Family Fund Driving Lessons

[MistsAndMellow]

Does anyone know anything about it? We received a very ambiguous letter saying that we might be awarded it (godsend since DLA mobility refused) but there are terms and conditions.

Just wondering if anyone has any experience of it. I'm worried that the literature says that they "usually" do two-hour lessons.

DS has to leave pre-school early because of his SN which makes the time really tight and in any case two rather than one hours concentration isn't feasible really.

I've tried slightly longer and I veer into oncoming traffic by mistake. Two hours and I'd be tempted to hit it dead on deliberately

Perhaps there are ways around extreme sleep-deprivation like practising reversing manoeuvres for the last hour, I don't know.

Can any drivers confirm that I can find a way around this? I so need to learn. I thought I would never need to before DS was diagnosed but I do now. It's difficult having to overcome life-long phobias at almost forty.

Hi,

I was awarded driving lesson through the family fund and passed my test last week :-)

I live quite away from the nearets BSM office so was told I would need to have 2 hr lessons to make it worthwhile for the instructor to travel, so it might depend on where you live as to how flexible you are.

I had to do 2x2 hr sessions in the BSM simulator and then I got 45 hrs of lessons and 2 attempts at theory test and practical test and if you need anymore lessons you get them at a reduced rate.

When I was having my lesson my little girl was in pre school 3 hrs each morning, so I would get picked up by my instructor outside school and then dropped off back home.

If you get awarded the lessons I would phone your local BSM office and have a chat with them and see how flexible they will be for you, and good luck
x x x

I had them last year (and passed). It has been an absolute godsend being abe to drive.

You don't have to take the two hour lessons, but it is recommended. You could always do two one hour lessons a week if that is any easier for you. I think they recommend the two hours as the first 5/10 minutes of each lesson is usually taken up with talking about manouvers etc. I did the simulator and found it absolutely useless.

Congratulations Anitah.

Thank you and congratulations anitah21

Do you post here usually? You should. You do sound absolutely lovely

Hi,

I found the simulator useless too lol and it made me think driving was going to be much harder than actually was, although saying that i failed 1st test :-(

I dont post much to be honest as my little girl is only 4 so fairly new on the journey of disabilities and feel everyone else has soooo much more experience and useful things to say lol.

I do loiter alot though so if a subject comes up that I feel I could be helpful with I can try and help.

But your life will be so easier if you can drive, we have a motability car on order and wont get it for a few months so sharing my mum's car at the moment, but also still at the stage of finding scary being in the car on my own too lol.
Good luck and go for it
x x x

Oh Leonie it's shite isn't it? We only scraped through. Good job DD's Dad doesn't even pay his usual £1.80 per week child support any more.

I had no idea about BSM simulators, sounds very intriguing! Thanks all.

Leonie, did you know they increased it to £28,000 recently?