Other Benefits

Two children smiling

Family Fund Trust

The Family Fund is for families on low incomes who have children with severe disabilities. They can help if your child is aged 17 or under. Many families have found the Family Fund a great help financially for one-off payments for specific things like washing machines, beds and bedding, travel expenses, specialist toys, telephones, driving lessons for a child's main carer and holidays in the UK or abroad.

The Family Fund will consider most requests, however they give priority to families whose social or financial needs are greatest.

The Family Fund cannot help fund equipment or services that are the responsibility of health or social services to provide. Also, you cannot get help for a child who is in the care of their local authority.

The Family Fund website gives up-to-date details of how to apply, and who is likely to be eligible.

How do you get it?

You can get an application form by writing to the Family Fund at PO Box 50, York YO1 9ZX, by ringing 0845 130 4542 or you can apply online at www.familyfundtrust.org.uk. You may want to ask your health visitor or social worker to support your application.

When you write, you will need to give your child's name, date of birth, details of their disability, what help you need and whether you've asked for a grant before.

The Family Fund will ask you for details of your income and savings, and they may contact your consultant asking for more information about your child's disability or medical condition.

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Discretionary Social Fund

The Social Fund makes Community Care Grants, Budgeting Loans or Crisis Loans for needs that are hard to meet from weekly benefits. If you are on Income Support, you may be able to get a loan or grant towards the cost of a specific item of household equipment or furniture.

In practice it can be very hard to get money from the Social Fund; there is no legal entitlement, payments are discretionary and the budget is limited.

You should always apply for a grant rather than a loan if you think you may be eligible. Loans are interest free, but even so, budgeting for repayments can be tricky.

You can find out more from your local Jobcentre Plus.

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Council Tax reduction for people with disabilities

You could pay less Council Tax if your home has been adapted so that it's more accessible for your disabled child. If you've had to adapt your home especially for your disabled child, your council tax bill could be reduced to that of a house in the band immediately below yours. If your house is already in the lowest band (Band A) you won't qualify.

The sort of adaptations that might make the difference are:

  • additional space for a wheelchair to be used indoors (like widening doors, corridors, removing partition walls)
  • an extra room to meet special needs (for example, a downstairs bathroom/toilet).

Find out more about adaptations to your home.

How do you get it?

Nottingham City Residents:
Ring the relevant number below to contact the Nottingham City Council Tax Office on to ask if you qualify.

Nottinghamshire County Council:
If you live in the county you need to contact your local district office. Visit the Notts County Council website to find the details of your relevant office.

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Fares to hospital

Some of us have spent a small fortune getting to hospital, especially when our children needed frequent treatment or couldn't travel on buses or trains.

You can get help with fares to hospital if you're on Income Support, or sometimes if your income is very low. Most hospitals have someone who deals with reimbursing fares on the spot.

Your hospital social worker or the consultant's secretary should be able to help you find out whether your child can get an ambulance, hospital car transport, or help with taxi fares.

When we've had to take our children out of the area for treatment (for instance, up to Great Ormond Street or Guy's) we've sometimes been able to get help with travel costs. Ask your consultant to write to the Health Authority for you, making it clear that the journey is a necessary part of your child's treatment, and you should get it paid.

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Childcare Inclusion Grant

Inclusive Services Support Grant – Nottingham

The Inclusive Services Grant is available to help cover the additional costs of settling a child with special needs into a nursery or with another childcare provider. It can be used for extra staffing costs, to buy special equipment or make adaptations to the premises. To find out about more about the grant the childcare provider and parent/carer should contact the Families Information Service on:

Telephone:0800 458 4114

Email: fis@nottinghamcity.gov.uk

Childcare Inclusion Funding – Nottinghamshire

The Childcare Inclusion Funding is available to help cover the additional costs of settling a child with special needs into a nursery or with another childcare provider. It can be used for extra staffing costs, to buy special equipment or make adaptations to the premises.

To access this grant the childcare setting where the child is currently attending needs to contact APTCOO - A Place To Call Our Own who are based in Mansfield.

APTCOO – 01623 629902

Approximately from the end of June 2010 this service will be moving to the preschool learning alliance.

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Direct Payments

Direct payments are a way of giving more choice and control to disabled children and their families about the services they use. Find out more about Direct Payments