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?

YANBU
DLA is meant to cover he extra costs of being disabled. As you have a high income, you are able to cover these extra costs yourselves. This means you can save the DLA on behalf of your DD. I think you should claim it, if she is entitled to it she should get it, the chances of her ever earning a quarter what you do are slim so there is nothing wrong with claiming what she is due.

David Cameron claimed DLA for his son while Prime Minister…

You should claim. DLA is a useful shorthand to access adaptations and provision that she may need.

You do need to take specialist advice however on allowing savings to build up in her name and if she is in line for a significant inheritance one day. She may need to have a deputy appointed by the Court of Protection to be able to access her savings.

Yes you should be claiming it if your daughter is entitled to it.

we have a household disposable income (after bills etc) of 7k a month!

and i claim it for my son. He's entitled to it, so im claiming it for him.

i do however account for every penny of it, every month when the money hits my bank, i transfer it to another bank account in my name that i opened just for the DLA. Any payments i pay out for DS that are extra for a child of his age, i use that bank account.

Its not absorbed into our daily household pot, that money is just for him and its spent on things that other parents with a child of the same age wouldnt need to spend on their child for example:

speech therapy
extra resources for him in school
stuff he breaks due to his impulsive behaviour etc

In addition, it will be harder for your DD at 16+ to claim PIP if she has never had DLA. Not claiming it could make things unreasonably difficult for her as an independent adult trying to get PIP.

I have never been asked to do this on behalf of my child (three years claiming middle-rate care and lower rate mobility).

Yes you should. I have found it as the main accepted 'proof' for accessing asn groups/activities. Also means you can get queue assistance at airports, stations or at tourist attractions

But it was for your children. It’s not your claim, it’s your children’s entitlement. I don’t ‘need’ the already paltry amount my ex pays in child maintenance but I’ll be damned if he gets away with not paying it. The government does sod all in terms of real support for children with disabilities, the least they can do is also recognise there is a cost. Without DLA, your children are missing out on being noted at children with disability. And if you’re entitled to carers you should claim it, it gives you NI credits for your own future.

Be aware that arguments like this can be used to start means testing DLA.

That's exactly how I do it too. I keep a spreadsheet and when i pay for his stuff I pay it out of my current account and then transfer so there is a clear paper trail. I might look at trying to get a debit card just for that account if possible though as that will make it even easier.

I know that often the funds are absorbed into regular household spending and that is totally fine too... like heating costs for a child who needs heating but the whole family benefits(mine also has cold urticaria which is a literal allergy to the cold so he needs heating) for example. Or just groceries for a family that has been diverting money to pay for speech therapy.

The option is there! Hope you take it.

When did we become such an entitled society? We would all be in a much better place if people only took what they really needed, not what they could take simply because they were "entitled".

You have an income over 300K per year?! You can easily afford to support your daughter's needs.

DLA and PIP are needs based. No one gets it without proving they need it on the basis of their disabilities.

You are confusing needs based with means tested.

Need for DLA/PIP isn’t determined by how much money you have or earn.

What a crock of shit.

There is a reason it's not means tested. It's to cover THE CHILD'S additional needs, nothing to do with the parents income.

Would you also suggest that high earners cover the cost of the 121 TA at school if needed?

Slightly different but I have just claimed carers ' allowance. I care for DH. But this has impacted my ability to pay into a pension, so saving up this will help in bridging the gap until I can claim my state pension after DH dies. We don't need the money at the moment.

If you do claim it, it is a gateway to other things and often used as evidence of need. And your child will be in the system when they get to a certain age and need different types of help. My experience is that it’s quite important to be in the system and be catered for. Being known to the right agencies does tend to make things easier.

Yes, of course you should claim it. There's no moral dilemma here. DLA is not means-tested so go for it.

300 grand a year isn't enough?

The people saying don't claim it morally are bonkers.

If people on higher incomes need an operation, are you saying they should pay privately instead of using NHS resources?! I mean, they may well choose to do so, but they absolutely shouldn't have to! They are more likely to be net contributors than the vast majority, so why shouldn't they get some bloody benefit!

The child isn’t earning this. And they won’t be earning it for their lifetime. Circumstances do change too.

That wasn't my question.

You know, what we should do is start expecting the cost of raising disabled children to become state funded. So children who cannot walk to school all entitled to transportation rather than their parents having to fund a car or taxis or specialist prams. Schools should have a separate menu especially for those with food intolerance, prepared separately as well rather than the parents having to provide. There should be free access to specialist equipment at home, not the extra price put on to anything deemed ‘sensory’. Oh an a school uniform access for those of us who need to constantly replace clothes that have been chewed through or shoes wrecked within a couple of weeks no matter how good the quality due to inability to walk well/toe walking/falls etc. And pay parents who have to give up work to care for their children (regardless of if one parent can work full time) a living wage. Raise taxes in general should pay for all this and more. Will cut out the need to give disabled children a payment wouldn’t it. There, fixed a huge hole in the benefits system for you.

What about setting up a discretionary trust fund for her so that it wont affect her benefits in future?

But yes its not means tested so claim it. I am sure that her disabilities will have had an effect on your income/cost of living so help provide for her future.

I suspect that school might find it helpful if she gets DLA as well.

You should apply for every benefit that she is entitled to receive.

she needs continuity of care. Having some of her benefits in place if something happens to you will be a good start.

you to spend her money appropriately, but that frees you to save your own money for her future. The more you can leave behind, the better.

If she has care needs, you should also get her used to being part of the care system now. Use a day program of some sort or utilize carers if she is eligible. If she isn’t that high needs, then look for a support/social group. This isn’t primarily for your benefit. When you get too sick or too old to care for her, you don’t want it to be a shock that other people are suddenly in her life. She should just start spending more time with them than before.

This as well. So many high earning families feel put out that they work so very hard and get nothing in return, whilst feckless benefits claimers apparently live a wonderful life for nothing. Well here’s the rebate, your disabled children can still be taken care of by the benefits system because you’ve paid into the economy. Benefits should be for those who need it most, who needs it more than a child with a disability?

You’re not doing anything wrong. Disability benefits are the gateway to other things - not cash, but disability related. And the allowance is for the child, so yes. And also yes, when she reaches 16 and it switches to PIP - that’s a much harder benefit to secure, but again its’ for her benefit so household income is irrelevant, and it will secure many other services to which she is entitled.