to pay tax on it if your income is over the Personal Allowance.

What is the eligibility criteria?

The person you care for must already get one of these benefits:

• Personal Independence Payment - daily living component
• Disability Living Allowance - the middle or highest care rate
• Attendance Allowance
• Constant Attendance Allowance at or above the normal maximum rate with an Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit
• Constant Attendance Allowance at the basic (full day) rate with a War Disablement Pension
• Armed Forces Independence Payment

You might be able to get Carer’s Allowance if all of the following apply:

• you’re 16 or over
• you spend at least 35 hours a week caring for someone
• have been in England, Scotland or Wales for at least 2 of the last 3 years
• you normally live in England, Scotland or Wales, or you live abroad as a member of the armed forces
• you’re not in full-time education
• you’re not studying for 21 hours a week or more
• you earn no more than £110 a week (after taxes, care costs while you’re at work and 50% of what you pay into your pension) - don’t count your pension as income
• you’re not subject to immigration control

Effect on other benefits

Carer's Allowance can affect other benefits that the person you care for and you other benefits. Find out more and apply online on the GOV.UK website. 

Making a claim

To make a claim you will need:

• the date of birth and address of the person you’re caring for
• your bank or building society details

You may need to provide course details if you are studying, and any employment details including dates and how much you were paid.

You can backdate your claim by up to three months. Find out more and apply online on the GOV.UK website. 

Carers credit

You could get Carer’s Credit if you’re caring for someone for at least 20 hours a week. 

Carer’s Credit is a National Insurance credit that helps with gaps in your National Insurance record. Your State Pension is based on your National Insurance record.

To get Carer’s Credit you must be:

• aged 16 or over
• under State Pension age
• looking after one or more people for at least 20 hours a week

The person you’re looking after must get one of the following:

• Disability Living Allowance care component at the middle or highest rate
• Attendance Allowance
• Constant Attendance Allowance
• Personal Independence Payment - daily living component, at the standard or enhanced rate
• Armed Forces Independence Payment

If the person you’re caring for doesn’t get one of these benefits, you may still be able to get Carer’s Credit. When you apply, fill in the ‘Care Certificate’ part of the application form and get a health or social care professional to sign it.

Carers who don’t qualify for Carer’s Allowance may qualify for Carer’s Credit.

Breaks in caring and eligibility

You can still get Carer’s Credit even if you have breaks from caring (up to 12 weeks in a row).

For example, you’ll still get Carer’s Credit for 12 weeks if:

• you take a short holiday
• someone you look after goes into hospital
• you go into hospital

Keep the Carer’s Allowance Unit updated if you have a break in caring of more than 12 weeks in a row.

How to claim

You don’t need to apply for Carer’s Credit if you:

• get Carer’s Allowance - you’ll automatically get credits
• get Child Benefit for a child under the age of 12 - you’ll automatically get credits
• are a foster carer - you can apply for National Insurance credits instead

Find out more and apply online on the GOV.UK website. The form includes a Care Certificate - ask a health or social care professional to sign it for you.Disability Rights UK - RADAR key shop

Having access to suitable and affordable transport can make a big difference to someone with additional needs.  This section gives you information about travel options.

Blue Badge Scheme

The Blue Badge Scheme does not apply in the City because of the pressure on parking spaces but there is allocated parking in the Square Mile for people with disabilities. Wherever your vehicle is parked you must display the clock and the Blue Badge so that the serial number, expiry date and the issuing authority are clearly displayed. For more information, visit the City of London Corporate website.

RADAR Key

The National Key Scheme (NKS) offers disabled people independent access to locked public toilets around the country. Visit their website to purchase a RADAR key.

Taxicard

The Taxicard scheme gives London residents with serious permanent mobility problems or severe sight impairment subsidised rides in licensed black taxis and private hire vehicles. It enables people who have difficulty using public transport to get out and about.

Taxicard users can travel when and where they want, providing the journey starts and finishes in the Greater London area.

The scheme operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year subject to the availability of taxis.

Visit their website, call 020 7934 9791 or email taxicard@londoncouncils.gov.uk

Contact the SEND Team:

Education and Early Years Service: EEYService@cityoflondon.gov.uk

Paying for school meals can be very expensive for some families; however parents who get certain government benefits and/or Tax Credits can get help by applying for free school meals.

Parents do not have to pay for school lunches if they receive any of the following:

• income support
• income-based Jobseeker's Allowance
• income-related Employment and Support Allowance
• support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
• the Guarantee element of State Pension Credit
• Child Tax Credit, provided you are not entitled to Working Tax Credit and have an annual income (as assessed by HM Revenue & Customs) that does not exceed £16,190
• Working Tax Credit 'run-on' - the payment someone may receive for a further four weeks after they stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit

All children in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 are entitled to free school meals. However, you still need to complete an application form, as this ensures that the school receives the funding to pay for your child's meals.

How do I apply?

An application should be made direct to the local authority where the school your child attends is located. Find out if you are entitled to free school meals online, click here.

Contact

For further information call 020 7332 1002, Monday to Friday between 9am and 5pm or email EEYService@cityoflondon.gov.uk.