Child Disability Payment

[kilfinan101]

Can anyone tell me what this can actually be used for? Can it be used for household bills etc? Thanks

Hi Op, yes as I understand it there are no rules as to what you can spend it on. Its your decision in how the payment will benefit your child so for you that may be heating or food costs. For someone else it could be for extra clothes due to incontinence and extra curricular activities which benefit them socially. Everyone's situation is different. I hope that helps.

They don't have a typical hardline rule. It's to benefit your child but can be used on anything such as household bills, fuel to take them places etc.

Thank you both. We are just concerned that if we use an element of our son's payments to cover "his share" of the heating etc it might be ruled as unlwaful.

I don’t think you’re asked to itemise. In your example, a child with disability may need the heating on more. Or in our case, you may find yourself replacing broken household objects, or using the car more as public transport not suitable. Or you may need to hire a more experienced babysitter to support your child to allow you normal couple time or you may spend it on private OT or SLT or or or…. It’s whatever you deem appropiate for your child.

You are not required to itemise what you use it for. It's to benefit the child and part of that is being able to provide their home and pay the bills. In our case it's into the family pot, both to pay for everything extra she needs but also to make up for the fact that it limited my job options, I cannot work the hours I needed to before and I earn much less that I would have if we hadn't been in a position to need to claim it as we cannot use any regular childcare.

When you receive payment you can do what you like with it, no-one asks or checks.

You don't need to itemise it. I use it for my disabled DC's extra care needs. These include having the heating up higher because he feels the cold due to a medical condition, buying certain types of clothes and food all of which is more expensive due to his sensory processing difficulties, paying for his tutor because his disability has meant he has struggled to learn writing skills, paying for his weekly activity with his PA and paying for holiday clubs in his school as he cant cope with school holidays (though often the holiday clubs cost extra and come out of dhs wage to), paying for the extra fuel to take him to his multiple medical appointments and some goes towards household bills as i can only work very part time hours due to his needs.

you can spend it on anything