New figures exclusively revealed by the BBC show that 80,683 disabled young people in England and Wales will miss out on Child Trust Fund savings worth £209,801,255.
Parent campaigner Andrew Turner, working with Contact, has calculated the total loss of money to disabled young people who lack mental capacity over the course of the Child Trust Fund scheme maturity. Over 20,000 accounts have already been locked with £48 million of savings in them. The average account has £2,280 in it and the losses will grow during the next six years.
While non-disabled youngsters are enjoying the benefits of their savings which they can access on their 18th birthday, many with a learning disability cannot.
Due to Mental Capacity rules, the families of young people with learning disabilities unable to manage their money, have to apply through the court of protection to access their Child Trust Funds. This is a lengthy, costly and complex process.
Parent campaigner, Andrew Turner, said: “The scale of this issue is truly shocking. Hundreds of millions of pounds of savings for disabled young people could be locked away for good. Many families will not have the capacity or funds to use the Court of Protection process and the savings of young disabled people will be locked away forever. The government must act to avoid thousands of locked accounts in the coming years.”
Appointee scheme could allow safe access to Child Trust Funds
Andrew Turner, together with Contact and Child Trust Fund providers are calling on the government to:
Increase the scope of the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) Appointee Scheme to cover Child Trust Funds and Junior ISAs up to £5,000. This would bring England and Wales in line with Scotland where it is easier and cheaper for young people with a learning disability to access their savings.
Publish a detailed plan with timescales of how they propose to simplify the court of protection process immediately.
Una Summerson, Head of Campaigns at disability charity Contact, said: “During this cost of living crisis it is more important than ever that disabled young people can access their own money. Preparing for adulthood is a challenging time. Forcing families to go through a complex court process at the same time is adding too much pressure.
“We are urging families with disabled teenagers to find out who their Child Trust Fund provider is, before their child turns 18. They can use the government website to find out. Then speak to the provider or bank about your situation. There are some providers such as One Family and Foresters who are helping young disabled people to access their Child Trust Fund savings without going through the court of protection process.”
Andrew Turner added: “Back in September 2020 my disabled son Mikey was locked out of his Child Trust Fund. He simply wanted to buy an adapted bike with his money and his life-limiting condition meant that time was of the essence. The Child Trust Fund was his only financial asset, which made it special. Nobody warned us we would need to go to court when the account matured. When we took advice we were told it would be easier and cheaper for us to wait until Mikey died when we could use a simpler process to reclaim the money. It was deeply upsetting. Three years later, this situation has not changed and more accounts are locked. That’s why the government must resolve this issue urgently.”
Find out more about Contact’s Change Makers – our programme that puts parent carers at the heart of our policy and campaigns work.
What to do if you have a Child Trust Fund
If your child is under 18 years old, you can find out if they have a Child Trust Fund using the government website here: Child Trust Fund: Find a Child Trust Fund – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk). Then speak to your Child Trust Fund provider about your situation. There are some providers such as One Family and Foresters Financial who are helping young disabled people to access their Child Trust Fund savings without going through the court of protection process (using the DWP appointee scheme as a safeguard).
If your child is over 18 years old, you will not be able to get this information without their consent. If they are unable to give consent because they do not have mental capacity, you will need an order from the Court of Protection to investigate and report to them, so you can be given access. Find out more: Child Trust Fund: What happens when your child is 18 – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Energy regulator Ofgem has published new guidelines for suppliers that will protect some vulnerable groups from having a pre-payment meter (PPM) installed without their consent.
Some suppliers have been moving customers onto PPMs when they’ve fallen behind on paying their energy bills. This has included disabled customers and has sometimes been done through forced entry under warrant. Energy from PPMs costs more.
Under the new code of practice, suppliers will not switch over to PPMS people at “high risk” and who need a continuous supply of energy for health reasons. But many families we support might still be at risk of forced installation.
Una Summerson, Contact’s head of campaigns, explains: “This will be reassuring news for families classed by suppliers as ‘high risk’. This includes parent carers whose children require electrical equipment for their care, such as ventilators, hoists and food pumps.
“But we know that the majority of families with disabled children are not on the priority services register. This is the only way that suppliers can identify a child in the household with a disability or health condition.
“We are also seeking urgent clarification on who and how they will decide, in the ‘medium risk’ category, which conditions could be exacerbated by long periods of disconnection and therefore warrant further assessment before installing a PPM.”
Join the Priority Services Register today
Joining the Priority Services Register (PSR) gives vulnerable households access to extra help and support from their energy and network suppliers. The scheme operates in England, Scotland and Wales.
Suppliers must also take all reasonable steps to avoid disconnecting you during the winter months (1 October – 31 March).
Both energy suppliers (who you pay your bills to) and network providers (who maintain the pipes and cables that bring energy to your home) operate PSRs. You should register with both. Visit https://www.thepsr.co.uk/ and enter your postcode to find your supplier and network provider. Follow the link to register on their websites.
Energy suppliers in Northern Ireland may operate their own schemes for older, disabled or chronically ill customers, such as the Medical Customer Care Register. Check with your supplier to find out more.
The government has confirmed the dates when it will make cost-of-living support payments to low-income households throughout 2023/24.
They are as follows:
£301 paid between 25 April and 17 May 2023 (for most people on DWP benefits), or between 2 and 9 May 2023 (for most people on tax credits and no other low-income benefits).
£300 paid during autumn 2023 for most people.
£299 paid during spring 2024 for most people.
These payments, which are UK-wide, will be made separately from your benefit payments. They are not taxable and will not affect the benefits or tax credits you get.
There is no need to apply. Eligible households will be paid automatically in the same way they usually get their benefit or tax credits.
Who is eligible?
Families who claim the following means-tested benefits will receive £900 in three instalments across 2023/24:
(You will not get a payment if you get new-style ESA, contributory ESA or new-style JSA unless you also receive Universal Credit.)
Claimants will be eligible for the first instalment of £301 if they were entitled (or later found to be entitled) to a payment of one of the benefits listed above during the period between 26 January and 25 February 2023.
The qualifying date ranges for the second (£300) and third (£299) instalments have not yet been confirmed.
Disability support payments
Chancellor Jeremy Hunt first announced this year’s round of payments in his Autumn Statement in November 2022. The support package aims to help vulnerable households through a period of rising energy and food costs.
Clinically at-risk children aged six months to four years old can will soon be able to receive the Covid-19 vaccine.
Eligible children include those with underlying medical conditions and those defined as clinically at-risk in the Green Book p22 [PDF]). Eligible infants and young children will receive two doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, eight to 12 weeks apart.
The NHS has confirmed that it will start vaccinating this group of children from mid-June. Parents are best waiting to for the NHS to get in touch about making an appointment.
The Government extended the vaccine programme after receiving new advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI). Studies show that infants and young children with underlying medical conditions who get Covid-19 are over seven times more likely to be admitted to intensive care.
Dr Mary Ramsay, Head of Immunisation at the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), said Covid-19 was still circulating, with thousands of new cases every week.
” The extra protection offered by the vaccine could be important for young children in clinical risk groups, who are at greater risk of severe illness. The virus is not going away. I would encourage all parents to bring their child forward if they are eligible. Parents should wait to be contacted by their local health profession.”
Until now, children aged six months to four years old were excluded from the vaccine programme. Healthy children in this age group will not be eligible.
The Department for Education (DfE) has announced funding for 10 new areas in England to deliver short breaks for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).
Each of the 10 areas will be given up to £1 million each for a year to work with families to develop innovative experiences that would otherwise be inaccessible to children because of their disability, as well as covering the costs of providing the activities.
The funding comes from the government’s Short Breaks Innovation Fund – a total of £30 million over three years for local authorities to deliver short breaks. Local authorities receiving new funding this year in the second year of the programme are:
Research shows the fundamental importance of short breaks to the well-being of families with disabled children. They enable parents to have a break from caring and spend time with siblings. And they allow disabled children to do fun activities with their peers.
Take a look at our information on short breaks – a way of getting a break from your caring responsibilities.
Our new animation to help you recognise the signs and symptoms of Strep A and when to seek medical help is now available in 4 languages – English, Polish, Arabic and Somali.
Cases of Strep A – a common type of bacteria often found on the skin or in the throat – remain high. While disabled children are not necessarily at more risk of catching this infection, children with weaker immune systems and low muscle tone can be more susceptible to getting Step A.
More information about Strep A and other common viruses
More than 2,500 parent carers have already watched our interview with Mark Lovell, a leading consultant child and adolescent intellectual disability psychiatrist who has a special interest in autism.
Contact’s health lead Amanda Elliot quizzed Mark for an hour on key parental concerns — including how psychiatric medications work, how doctor’s decide to medicate, and drug safety.
Topics covered in the Q&A
During the interview, Mark, who is the acting associate medical director of Durham and Tees Valley CAMHS, shared expert insights on:
Different types of psychiatric medication.
When psychiatric medication can help a child.
When it’s not appropriate to prescribe psychiatric drugs to children.
What doctors consider before offering medication to children.
Best-practice guidelines to prevent overmedicating children.
‘Off licence’ prescribing and what it means.
How children are monitored for side effects psychiatric medication.
Different formulations available – pills, liquid, etc.
Consent and mental capacity.
Managing behaviour issues at the source
Mark said it was “quite rare” for him to prescribe psychiatric medication to children with intellectual disabilities or autism.
He said it was often possible to remove behavioural and anxiety triggers “with the right resources and right support in place” at school, at home and from social care – including respite for families.
“Then you often don’t need to use medication,” he explained. “This is because you have sorted out the problem at source: you stopped the triggers.”
During the session, parents shared comments about their good and bad experiences of CAMHS and asked about giving medication to (and monitoring side effects in) non-verbal children with severe learning disabilities.
Mark recommended ABC behaviour charts to help parents identify behavioural triggers and monitor psychiatric medication, especially in non-verbal children.
As part of our focus on Disability Living Allowance (DLA) and Child Disability Payment (CDP) in February, our helpline team hosted a special Q&A session in our Facebook Group so parent carers in the UK could ask questions and get expert advice on these vital benefits that can help meet some of the extra costs of raising a disabled child.
The parents who joined us asked a range of questions about DLA and its Scottish equivalent, CDP. Many were new to DLA and were still getting to grips with the long application form and what they needed to fill it in. Some were unsure if their child would be eligible for it. Others were concerned that applying for DLA may trigger the DWP to move them onto Universal Credit.
If you weren’t able to join the Q&A, we’ve rounded up the top 5 questions asked – and our answers – below. You can read the rest of the Q&A in our Facebook Group.
1. My son’s EHCP isn’t up to date, so I don’t want to include it as evidence in the DLA renewal form until it’s updated to reflect his needs. Would this go against my claim?
Not including the Education, Health and Care (EHC) planshould not got against your son’s claim. In fact, it is very important to check that any evidence you submit provides an accurate picture of your child’s needs, because it may harm your claim if it doesn’t. If you feel that a report minimises the amount of support your child requires, you may choose not to submit it.
However, it’s probably worth stating somewhere in the form that you are waiting for an updated EHC plan. If the new plan does accurately reflect his needs, you could always send that later. You can send extra evidence to the same address you sent the DLA form to – just make sure to write your son’s name, address and DLA number on the top.
If you’d like some advice about the EHC plan itself, take a look at our EHCP webpage or get in touch with our helpline and one of our education specialists will be able to advise you.
2. Will a DLA claim force a move from tax credits to Universal Credit? I know we’ll be migrated eventually, but for now we don’t want to do anything that would trigger a change in circumstances.
Making a claim for DLA will not trigger you to be moved to Universal Credit. DLA exists as a separate benefit. It is also not taxable and does not count as income for other benefits.
Similarly, notifying the Tax Credits Office that your child gets DLA (or the Scottish CDP) will not lead to having to claim Universal Credit either. They will treat this as a review of an existing tax credits claim, not as a new tax credits claim.
Instead, claiming DLA or CDP – or getting an existing award increased – can often lead to an increase in tax credits and other benefits you receive. It can also help you qualify for certain entitlements for the first time. Visit our webpage on DLA and other financial help for to read about the extra financial help you may be eligible for if your child gets DLA.
3. Can I have some advice on the DLA mobility component? My child is virtually unable to walk and has mechanical musculoskeletal pain.
DLA for children has two components: care and mobility. The care component is paid if your child needs a lot of extra care or support, and the mobility component is paid if your child needs help getting around. DLA mobility is paid at one of two rates depending on the nature of your child’s mobility problems.
The lower mobility component is paid from the age of five for children who need extra guidance or supervision outdoors. The higher rate of the mobility payment is paid from the age of three for those with severe walking difficulties (though not necessarily due to a physical disability) or for those who are deafblind or severely visually impaired.
There are also specific rules that allow some children with learning disabilities or autistic spectrum disorders to qualify for higher rate mobility on the grounds of ‘severe mental impairment and behavioural problems’ or on the basis that they are ‘virtually unable to walk’, as you have pointed out.
The ‘virtually unable to walk’ test looks at a child’s ability to walk outside, as well as any ‘interruptions’ in their ability to make progress on foot. The ‘interruptions’ must be part of a physical disability or have a physical cause, rather than being under conscious control.
In deciding whether your child is virtually unable to walk, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) should take into account the speed, length of time and manner of walking, as well as the distance your child can cover before they start to experience severe discomfort (for example, breathlessness or pain).
To see the full eligibility criteria for the ‘virtually unable to walk’ test, and for advice on how best to describe your child’s walking difficulties and provide evidence, take a look at our factsheet on higher rate mobility.
Finally, see our tips for completing the DLA form and scroll down to ‘Questions 43-53’. You’ll find another advice video from our benefits expert Derek, as well as lots of guiding questions to help you think about which details to include in your answers.
4. I’m applying for DLA for my son, who is autistic and has ADHD. In terms of evidence to include, I have his diagnosis assessment, language and communication reports, letter from CAHMS, educational psychology letter and his EHCP. Will this be enough?
In order to be eligible for DLA, you need to show that your son needs substantially more care or supervision than other children of the same age who don’t have a disability or health condition (regardless of whether he has a formal diagnosis). Any decision to award DLA will be based on how your son’s condition impacts on their day-to-day life.
The important thing to remember is that any decision on your claim will be made by someone who has never seen your son before, so you need to make clear all the extra care and support he needs. As well as submitting professional evidence, it can be really useful to provide examples and anecdotes of the types of help that your son needs, rather than simply relying on the form’s tick boxes. However, the latest version of the DLA form has fewer text boxes for adding extra information and largely relies on tick boxes. If you feel that this doesn’t allow you to describe the complexity of your son’s needs in enough detail, you can use the extra text boxes on pages 19, 34 and 37 or even attach extra sheets of paper to provide more information.
Before submitting any reports from professionals, check to see if you agree that they are an accurate picture of your son’s needs. If you feel that a report minimises the amount of support he requires, you can choose not to submit it.
Take a look at our tips for completing the form and at the question-by-question advice in our DLA Guide (from page 16) while you go over your answers. This will help to ensure that you have not only included enough information under each question, but that you have also worded your answers as best as possible by interpreting each question in the same way as the DWP decision-maker will. For example, certain terms in the DLA form have specific definitions (which we explain in our guide), so it’s important to know how the DWP will interpret your answers.
5. My daughter is 2 and has a rare genetic syndrome. We decided to apply for DLA in October, before she had completed all the tests required to get her health issues diagnosed and start treatment. They turned us down this week. Is it worth requesting a mandatory reconsideration?
Many parents who are initially refused DLA are able to get an award after successfully challenging the original decision. You can do this by phone or in writing, normally within one month of the decision date. Then, if you are still not happy with the outcome of the mandatory reconsideration, you can request an appeal.
Make sure to read the question-by-question advice in our DLA guide and follow our tips for completing the form in order to maximise your chances of getting the award your daughter needs.
Make sure you don’t miss out on DLA
DLA is available to families living in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. A new benefit – the Child Disability Payment – has replaced new claims for DLA in Scotland. See our webpage on welfare benefits in Scotland for more information.
We have lots of information about DLA on our website to help you claim, as well as a comprehensive DLA parent guide. And if you’re new to DLA, you can also watch our DLA introduction videos to learn more about this important benefit, who is eligible and how to apply.
In yesterday’s Budget Statement, the Chancellor announced the biggest benefits system shake-up in a decade – alongside major changes to childcare and extended energy support.
This included major reforms of benefits for adults with health problems. These are set out in more detail in a Health and Disability White Paper published alongside the Budget.
In this article, we go through some of the major changes Chancellor Jeremy Hunt announced.
In this article
Changes to Universal Credit
Work search or preparation requirements
The government will imposework search or work preparation requirements on some Universal Credit claimants who were previously not required to meet any work-related conditions.
Other groups will see an increase in the number of hours they are expected to look or prepare for work. This includes parents of children aged three to 12.
However, anyone in these groups who is also treated by Universal Credit as a full-time carer of a disabled person should remain exempt from any work-related conditions.
Administrative earnings threshold increase
Whether a part-time worker on Universal Credit must look for more or better-paid work depends on whether their earnings are below the administrative earnings threshold.
This threshold is being increased from 15 hours to 18 hours at National Minimum Wage. This means more part-time workers will need to take part in intensive work search.
The government is also removing a separate threshold figure for couples. This allows a claimant to be exempt so long as their partner’s earnings are high enough. Removing this threshold will see some non-working or low-earning partners being asked to look for work, regardless of their partner’s earnings.
However, it’s important to remember that the earnings threshold does NOT apply to those with no work-related conditions attached to their Universal Credit claim. This includes any parent treated by Universal Credit as a full-time carer of a disabled person – that is, someone who provides 35 or more hours of care per week to someone on a “qualifying disability benefit”.
Finally, there will also be changes to the Universal Credit sanctions regime, including automating parts of the process.
End to work capability assessments
Perhaps most significantly, the government also announced plans to scrap thework capability assessment (WCA).
The government currently uses WCAs in Universal Credit and certain other benefits to decide whether a disabled adult should receive higher payments due to their health problems. WCAs also determine if claimants should be automatically exempt from having to take part in job-seeking or other work-related activities.
New ‘health element’ to replace LCWRA element
Instead of undergoing a WCA, the government White Paper proposes that a disabled person on Universal Credit will automatically qualify for a new top-up payment – known as the health element – so long as they get Personal Independence Payment (PIP), regardless of what rate this is paid at.
This health element will replace the current “limited capability for work and work-related activity” (LCWRA) element, and it will be paid at the same rate.
Families of disabled people who are eligible for PIP will welcome this change. It will mean they only have to undergo a single PIP assessment, with no need for a separate assessment to determine whether they are unfit to work.
However, it does mean that some disabled people who are unfit for work, but who do not claim PIP, could lose out in the future. In its White Paper, the government said it will “carefully consider” whether claimants who have LCWRA but who do not receive PIP may be eligible for the new health element based on whether they meet the PIP assessment and eligibility criteria.
The end of WCAs to decide whether claimants must meet work-related conditions
The government’s proposals to abolish WCAs would also see the end of existing rules which automatically exempt some disabled adults from having to meet work-related conditions.
The White Paper proposes that no disabled adult will be automatically exempt (unless they are also treated as a full-time carer themselves). Instead, it envisages a more “personalised” system of conditionality. DWP staff will decide to what extent each individual disabled person is capable of taking part in any work-related activity.
When these changes will take effect
It’s worth noting that plans to scrap the WCA may be subject to amendments as they go through the parliamentary process and public consultation. They are unlikely to become law until 2026/27 at the earliest.
The new rules will be introduced in stages and will initially only apply to new claimants. It will not apply to existing claimants until 2029. In the meantime, the existing WCA rules continue to apply.
Since these new rules will not take effect until 2026/27 at the earliest, our existing advice for disabled students wishing to claim Universal Credit remains in place for the foreseeable future.
Childcare reforms
The government plans to increase the maximum amount of help with childcare costsavailable under Universal Credit. This will rise from £848 to £951 per month for one child, and from £1,108 to £1,630 per month for two or more children.
Parents on Universal Credit who are moving into work or increasing their working hours will also be able to receive support with childcare costs upfront, rather than in arrears.
From April 2024, working parents of two-year-olds will be eligible for 15 hours of free childcare.
From September 2024, this will extend to working parents of children aged between nine months and two years.
From September 2025, working parents of children aged between nine months to three years will be eligible for 30 hours of free childcare a week.
This comes alongside the promise of extra funding for local authorities to expand wraparound childcare provision in schools.
Each of the other UK nations will also receive extra funding from Westminster and will decide what they will spend this on.
Help with energy costs
The Chancellor announced that he is extending the Energy Price Guarantee at its current rate for a further three months. This caps the average household energy bill at £2,500 per year.
Originally, Hunt planned to raise the cap to £3,000 per year from April. He has now postponed this rise in costs until July at the earliest.
The government has also pledged to remove the energy premium paid by households with prepayment meters. This brings their charges in line with direct debit customers, meaning customers on a prepayment meter will no longer pay more for energy.
No further increase to Carer’s Allowance earnings limit
We had hoped to see the Chancellor increase the Carer’s Allowance earnings limit to at least £199.50 per week (the equivalent of 21 hours of work at the National Living Wage rate).
This announcement didn’t come. Instead, the earnings limit will rise a mere £7 – from £132 to £139 per week – from April, as the government had announced last November.
This Chancellor said that his Budget was about getting people back to work. We continue to make the case that this simple measure would allow carers to work and earn more without losing their entitlement to this vital benefit.
Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has today announced the government’s Budget for the year ahead, saying it would “break down barriers that stop people working.”
Though much of the Budget was focused on getting people back into work, there were also some important updates on energy costs, childcare support and Universal Credit.
We explain these below.
Energy: Updates on price cap and prepayment meters
The Chancellor confirmed that the energy price guarantee of £2,500 will remain in place for another three months.
It is important to be aware that this is not a limit on your energy bill. It is a limit on what the supplier can charge for each unit of energy, so that average usage at that unit rate won’t exceed £2,500. If your energy usage is higher than average, your bill could exceed £2,500.
Mr Hunt also announced that the four million households on prepayment meters will no longer pay more for their energy than customers paying by direct debit.
Childcare: Not enough urgency to tackle lack of specialist places and higher costs
As anticipated, one of the biggest policy changes announced in today’s Budget was the expansion of free childcare support to more working families.
Eligible working parents of children aged between nine months and three years in England will now be entitled to 30 hours per week of free childcare for 38 weeks a year. This will be rolled out in phases from April 2024 and is in addition to the 30 hours a week already provided for eligible working parents of three- to four-year-olds.
Una added: “Today’s Budget focused on getting people back into work, but it missed a large section of the working population: parents with disabled children. Help towards childcare costs through Universal Credit and for one- and two-year-olds is welcome, especially as childcare costs are eight times more for a disabled child. There were also some sensible proposals to address the huge gaps in the childcare workforce. But the urgency and ambition required to deal with the scale of the problem was not there.
“Our Counting the Costs research found that it is a combination of lack of suitable childcare for disabled children and prohibitive costs which force parent carers to give up jobs and careers. We need a childcare workforce trained to meet the needs of disabled children in order to ensure there are enough specialist places in all areas across the UK. And we need targeted financial help for families with disabled children who face significantly higher costs for childcare.”
Universal Credit: Scrapping of Work Capability Assessment
Another major announcement was the decision to abolish the work capability assessment used by Universal Credit and other benefits in Great Britain. This amounts to the biggest change in disability benefits in the last 10 years.
The Chancellor also plans to scrap the ‘limited capability for work and work-related activity’ (LCWRA) element under Universal Credit and replace it with a new ‘health element’.
Eligibility for the health top-up in Universal Credit will be “passported” via the Personal Independence Payment benefit, rather than through the work capability assessment.
The government has just published a Health and Disability White Paper with more details about these changes. Our specialist benefits adviser, Derek Sinclair, will provide more clarity about what these reforms will mean for families with disabled children as soon as we’ve digested the detailed information in the White Paper.
Carer’s Allowance: Failure to address earnings limit
Despite its focus on getting people into work, today’s Budget was silent on Carer’s Allowance.
“The failure to address the Carer’s Allowance earnings limit means many families will continue to limit their hours of work so they don’t lose their entitlement to this vital benefit,” Una explained.
Children who are autistic or have a learning disability are more likely to be given psychiatric medication to regulate their behaviour or mood, but parent carers often worry about whether this is right for their child — and reliable advice can be hard to come by.
Dr Mark, who has a special interest in autism and intellectual disability, will be answering questions from parent carers between 10–11:15am on Wednesday 15 March during a live interview with Contact’s health lead Amanda Elliot.
Who is this Facebook Live for?
All parent carers are welcome to join. But the session will be particularly helpful if:
You are considering medication to help regulate your child’s moods or behaviours.
Your child’s doctor has suggested psychiatric medication to help your child but you feel worried and unsure.
You child is already on psychiatric medication, and you want to understand the drugs better.
What will the session cover?
Making decisions about medicating children can be difficult. Parent carers often worry about side effects or safety — and whether they will even work.
But it’s rare to find clear and accessible information about common psychiatric drugs aimed at parents. And it can be hard to know what to ask doctors, especially if you’re dealing with regular crises at home and school.
To help parents, Dr Mark will discuss:
Types of psychiatric medication available for children and young people.
When it’s not appropriate to prescribe psychiatric drugs to children.
What psychiatrists should consider before offering medication to children.
Best-practice guidelines and programmes to prevent the overmedication of children.
‘Off licence’ prescribing and what it means.
Where to find accessible information on psychiatric medications.
How children are monitored when taking psychiatric medication.
Different formulations available – pills, liquid, etc.
Consent and mental capacity.
Please note that Dr Mark is unable to offer individual treatment advice during this session.
Can’t make it on 15 March?
If you can’t join us on Wednesday, don’t worry: the session will be recorded and available to watch on Contact’s YouTube channel.
Ahead of next week’s Spring Budget, Contact is working with other charities and campaigners calling on the government to introduce a social tariff to help families with disabled children with their energy bills.
A social tariff is targeted financial help for those that need it most. We have joined with campaigners calling for an energy social tariff for those on a low incomes, households with disabled people and carers. Eligible households would get discounted bills or cash payments towards energy costs.
Social tariffs are already used for broadband and are used successfully for energy in other countries.
Soaring energy costs have hit disabled households hard
Una Summerson, Head of Campaigns at Contact, said: “Contact’s Out of Energy survey found that households with seriously ill and disabled children are paying on average £1,596 extra a year to run vital equipment like ventilators, adjustable beds, ceiling track hoists, wheelchair chargers and suction pumps. This is on top of needing to do more washing due to continence issues or requiring more heating due to conditions affecting mobility. Because of these unavoidable extra costs, soaring energy prices have hit families with disabled children hard. Those prices will not drop for some time yet so the government must act to help those who need it most.
“While the energy price guarantee helped in the short term, we have long argued for targeted support. A social tariff for energy is the best way to do this.”
Una Summerson added: “We know from calls to our helpline that sky high energy bills are putting intolerable pressure on family finances and wellbeing. The government has an opportunity in next week’s budget to give help and hope to those who have been struggling the most with increased energy prices over the last year.”
Help us to campaign
We are looking for families to tell their stories of the impact of energy costs. Do you face astronomical bills because you need electrical equipment for the care of your child? Get in touch [email protected] or telephone 07599 930 090.
Our Money Matters workshop will help make sure you get the benefits and other financial support you and your disabled child and family are entitled to.
It will give you an overview of benefits, the main benefit for disabled children, Disability Living Allowance (DLA), Carers Allowance, grants available as well as where to find discounts on utilities, leisure and discounts for parent carers.
Watch our 3 new films about DLA
Disability Living Allowance or DLA, is the main benefit for disabled children under 16 in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. It’s there to help you pay for the extra costs of caring for a child with a disability or condition.
To make sure families don’t miss out on this vital benefit – more important than ever given the current cost of living crisis – we’ve created 3 new animations introducing you to DLA and available in 4 languages – English, Polski (Polish), العربية (Arabic) and Soomaalida (Somali).
We’re running a feedback survey throughout March. It takes only five minutes to complete, and your views will help us improve the support we offer hundreds of thousands of families each year.
There are two sections to the survey. The first asks about your experience with Contact, and the second section is about you. It should take about five minutes to complete.
The government has published its plans to reform support for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) in England today.
The SEND Improvement plan includes investment in training for thousands of workers so children can get the help they need earlier. This comes alongside thousands of additional specialist school places for those with the greatest needs.
The plan will be underpinned by new national SEND and AP (alternative provision) standards in order to reduce the postcode lottery that currently exists in the SEND support system. And to improve parents’ and carers’ experiences of accessing support, the plan aims to cut local bureaucracy. The process for assessing needs through Education Health and Care (EHC) plans will be digital-first, quicker and simpler wherever possible.
Contact comments on SEND Improvement plan
Commenting on the SEND Improvement Plan, Contact’s CEO Amanda Batten said:
“Contact and the families we support have waited a long time to see the government’s SEND improvement plan. We welcome the plan’s ambition to transform services for children with SEND in England. In particular, the focus on workforce and early help should make a real difference. This is especially so for children in mainstream education, ensuring their special educational needs are identified early.
“We also welcome the government’s commitment to increase the number of specialist school places. This is vital, as we know there is a shortage nationally. Some disabled children are waiting many months to find a suitable school place.
“However, throughout the consultation process, we heard from parents again and again about the need for greater accountability in the system. We aren’t confident that this plan has adequately addressed this. In addition, the government’s planned measures will take time to implement. We are concerned that the plan lacks urgency to address the crisis for children who are struggling without support in school today.”
Strep A is a common type of bacteria often found on the skin or in the throat. As the cold weather continues, cases of Strep A remain high.
While disabled children are not necessarily at more risk of catching Strep A, children with weaker immune systems and low muscle tone can be more susceptible to getting a Step A infection.
To help you recognise the signs and symptoms of Strep A in your child and when to ask for help, we’ve created this short animation.
More advice about Strep A and other common winter illnesses
Universal Credit is a new benefit for people of working age. If your disabled child is aged 16 or above, they may have the option of claiming Universal Credit in their own right as a young disabled adult.
What you need to think about
If your son or daughter gets Universal Credit this can affect the benefits that you receive. They will stop being treated as a dependent child and this means that any Child Benefit, Child Tax Credit or other payments that you receive for them as dependent child will stop.
If your child is in full time non-advanced education
If your child is aged 16-19 and is still in full time non-advanced education you will sometimes have a choice – either carry on claiming benefits for them as part of your family or help them claim Universal Credit in their own right. But you will need to weigh up which option is likely to leave your family better off.
Even if you’d prefer to help them claim Universal Credit, this is harder to do if they are still in education. There are particular barriers that can stop you from getting Universal Credit if you are receiving education. Many students need to undergo a medical assessment before they start their course in order to make a successful claim.
Get advice at our Facebook Q&A on 2 March!
Because this is a complex area of the benefit system, we’re inviting you to a special Q&A on Universal Credit in our closed (private) Facebook Group on Thursday 2 March from 10am-11.30am.
If you want to know more about the Universal Credit rules for disabled students and which young people can still claim Universal Credit despite being in education our Family Finance advisers will be on hand to answer your questions.
Joining our Facebook Group is easy. Just answer a few simple questions to register and you’re in!
Join us there on Thursday 2March from 10am-11.30am when our team of Family Finance advisers will be waiting to answer your questions. Put the date in your diary!
Can’t make 2 March?
We have lots of information about claiming Universal Credit for a young person, including a factsheet outlining how to claim Universal Credit for a young person and the particular issues thrown up if your child is still in education.
We’re delighted to let you know that Contact’s Helpline has been awarded the Helplines Partnership’s Standard accreditation for the fourth time in a row.
Our helpline advisers provide a first-rate service to families, advising parent carers on issues including benefits, education, getting a diagnosis and getting support.
Achieving re-accreditation to the Helpline Partnership Quality Standard – the nationally recognised quality standard for helplines – for a further three years means that parents can be assured that they are receiving first rate information, advice and support from our team of helpline advisers.
The assessment process included:
Reviewing documentary evidence produced by the helpline and supplemented by follow-up interviews with the team
Making test calls and email enquiries to the helpline
Assessment activities including observing enquiries being handled by helpline workers
Conducting telephone interviews with commissioners/funders, key individuals responsible for information/marketing and delivery partners.
Our Helpline service offers more than just a phone line (0808 808 3555)
Last year our helpline team dealt with almost 11,000 enquiries.
Our Helpline includes:
· Live Chat service allowing you to instantly talk to one of our parent advisers online via Charlie the Chatbot.
Get the latest SEND updates, benefits advice, practical help caring for your child, plus free workshops and family events in our weekly email newsletter.
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