Financial help, rights and benefits

Attendance Allowance
Carers Allowance
Carers Credit
Self-directed Support - Direct Payments
Personal Independence Payment (formerly Disability Living Allowance)
Employment and Support Allowance
Family Fund
Grants and Funding Opportunities
Help with Council Tax bills
Other benefits and concessions
Retirement Pension Protection
State Second Pension
Vaccine Damage Payment scheme
Work & Families Act

What is this section?

You and the person you care for may be entitled to a range of financial help in the form of benefits. The regulations on these can be quite complex and do change from time to time. You can get help to see if they apply to you, and help with completing application forms. Have a look at the list of people who can help at the bottom of this page. Likewise there is legislation intended to support and protect you while you are caring. You can get help and advice on whether this can help.



Resources to support families with disabled children who will use personal budgets (added 25.2.13)
KIDS has launched a free suite of resources to support families with disabled children who will use personal budgets. As part of the ‘Making it Personal’ project, sponsored by the Department for Education, KIDS has worked with a number of partners (OPM, Disability Rights UK, In Control, NAFIS and the Daycare Trust) to develop a new suite of resources to explore how personal budgets can be used to their best advantage. These resources consist of: a handbook for parents and carers of disabled children and young people; interactive e-learning for parents and carers, drawing on the handbook; and guidance for commissioners and others in children’s services on how to commission for personalisation. Parents and carers of disabled children can download the Parent’s Handbook at www.kids.org.uk


Banking Made Clear (added 14.9.12)
Barclays have developed a suite of accessible Barclays Money Skills resources aimed at helping young people with learning difficulties build the understanding, skills and confidence they need to manage their money. Banking Made Clear was developed in partnership with the British Institute of Learning Disabilities (BILD) to address some of the issues that people with learning disabilities face every day when managing their own money. It consists of a comprehensive guide and a ‘quick guide' to banking, a DVD with step-by-step instructions on various banking transactions, and a teaching pack to enable volunteers to run successful money management sessions. To find out more visit: www.barclaysmoneyskills.com


Free Benefits advice
Do you have a child with a disability or additional needs and need some help in accessing the right DWP benefits? West Sussex County Council and Aiming High for Disabled Children are funding a Benefits Advisor to help with claiming Disability Living Allowance, Carers Allowance, Income Support, Housing Benefit, Employment Support Allowance, Tax Credits etc.

Contact David Harper, WSCC, 6 Southey Road, Worthing BN11 3HT or email: [email protected] giving your child's name and age as well as your contact details and you will be contacted to arrange an appointment. (added 18.5.10)


Carers and Pensions Handbook
Download this guide or get pensions advice and information online from
www.carersuk.org/Information/Caringforyourpension

You can get more information from:

http://yourmoney.moneyadviceservice.org.uk (added 5.9.11)
Impartial information and guidance from the Money Advice Service, an independent body established by the Financial Services Authority, on what options may be available and what you should think about before you make a decision.

Information on benefits and services - Department for Work and Pensions website providing information and downloadable forms for claiming benefits and pensions

Information about other benefits which might be worth considering can be found on the Carers UK website

Click here for the Carers UK website

There are people who can help:

- If you are struggling with unmanageable debt, rent or mortgage arrears, Shelter has information and advice which may be of help. http://england.shelter.org.uk

The Citizen's Advice Bureau - A national voluntary organisation providing free information and advice on a wide range of issues. The website contains a great deal of useful information on a huge range of topics.

Contact details for West Sussex Adults' and Children and Young People's Services (health and social care)
http://www.westsussex.gov.uk/living/social_care_and_health.aspx

Carers Support West Sussex will be able to help you check what might be best for you.

Search

If you are having trouble finding the information you need on this website you could try using one of the following search options:

Local Search
You can use this facility to search the Carers Online database for organisations in West Sussex that may be able to help you.

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