Financial Support
There are many different sources of financial support available to children with exceptional healthcare needs and their families. Perhaps most important is Disability Living Allowance (DLA) as a lot of other funding is dependent on this benefit. Another important route to resources is an assessment by social work (known as a Section 23). Many families miss out on benefits because the application processes are complex and time consuming. For this reason, it may be beneficial to start looking at the different types of funding with the support of a voluntary organisation.
KINDRED (previously SNIP) has provided a document (in list below) explaining the different sources of financial support these include:
- Disability living allowance (DLA)
- Motability
- Blue badge
- Carer's allowance
- Tax credits (Child Tax Credit and Working Tax Credit)
- Family Fund
- Trust grants
- Assistance with heating bills
- Assistance with Council tax
- Housing support
- New Supply Shared Equity (NSSE)
- Community Care Grants
- Social work assessment
- Direct Payments
- Respite or short breaks
Useful web sites:
- http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/DisabledPeople/index.htm
- http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Built-Environment/Housing
- http://www.funderfinder.org.uk/
- http://www.cafamily.org.uk/
- http://www.sharedcarescotland.com/
- http://www.chas.org.uk/
- http://www.familyfund.org.uk/
- http://www.johnwatsons.com/
- http://www.capability-scotland.org.uk/services.aspx
Useful documents: