To book myself a carer's ticket?

[No1Zero]

My son is 3. He has ASC. However, any three year old would need a parent present. When do you turn from parent to carer? Do you ever turn into a carer for ASC (he is mobile but can't do anything for himself)?

I'm a single parent family and I don't know if I'm unreasonable for booking a carer ticket for myself which would, of course, be free.

I don't know why people attach weird emotion to businesses giving a free ticket for a carer to a disabled person. Nobody cares.

Also if you are considering applying for a card you have to pay for it should be the nimbus access card which is recognised and sometimes the only way to get a free seat (I'm looking at you, Delfont Mackintosh theatres)

You are wasting your money paying for any other scheme/card.

Nimbus access is the only one worth paying for

Is that what you did when you filled it in?

My local leisure centre/gym/pool, which gives me free membership, will only accept national disability card, which is why I got it. It’s always been accepted elsewhere. Never tried Delfont Mackintosh theatres though.

I book a carer ticket when I am with my DD, if they are offered. It's never guaranteed how long we will actually be able to stay anywhere so the carer ticket really helps.

Can I add this, if you're children have blue peter badges and you go to a place where they get in free as a parent carer you may still get a discount. I've spent ages reading websites and t and c and always go prepared to pay but I think sometimes a phone call helps. Best was Hampton Court Palace which was me and 2 children with blue Peter badges, one with physical disability and we all got in free!

The criteria for DLA is actually fairly clear cut: does your child require more care and supervision than a typical child of their age? Do they struggle to communicate sometimes, are they socially naive? If yes, then they are entitled to DLA.

My son is academically able and does “fine” at school (inverted commas because he hates school, masks and is anxious, and find it all very overwhelming) and he receives DLA.

This guide is fantastic and really breaks down the application form:
https://cerebra.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/DLA-cerebra-dla-guide-jun21.pdf

The criteria for DLA is actually fairly clear cut: does your child require more care and supervision than a typical child of their age? Do they struggle to communicate sometimes, are they socially naive? If yes, then they are entitled to DLA.

I wish I had known this as my autistic son would definitely have been eligible.

That guide you linked to would have been so, so helpful to me 10 years ago!

That’s such a shame @Comefromaway. I also believed that DLA was mainly for children with profound disabilities/medical needs, but a local charity explained it was much simpler than that. The fact is, life is more expensive even if you have a “high functioning” autistic kid.

I believed that too. I wouldn't have necessarily needed the money but it gatekeeps other things.

Reading one of the examples on that link, I distinctly remember ds phoning me several times when he moved to a new secondary school in year 9. (an enforced move as his previous school told us to move him or they would expel him). The bus went from the end of the road where his school was to outside his grandparents front door but oh the meltdowns when things didn't happen as he thought eg the bus was late, he didn't know which stop to get on, he couldn't work out how to know it was the right bus etc. He couldn't bring himself to speak to the driver to ask.

I ended up having to leave work early each day to go pick him up from school.

Also the cinema does a CEA card which is worth considering £6 for a year but a code to use to get a free carers ticket when you book online.

As an unpaid carer, you should definitely, make the most of the scraps we get to try and make our lives that little bit easier.

Yes.