Special needs benefits
Having a child always drops a grenade into your family finances – and having a child with special needs can have a even larger impact on your resources.
In the UK, state benefits are there to enable you to look after your child as well as possible and to help provide your child with the things they need. There are various benefits you may be entitled to as the parent (or carer) of a child with special needs.
Unfortunately, the benefits system can be fairly complicated and certain benefits are deducted from other benefits, for example: "Child Tax Credits isn't included as income for Carers Allowance. But Carers Allowance is included as income for Child Tax Credits." Do you see? No, nor do we actually. And we've got degrees and everything.
So to try to help you navigate your way through the benefits maze, we've used other Mumsnetters' hard-won knowledge about the following financial help so you don't have to reinvent the benefits wheel.
- Disability Living Allowance
- Completing the Disability Living Allowance form
- Allowances and tax credits
- Financial help with schooling
- Financial help with transport
- Help with housing costs
- Help with adapting your home
- Loans and grants
- Disabled Facilities Grant
- Free passes to family attractions
And, of course, if you can't find what you're looking for here, there are special needs Talk forums to pick other people's brains about education, your children, teens and pre-teens, legal and financial issues, plus your recommendations about anything you thing will help other parents and, if you're a parent with disabilities, space to share experiences.
