Factsheet F67 Guide to Financial Support for Disabled People There is a wide range of disability-related financial support, including benefits, tax credits, payments, grants and concessions. This is a general overview with links to detailed information. Main disability and sickness benefitsDisability Living AllowanceThis is a tax-free benefit for people who have a disability and need someone to help look after them or have walking difficulties. You must claim before you reach age 65. Attendance AllowanceThis is a tax-free benefit for people aged 65 or over who have a disability and need someone to help look after them. Employment and Support AllowanceIf you cannot work because of illness or disability you may be able to get Employment and Support Allowance (ESA). Employment and Support Allowance was introduced on 27 October 2008. It replaces Incapacity Benefit and Income Support, paid because of an illness or disability. Incapacity BenefitIncapacity Benefit and Income Support, paid because of an illness or disability, has been replaced with Employment and Support Allowance for new claimants only. If you already receive Incapacity Benefit, you will continue to receive it. Health and independent livingDirect payments - arranging your own care and servicesIf you have been assessed by your local council as needing care and support services, you may want to choose direct payments. They allow you to buy in and arrange help yourself instead of receiving it directly from social services. Equipment for independent livingYou may be entitled to help towards the cost of equipment to enable you to live independently in your own home, or towards the cost of getting standard home equipment adapted so that you can use it. Personal equipment, prescriptions and hospital travelYou may be entitled to help towards health costs such as free NHS prescriptions, dental care, hospital travel costs, plus equipment such as wheelchairs and hearing aids. Value Added Tax (VAT) relief on equipment and servicesSome goods may qualify for VAT relief if the item has been designed, or adapted, solely for a disable person's use. This includes some medical appliances, certain adjustable beds and hoists and some adapted vehicles. Services that may qualify for relief include: installation of equipment, adaptation of equipment and certain building alterations. Independent Living FundPayments awarded from the Independent Living Fund help to support severely disabled people to enable them to live independently rather than in a care home. The money is for payment towards personal and domestic care. EmploymentWork schemes'Access to Work' is one scheme that can provide you with practical support in work. This includes paying towards special equipment, or a support worker or help with the additional costs of travel to work for you if you are unable to use public transport. There are a number of work schemes to help disabled people into employment. Job GrantYou may be able to claim Job Grant when you take up full-time work. You must have been claiming certain benefits for at least 26 weeks before starting your new job; these include Incapacity Benefit and Income Support. Your income - in or out of workWorking Tax CreditIf you are in work but on low pay, you can apply for Working Tax Credit to top-up your earnings. You may get extra if someone in your household is disabled. Income SupportIf you are aged between 16 and 60, on a low income, not working or working on average less than 16 hours a week you can claim Income Support. Income Support is affected by savings. You may qualify for the Disability Premium, the Severe Disability Premium or the Enhanced Disability Premium. You will also automatically qualify for Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit and may receive help towards health costs, such as prescriptions. Blind person's allowanceThe blind person's allowance allows you to receive an amount of income without having to pay tax. It is added to your personal tax allowance. Families and disabled childrenChild Tax CreditChild Tax Credit is an allowance for parents and carers of children or young people who are still in full-time education. You may get extra if you care for a disabled child. Disability Living AllowanceYou may get Disability Living Allowance for a child with a disability if they need much more looking after than other children of the same age. Child Trust Fund - disability paymentsThe Child Trust Fund (CTF) is a long-term tax-free savings and investment account for children born between 1 September 2002 and 2 January 2011. Children who qualified for Disability Living Allowance (DLA) between 6 April 2009 and 5 April 2011 got these payments, but they will stop from 6 April 2011. The payments could be either £100 or £200 a year, depending on the rate of DLA your child qualified for. You don't need to apply for these extra payments - they will be made directly into your child's CTF account. Sure Start Maternity GrantThis is a one-off payment to help towards the cost of a new baby if you are on a low income and receive certain other financial support including Income Support and/or Working Tax Credit where a disability element or severe disability element is included. Home and housingCouncil TaxYou may be entitled to a reduction in your Council Tax bill if your home has certain features that are essential to you living there - for example, if you have an extension for a downstairs bedroom. If it puts your property into a higher valuation banding, there may be a one-band reduction in your bill. Housing and Council Tax BenefitHousing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit are paid by local councils. If you are on a low income and paying rent claim Housing Benefit. If you are on a low income and paying Council Tax, claim Council Tax Benefit. Disabled Facilities GrantsA Disabled Facilities Grant is a local council grant to help towards the cost of essential adaptations to your home to enable you to continue to live there. Television licence discountIf you are registered blind, you can get a 50 per cent discount on the cost of a TV licence. Vehicles and transportBlue Badge parking schemeThe Blue Badge scheme provides a range of parking benefits for disabled people with severe walking difficulties who travel either as drivers or as passengers. The Motability SchemeThe Motability Scheme can help you with leasing or buying a car, powered wheelchair or scooter. You will need to be getting the higher rate of the mobility component of Disability Living Allowance or War Pensioners’ Mobility Supplement. The leasing or hiring of certain equipment and vehicles may qualify for Value Added Tax (VAT) 'relief'. Vehicle tax exemptionYou can apply for exemption from paying vehicle tax if you receive the higher rate of the mobility component of Disability Living Allowance or the War Pensioner's Mobility Supplement. Community and public transportYour local council may operate dial-a-ride or taxi schemes, for example, using vouchers or tokens. You may also be eligible for a bus pass and/or Disabled Persons Railcard. EducationDisabled Students' AllowancesDisabled Students' Allowances provide help for students in higher education who, because of their disability, have additional costs. Things they help pay for include specialist equipment plus non-medical personal assistance. Employment - injuries and illness caused at or by workIndustrial Injuries Disablement BenefitIf you are disabled as a result of an accident at work or disabled as a result of a disease or deafness caused by work, you may be entitled to receive Industrial Injuries Benefit. Constant Attendance AllowanceIf you need daily care and attention because of a disability and you claim Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit you can claim Constant Attendance Allowance. If you have served in Her Majesty's Armed ForcesWar Disablement PensionYou may be able to claim War Disablement Pension if you've been injured or disabled during a time of war or as a result of service in Her Majesty's Armed Forces before 6 April 2005. You cannot claim if you are still serving in the Armed Forces. Constant Attendance AllowanceIf you need daily care and attention because of a disability and you claim War Disablement Pension you can claim Constant Attendance Allowance. Armed Forces Compensation SchemeThe Armed Forces Compensation Scheme (AFCS) provides compensation if you are injured, or have an illness, as a result of service in the Armed Forces on or after 6 April 2005. Caring for someone?If you are caring for someone who is disabled, find out about financial and practical help for carers - including carer's assessments and Carer's Allowance - in the 'caring for someone' section of Directgov. Useful contactsUpdated 25 April 2011
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