Care and support

Benefits for children with a disability

These pages tell you about the benefits that you might be able to claim for a disabled child and for yourself if you are looking after a disabled child.

The first section gives you detailed information about disability living allowance - this is the main benefit you can claim if your child has a disability and needs more help than other children of the same age or has problems walking out of doors. You will also find information about:

• motability and other help available with getting around;
• carer’s allowance – for carers looking after a disabled person;
• working tax credit – for working people on low incomes (with or without children);
• child tax credit – for families with children;
• means-tested benefits
• jobseeker’s allowance (income-based) – for people who are unemployed or work part-time and have to sign on as unemployed
• income support – for people who do not work or work part-time and do not have to sign on
• housing benefit – for help with rent
• council tax benefit and council tax reductions – for help with council tax
• health benefits – help with health costs and fares to hospital
• healthy start – vouchers for milk, vegetables, fruit and vitamins
• social fund – grants and loans to meet the costs of ‘one-off’ items and to ease exceptional pressure
• education benefits – help with the costs of education
• child trust fund – investing in your child’s future.
• Children away from home - tells you what happens to benefits if your child is away from home, for example, is in hospital or being ‘looked after’ by the local authority.
• When a child reaches 16 – tells you what benefits a young person can claim in their own right. When they reach 16
• Challenging Decisions – what to do if you are not happy with a decision about a benefit or tax credit.

Claiming benefits can be quite complicated. The information in these pages is intended as a general guide. If in doubt, seek advice from one of the organisations listed at the end.