Stepping out of education brings about may new options including the financial support that is on offer to you. This page will help you to gain a better understanding of the help that is available for families of children and young people in York, with Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities.
If you need help, contact your support worker or local advice service. You can also contact the City of York Council's Benefits Advisers or York Citizens Advice Bureau.
T: 01904 552233
E: benefits@york.gov.uk
T: 0344 4111 444
Access to Work is an initiative set up to help ensure that the correct support and equipment is accessible for the individual while in the work place.
An Access to Work grant can help to pay for:
The jobs this grant will apply to can be part-time, full-time, temporary or permanent- unfortunately you can not access this grant for voluntary work. However this scheme does also include those in traineeships, supported internships, work trials and work schemes.
Eligibility:
Access to Work applications can be made on the City of York Council Access to Work page or call 0345 268 8489
Personal Budgets are a way of arranging social care services for disabled children, young people and their families. They give you more control and enables you to decide who supports your child. Personal Budgets can be used for many things to help maintain independence such as to employ a Personal Assistant (PA) or Buy support from an agency or other organisation.
Universal Credit Full Service is all about rewarding work, encouraging responsibility, making work pay, helping those who need it most and supporting aspirations.
Universal Credit Full Service simplified is:
They have extra support networks available for those individuals with complex needs. this support includes:
What is PIP?
PIP is to help towards some of the extra costs which arise from a health condition or disability- it is based on how much a condition affects them, not the condition they have
Young people are eligible to claim PIP from the age of 16
PIP can be claimed by an individual while in work or while out of work and the benefit is not means tested or taxed
PIP has been replacing Disability Living Allowance(DLA) since 8th April 2013
Eligibility:
The individual needs to have had a disability or condition for 3 months and expect it to last at least 9 months (rule is ignored if someone if terminally ill)
They will be assessed against 12 activities (10 for daily living and 2 for mobility- the 2 components of the benefit)
For many an assessment of the individuals needs by a health professional will be included
How to claim:
Claimant must telephone DWP on: 0800 917 2222
OR
For those claiming who cannot speak or their hearing is impaired: Textphone 0800 917 7777
- PIP is what is replacing Disability Living Allowance (DLA), if you are already in receipt of DLA the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) will write to you to invite you to apply for PIP- you do not need to do anything until you hear from DWP and you will continue to receive DLA until then.
Disability Living Allowance and Personal Independence Payment
DLF is a national charity and provides information on living independently.
DSAs are for students in higher education who live in England. You can apply for for a DSA if you have a disability, long term health condition; mental health condition or specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia.
How much you get depends on your individual needs- not your household income.
What DSA's can pay for:
Once your eligibility for DSA has been approved, Student Finance England may ask you to contact an assessment centre, for what is known as a needs assessment, this is completed in order to see what help is needed for the individual.
Eligibility:
Carers Allowance is taxable.
There is an earning limit for Carer’s Allowance (less than £116 per week after taxes/ expenses)
People who are in full time education/ study (more than 21 hours) are not able to claim
Current allowance is £62.70 per week (if this is the only source of income people will also claim Universal Credit)
if claimant is receiving other benefits is may make them ineligible for the Carer’s Allowance. However they will maintain an ‘underlying entitlement’ which may result in an increase to any means tested benefits claimed
Carer’s Allowance can be back dated 3 months
Only one person can claim the Carer’s Allowance
REMEMBER- if someone is not entitled to Carer’s Allowance they may still be able to apply for Carer’s Credit to protect their NI record providing they are caring for at least 20 hours per week and the disabled person or persons are receiving the relevant disability benefits or have a ‘Care Certificate’ within the application form signed by a health or social care professional
For further information, see the link to the York Carers centre site