To apply for DLA for DD when we have a household income of over 300k?

[Milesandmilesandmiles]

Just that really - we have an autistic daughter who needs support with most things (although is in mainstream school). Between us DH and I earn over 300k, so we don’t need the money. However, conscious that we won’t be around for ever and we could save it for DD’s needs as she grows. But is this what state benefits are for?

I would. It can help access other things like Sen sessions at events and fast track passes in theme parks etc.

Plus it may help her get support when she is older.

Btw the dla is hard to fill in. You have to describe the most difficult elements of your child's disability and impact. It's not easy to do. Make sure you send any documents from other professionals as they stand for a lot.

You should apply for it because if she is eligible it is your daughters right to have it and any of the associated reasonable adjustments and support that goes with it.

Bollocks, my husband has claimed it for life and hrs never had that.

"As part of applying for the benefit you agree to keep proof of what you’re spending it on. I know it’s unlikely most people will religiously but just be aware."

No you don't. I don't understand why people keep making stuff like this up.

Look. It's not means tested, so YANBU to claim it. Whether you need/want to is a personal choice but not one involving a morality conundrum. Yes, you could claim it and save it for the future. There will come a point where your DC is not supported by two adults with £300k income.

Its for your daughter OP and you have every right to claim it and use it for the extra support and therapies she may need. Also, we don't know what the future holds and its important that our disabled children are set up, for when we are gone. It may help her when/if she goes through the PIP process, which from my experience is a tough process to go through if you're neurodivergent.

DLA for a child is slightly different in that the parent becomes the child’s appointee with the DWP, so that benefit can be paid into their account and they can administer the funds. The agreement this poster is talking about contains details of the parents’ responsibilities as an appointee. In signing and returning it, the parent agrees to these responsibilities and to act in the best interests of the child. There is no responsibility on the part of the appointee to provide proof or keep records of how the money is spent because, as with adult disability benefits, there is no legislation dictating expenditure. As long as the money is spent for the benefit of the child, it’s left to the parent as appointee to decide the best way to do this.

Its for extra disability related costs. Not to save for her future. And if it's saved this will affect any means tested benefits the OPs daughter may need to claim.

See my post above. Parents have to sign an appointee agreement with DWP so that benefit can be paid to them. They agree to abide by the appointee rules, and to spend the money for the benefit of the child. But that’s all - there is no compulsion to keep records or other proof of how the money is actually spent.

lt’s useful to note that even in DWP’s own literature on disability benefits it states that they don’t monitor or check how the money is being used - it’s left to the claimant or their appointee to decide. That’s what all the fuss about vouchers and other alternatives to cash payments was about a few months ago. The Tories hated the fact that disability benefit claimants had autonomy over how the benefit was spent. DWP doesn’t have the manpower to monitor every claim, so the Tories were trying to introduce legislation allowing more government control in the form of vouchers only to be spent on certain things, and they were consulting on other alternatives to cash.

I have never had to sign and return any sort of agreement for DS in the 10 years he has been getting DLA. A letter to tell me I am the appointee and that’s it.

DLA do sometimes send a review of appointee letter. It is the BF57B letter/form. It asks you to sign saying you understand your responsibilities. And it gives you a box to write in if you don’t understand something, want to ask something or want more information - and a box to include your contact number so they can contact you about anything you write in said box. It doesn’t ask about expenditure.

This is spot on. DWP literature states that Child DLA is not intended to be saved for future needs, beyond saving it for specific purchases to benefit the child. It points out that as the benefit is paid to the parents as appointees, any savings resulting from it would be taken into account for other means tested benefits. Savings are also taken into consideration by LA’s when deciding eligibility for disabled facilities grants, so any decision to save should be considered for it’s impact on other things.

I’ve had this as l’m the appointee for my mums’ attendance allowance. It’s just a reinforcement of the original appointee agreement and gives the appointee the chance to ask about anything they’re unsure of. As has been said, there is no legislation to control what the money is spent on and no responsibility on the appointee to justify expenditure.

The money is for the child and extra costs associated. Your salary doesn’t come into it- it’s not means tested and even if it were the money isn’t yours as such.

I would apply- that’s was it’s there for and I’m a fraud manager.

You would have signed the appointee agreement at the beginning, to say you understand your responsibilities as such. Occasionally DWP will send out an appointee review form but they’re not interested in how the money is spent because you’ve agreed to spend it for the benefit of the disabled person.

I know! If you read both posts I have mentioned this i you will see nowhere have I said the appointee does have to justify expenditure. Quite the opposite.

You’ll be a pensioner one day yourself. Who will you blame then ?

And the rich get richer.

I couldn't do this in your position. Too much of a social conscience.

I would. You pay more than enough in tax to fund it and are still comfortably funding the majority. Your child will then have access to potential support. It’s a passport benefit. It’s not means tested yet for those reasons - as it stands.

Ah but do you have an issue with people who use private healthcare or private school? If they can afford to save the state money - should they?

The social contract is that everyone can access benefits that are not means tested - PIP/DLA, School, NHS etc. Not based on whether you can afford to cover it yourself.

The NHS is chronically underfunded - by your line of thinking, if you are wealthy enough to pay for yourself, it is immoral to use the NHS....It does not work that way!

You earn 300K and what to claim a state benefit? No

I agree. It’s total rubbish.🙄

It’s not something you just apply for to save for her future .. it’s if you really need the money to help with her care

Again, it isn't a case of "if you need the money". If it was based on monetary need it would be means tested.

There is a lot of misinformation on this thread!

My DH has been getting DLA/PIP for 25-30 years. We have never had to prove anything other than his disability and how it impacts his life. No auditing of spend, no means testing to check whether we "need the money".

DLA is not means tested. As with several other state benefits a person's income and capital are irrelevant. Anyway, it is the OP who has the income, not her daughter.