The Helplines Standard is the nationally-recognised quality standard which defines and certifies best practice in helpline work. Meeting this standard means our helpline is rated consistent, relevant to the needs of service users and effective.
Achieving re-accreditation for a further three years means parents can be assured they are receiving first-rate information, advice and support from our team. Our advisers can help you with issues such as education, benefits, health, social care and getting support.
How was our helpline assessed?
The assessment process included:
The assessor reviewing documentary evidence produced by the helpline and conducting follow-up interviews with the team.
Making test calls, email and chat enquiries to the helpline.
In-person observation of the adviser handling enquiries.
Conducting telephone interviews with key team members.
The assessor noted several areas of strength during the assessment process. These included a well-established strategic plan, as well as our advisers’ breadth of knowledge of the parent carer experience, alongside the dedication and professionalism of the team.
Quality backed up parent carers
And it’s not just the Helpline Partnership who’ve rated our helpline service top standard.
Twice a year we run a survey all about our information, advice and support (IAS) services. In March 2026, almost 400 people took part. Of the 370 who answered questions about using our services:
94% were satisfied / very satisfied with our telephone helpline.
89% were satisfied / very satisfied with our website.
88% were satisfied / very satisfied with our helpline team’s email advice.
90% were satisfied / very satisfied with our printed guides and factsheets.
Of the 338 who answered questions about the impact of our services:
92% felt better informed about how to get support.
85% felt more confident.
96% would recommend Contact to others.
Thank you to everyone who took part.
“I can’t really put it into words to show the impact Contact has had on our family. Amazing. Everything is amazing, helpful, easy to understand, made us aware of things we didn’t know before, gave us support when we had none, signposted us to other support we didn’t know we could get. Amazing staff in all aspects of Contact. Thank God for them. Came to our knowledge at a critical time but wish we had known about them years ago! Finally got the right support for our disabled son thanks to the services provided by this God-send group of people!!“
The start of the new financial year has seen several changes to the benefit system. One of these is the long-awaited removal of the “two-child limit”.
The two-child limit meant that it wasn’t possible to receive the main child element of Universal Credit for a third or subsequent child born after 6 April 2017, with some exceptions. The limit applied to Universal Credit and used to apply to Child Tax Credit as well. It has never applied to Child Benefit. It has always been possible to receive the disabled child element of Universal Credit for a third or subsequent child who receives an appropriate disability benefit, even where the main child element was not paid.
The government removed the two-child limit from 6 April 2026. All families with three or more children can now claim the main child element of £303.94pcm for all of the children they are responsible for.
What action do I need to take to get the extra payments?
If you are a Universal Credit claimant affected by the two-child limit, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) will now automatically add the additional child element for each child included in your claim. Provided Universal Credit have the details of each of your children, you won’t need to take any action. Letters have been sent to claimants where Universal Credit expects to see an increase in their payments.
If you haven’t told Universal Credit about all the children you are responsible for, notify the DWP straight away. You can use the “notify of changes” section in your online Universal Credit account to add your child’s details.
When will I see an increase in my payments?
Claimants will not see the additional element, or an increase in their overall payments, until around 12 May at the earliest. The first day of a claimant’s assessment period must be within the new financial year for the changes to apply. Some claimants won’t see an increase in their payments until June.
Some examples
Nigel and Lubna have four children. Their two younger children were born in 2018 and 2020, and they haven’t been receiving the child element for them. Their assessment period is from the 10th to the 9th of each month, and they normally receive Universal Credit on the 16th. The first assessment period with a start date in the new financial year begins 10 April and ends 9 May. They will receive the additional child elements for their two younger children in the payment they receive on 16 May.
Monika has three children, and her youngest child was born in 2019. Her assessment period runs from the 3rd to the 2nd of each month, and she is normally paid on the 9th. Her first assessment period with a start date in the new financial year begins 3 May and ends 2 June. She will receive the additional child elements for her youngest child in the payment she receives on 9 June.
Will the new element affect the rest of my award of Universal Credit?
In some cases, the additional child element will have an impact on the other parts of your award. This means that some families won’t be better off overall even though they receive extra child payments.
Families who receive the transitional protection element
Claimants transferred to Universal Credit through the managed migration process and receive the transitional protection element may not see an immediate increase in their payments.
Any increase in other elements of Universal Credit reduces the amount of transitional protection you receive by the same amount.
For example, a claimant who receives a transitional protection element of £567.90, and has a third child element of £303.94 added to their award, will see their transitional protection element reduced to £263.96. Their overall Universal Credit payment will not increase.
However, families should gain in the longer term. While transitional protection erodes over time, the additional child elements will remain in place and increase with inflation.
Families subject to the benefit cap
Unfortunately the benefit cap is not being removed. This limits the total amount of benefit that some households can receive.
The cap covers a wide range of benefits and includes Child Benefit as well as Universal Credit. There are exemptions to the benefit cap though, including:
Where someone in the household is in receipt of a disability benefit (either a child or a parent).
Where someone in the household is working and earning above £881 per month.
This means that most families with a disabled child are exempt from the benefit cap.
However, if you are not exempt, you may not gain at all if you are already over the cap before you get an extra child payment. You may also find that any increase you get is limited by the cap, so that you don’t receive the full payment you’d otherwise get.
I have three children and my youngest child gets Disability Living Allowance (DLA). I don’t get any elements for them. Will they now get a disabled child element as well as the main child element?
You should already have been receiving the disabled child element for your youngest child in your award of Universal Credit. The two-child limit only applied to the main child element, and you will always have been eligible for the disabled child element.
Contact welcomes the government’s renewed focus on early years as central to SEND reform and better outcomes for children and families. We are particularly encouraged by the emphasis on prevention, inclusion and stronger transitions, especially into reception. For families of younger children, the impact of these reforms could be felt for years to come.
Last month the government also announced over 200 new Best Start Family Hubs across England, offering free services like parenting advice, infant feeding support, and help for children with SEND to ease cost-of-living pressures. Backed by over £900 million, the government plans to expand to 1,000 hubs and 2,000 community locations by 2028. The programme brings multiple services together in one place, helping families save money and access support more easily, building on the legacy of Sure Start. These hubs form an important part of the government’s wider early years reforms.
What does the White Paper say about early years?
Key points in the White Paper about early years include:
A stronger focus on early years as the foundation for better outcomes
Greater emphasis on prevention, inclusion and smoother transitions into reception
The £200 million investment to fund SEND practitioners in Best Start Family Hubs, helping families access earlier, more joined-up support
Proposals for early years EHCPs to carry forward into the primary phase, providing greater continuity of support
The Government has also signalled a commitment to ensure children and young people who need specialist support receive it more promptly, supported by £1.8 billion in “Experts at Hand” funding. Families need support in place early for toddlers and pre-schoolers with additional needs.
Where we think more clarity is needed
Contact would welcome greater clarity on how workforce plans will deliver earlier support, so parents are not left waiting for assessments or forced to choose between care they are not confident in and giving up work.
While the proposed fast-track route for children under five with complex needs is a positive step, more detail is needed on how this will work in practice, including:
How eligibility for fast-track access to Specialist Support Packages will be determined
How this pathway will enable quicker access to higher levels of support, without unnecessary funding or process barriers
How decisions will be made jointly across health, education and local services.
There is also a clear focus on partnership working between early years settings and schools, alongside the introduction of minimum expectations around transitions. These should include parent voice, so that families of children with SEND—including those from under-represented communities—are actively involved in shaping how transition support works in practice.
The proposal to introduce digital Individual Support Plans in early years settings is also a helpful development, particularly if these are accessible to parents and bring together information from everyone supporting a child. However, more clarity is needed on how this will work in practice, given that most early years provision is delivered through private nurseries and childminders.
What families tell us
Families tell us that access to a suitable early years place remains a key concern and too many parents of children with additional needs struggle to find a nursery place or are offered reduced hours.
It will be important to understand how the reforms will improve sufficiency of places and ensure that children with SEND – whatever their learning difference or support they require- can access the right early education to help them thrive.
How to respond to the government’s consultation
The White Paper reforms offer real opportunities, but key details are still to be worked through. Contact encourages families of younger children to make their voices heard through the consultation and help shape how these changes are delivered.
SENDAP Reform, Sanctuary Buildings, Great Smith Street, London, SW1P 3BT
The consultation closes on 11:59pm on18 May 2026.
The DLA (Disability Living Allowance) Unit is currently undertaking a review of DLA decisions involving claims for children with congenital heart disease made between 1 February 2017 and 13 October 2020.
Read below to find out whether this might impact you, and what to do if so.
Why is the DLA Unit carrying out this review exercise?
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) introduced medical guidance in February 2017 to help DLA staff make decisions on cases where a child had congenital heart disease. Following a review, new guidance replaced it in October 2020.
The DLA unit will now review decisions it made between February 2017 – October 2020. It will apply the newer 2020 guidance to these cases, rather than the old 2017 guidance.
As a result, some children are likely to be entitled to arrears of underpaid DLA.
Which cases is the DLA Unit reviewing?
The DLA Unit is only reviewing cases where both:
A child had congenital heart disease listed as a condition.
It made the decision about the child’s DLA claim between 1 February 2017 and 13 October 2020. This includes where a decision was made not to award any DLA at all.
It will not be reviewing any decisions it made before February 2017, nor any decisions made after 13 October 2020.
The DLA Unit has also made clear that it will not be reviewing cases where a child was on the maximum rate of DLA payable throughout this period. That means the high rate of both components (or highest rate care if aged under three years).
It also won’t be reviewing any decisions that were made by an appeal tribunal.
What do I need to do if I think my child’s case should be reviewed?
The DWP has tried to identify affected families from their own records. But it has been unable to identify or contact everyone who was potentially impacted by the old guidance.
Were on DLA between 1 February 2017 and 13 October 2020.
Think their DLA award might have been affected by the old guidance.
If you think this applies to your child, contact the DLA Congenital Heart Disease Helpline on 0800 904 7413 (Mon-Fri 10am-3pm). Explain that your child’s claim could have been affected by the “DLA CHD administrative exercise” and ask for a review.
Alternatively, you can write to Freepost DWP DLA Child. Quote the “DLA CHD administrative exercise” and provide your child’s reference number or National Insurance number on each page you send them. You will also need to provide:
Your child’s name and date of birth.
Your name and address.
A contact telephone number.
Copies of any information you have about the decision you want the DLA Unit to review.
What will happen next?
If the DWP finds the wrong decision was made at the time, they will revise it and pay any money owed.
The DWP also says that no claimants will have their DLA awards reduced as a result of having the new guidance applied to their case.
Heating oil prices have more than doubled due to the conflict in the Middle East. We know this is a real concern for families who use oil or Liquid Petroleum Gas (LPG) to heat their homes. Families of disabled and seriously ill children are particularly vulnerable to price rises.
Eligibility for a payment, how to get it, and how much you will receive is different in each nation. In this article, you can find out how to apply in your country.
If you are not eligible for the direct payments, you may be able to access discretionary or other funds. We have listed these as well.
In this article
Help in England
In England, local authorities will provide help with heating oil costs as part of their Crisis Resilience Fund.
Crisis Resilience Funds became available on 1 April 2026 to help a wide range of “low-income households”. Talk to your local council to find out whether you might be eligible for support.
Help in Northern Ireland
The NI Executive is yet to announce details of the scheme or any direct payments.
In the meantime, you can try the following organisations for help and advice:
Discretionary Support – Not oil specific, but can help with living expenses in the form of an interest-free loan or a free grant.
Advice NI – offers independent advice and support around budgeting and debt. https://www.adviceni.net/money-debt/debt
Community Advice Centres – The Citizens Advice Bureau has a list of community advice centres across NI, who may be able to help identify further sources of support, such as local council grants:
The Oil Savings Network has suspended its savings scheme. However, they continue to offer advice and support about how to get the best prices. Freephone: 0800 111 4455
Help in Scotland
Scottish Emergency Heating Oil and LPG Scheme
Each household will be able to apply for two £300 payments in a six-month period.
The new scheme is managed by Advice Direct Scotland and aimed at low-income households who are facing increased oil and Liquid Petroleum Gas (LPG) heating costs. The funding prioritises households in receipt of means-tested benefits and vulnerable people in financial hardship.
The payments will be made directly to fuel suppliers, where possible, to help qualifying households to place an order.
People on the following benefits should automatically qualify:
Full details on the eligibility criteria and how to apply can be found at homeheatingadvice.scot or call 0800 048 7413. Alternatively, you can send a form via post. Applicants will need to supply evidence of eligibility. The fund will run until 30 September 2026 or until the funds run out.
If you are not eligible for the Emergency Heating scheme, you can apply for a Crisis Grant via the Scottish Welfare Fund. There is no set criteria for this Fund, but generally, the grant is for those on a low income (you do not need to be in receipt of specific benefits) and for those most in need of financial help. You have to contact your council to apply.
You can only get three Crisis Grants within a 12-month period, unless exceptional circumstances apply.
Help in Wales
People on low incomes who use heating oil or liquid petroleum gas (LPG) will be eligible for a one-off £200 payment if they are on the Council Tax Reduction Scheme.
Local authorities will contact eligible households directly and invite them to apply.
Those in severe financial hardship who do not qualify can apply to the Discretionary Assistance Fund. The maximum award for heating oil has been increased from £500 to £750. You can now apply up to twice in a 12-month period. Applications can be made through local authorities and other fund partners like housing associations and third sector organisations, such as Citizens Advice.
Advicelink Cymru can give clear, confidential advice to those dealing with money worries or unsure what support they are eligible for: 0800 702 2020.
The Nest Warm Homes scheme offers free energy efficiency advice and improvements to low-income Welsh households: 0808 808 2244.
There are now only seven days to go before the government introduces cuts in the amount of the Universal Credit health element paid to some new claimants.
If you are one of the following, you need to consider taking action before Monday 6 April:
A disabled person who isn’t on Universal Credit yet, but who could claim this benefit.
Someone already on Universal Credit who has health problems, but who has never submitted fit notes/
A disabled person who gets Universal Credit, has been assessed as having a limited capability for work only, and whose condition has deteriorated.
Below we explain in detail what you need to do to protect yourself from potential benefits cuts.
You might be able to get this element if you are a Universal Credit claimant with health problems.
How is this payment changing?
From 6 April there will be two rates of the Universal Credit health element, rather than one rate.
Existing claimants will retain the higher rate of £429.80 per month. New claimants who meet extra severe conditions criteria rules will also receive this rate.
However, most other new claimants will only get a lower rate of £217.26 per month.
Who counts as an existing claimant?
You will be protected with the higher rate as an existing claimant if either of the following applies to you:
You are already on Universal Credit and get a LCWRA element in your award.
You claim Universal Credit on or before 5 April and, on that date, you’re awaiting a DWP decision on your capacity for work.
You will need to take action on or before 5 April at the latest. But the earlier you take action the better.
Who needs to take action?
Some disabled people will need to take action before 6 April if they want to try to qualify for the health element as an existing claimant.
There are three groups of people who need to consider taking action before 6 April:
A disabled person who isn’t on Universal Credit yet, but who could claim this benefit.
Someone already on Universal Credit who has health problems, but who has never submitted fit notes/
A disabled person who gets Universal Credit, has been assessed as having a limited capability for work only, and whose condition has deteriorated.
Read on to find out more about each of these individual groups.
A disabled person who isn’t on Universal Credit yet, but could be
You should try to lodge your Universal Credit claim on or before 5 April. If you eventually qualify for the health element, it will automatically be paid at the higher rate.
You will need to provide a fit note from your GP to support your claim. If possible, try to submit this fit note on or before 5 April. However, if you cannot get a fit note before then – for example because your GP is unavailable – you should still make sure you claim Universal Credit on or before 5 April.
If you don’t have a fit note at the point you claim, you should state in your online journal that you are unfit for work and ask for a work capability assessment. If possible, you should also declare a health condition in the “report a change section” of your online account.
So long as you do this on or before 5 April, you will then have a further seven days from the date that you declare you are unfit to work to provide a fit note. You should be able to access your online account as soon as you complete your claim.
How to lodge a claim
You can claim Universal Credit either online or via the Universal Credit Helpline on 0800 328 5644.
Bear in mind that the helpline is only open during weekdays 8am-6pm. It will be shut on Friday 3, which is a bank holiday. Given this, an online claim is the best option for most people who don’t claim until just before 6 April.
Universal Credit claims for a young person in education
Not everyone who would like to claim Universal Credit has the option of doing this. Unfortunately, many young disabled people still in education cannot get Universal Credit due to rules preventing claims by most students. Some students are exempt, but the rules are complex
Visit our webpage all about this topic, below. The page includes an interactive flowchart to work out whether a young student is likely to get Universal Credit.
If your child cannot currently get Universal Credit due to their education, they will be treated as a new claimant when they claim Universal Credit at some later date. Their chances of getting the higher health element will depend on them meeting the extra severe conditions criteria.
If a young person aged 16-19 in full-time non-advanced education gets Universal Credit, any benefit payments you get for them as a dependent child will stop. This includes Universal Credit child payments and any Child Benefit. Some households could be left worse off as a result.
Someone already on Universal Credit with health problems, but who has never submitted fit notes
It is worth trying to submit fit notes on or before 5 April and asking that your capacity for work be assessed.
You should declare a health condition in the “report a change” section of your Universal Credit account. Also state in your online journal that you are unfit to work and ask for a work capability assessment.
If you qualify for a health element, you will automatically get this at the higher rate as an existing claimant.
If you cannot get a fit note from your GP until after 5 April, you can instead notify Universal Credit that you are unfit for work in your online account. Do this on or before 5 April and then ensure you submit a fit note within a further seven days.
If you miss these deadlines and ask for your capacity for work to be assessed at some later date, your chances of getting the higher existing rate of the health element, rather than the new lower rate, will depend on you meeting the severe conditions criteria.
A disabled person who gets Universal Credit,has been assessed as having a limited capability for work only and whose condition has deteriorated
You can ask Universal Credit to reassess you for LCWRA. So long as you do this on or before 5 April, and they agree you have LCWRA, you will qualify for the health element at the higher rate.
You do not need to submit a fit note in this scenario. A message in your online account should be suffice. You should declare a new or worsened health condition in the “report a change” section of your Universal Credit account. Also state in your online journal that you are asking for a reassessment of whether you have LCWRA.
However, you need to be aware that asking for a reassessment carries risks. It’s possible that the DWP instead decide that you are fit to work. If that happens, you could be left worse off.
Note: If you have a partner and they already qualify for a health element, you cannot get a second one. There will be no financial gain in asking for a reassessment in this case.
Which new claimants will get the higher rate?
While all existing claimants are guaranteed the higher rate health element payment, new claimants will also get a higher rate if either:
They are terminally ill.
They meet new severe conditions criteria.
All other new claimants will get the new lower rate of the health element.
What are the severe conditions criteria?
To meet the severe conditions criteria, you must show that all of the below apply:
You have a condition that has been diagnosed by an appropriately qualified NHS healthcare professional. Government ministers have said this covers not just a diagnosis carried out by NHS staff. A private diagnosis carried out in line with NHS best practice, and which has been accepted in your NHS records, will count.
Your condition will last for the rest of your life.
Your level of function must mean you would “constantly” meet one of the LCWRA descriptors “on all occasions on which the claimant undertakes or attempts to undertake an activity”. This is likely to mean that you cannot have prolonged periods where there is a recovery of function to the extent you don’t meet that LCWRA criteria.
Existing claimants can get the health element without needing to meet these additional severe conditions criteria.
Special rules that protect ESA claimants
The general rule is that you must have claimed Universal Credit on or before 5 April.
However, there is an exception to this. Special rules say that someone getting Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) and whose award already includes a support component is protected as an existing claimant. This is the case even though they claim Universal Credit after 5 April.
This rule protects disabled adults with an ESA award where there has been some delay migrating over to Universal Credit.
My 18 year old son doesn’t get Universal Credit yet as he is still receiving education. He won’t get Universal Credit until the summer when his course ends. However, he has already established LCWRA via a “credits-only” claim for ESA. Will he be protected as an existing claimant?
Unfortunately not. The special rules for ESA claimants only apply to those who are actually getting ESA itself. It doesn’t apply to young people who only established LCWRA via a ‘credits only’ claim and don’t get ESA.
He therefore won’t be protected as as an existing claimant as he will be claiming Universal Credit after 5 April. A young person who has established LCWRA via a ‘credits-only’ claim for ESA will only be protected as a pre-2026 claimant if they manage to successfully claim Universal Credit on or before 5 April.
If they can’t claim Universal Credit until a later due to their education, their chances of getting the higher rather than lower rate of the health element will depend on them meeting the new severe conditions criteria.
By this date, local authorities must have reviewed, amended and finalised the EHC plans for young people transferring from secondary school to a post-16 institution.
What is a post-16 institution?
Post -16 institutions include:
Further education colleges.
Sixth form college.
A “designated institution” (independent specialist schools and colleges approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act).
31 March is a legal deadline, which means the local authority must comply with it. The deadline is set out in Regulation 18 of the Special Educational Needs and Disability Regulations 2014.
What must the local authority do to finalise an EHC plan?
Before the local authority issue the final plan, they must send you a draft EHC plan and ask for your views. The local authority must also consult you about your preferred setting for your young person.
To meet the statutory deadline, the local authority should already have completed these steps and issued the final EHC plan.
What can I do if the local authority misses the deadline?
If the local authority misses the 31 March deadline for finalising an EHC plan, contact the local authority to remind them of their legal obligation and request immediate action.
Parent carers – please help spread the word about our life-changing services for families by inviting your child’s primary school or nursery to take part in DinoDay, our annual awareness and fundraising event.
DinoDay is Contact’s annual event on 19 June to raise awareness of disability and help fund our vital support services.
Schools can join the fun by hosting exciting activities to raise awareness of disability in the classroom, as well as encouraging donations through sponsored events.
Once they register their interest, we’ll send them everything they need to get involved. Our pack includes fun games and activities, inclusive educational exercises for the classroom, information about Contact, and helpful disability resources.
Contact has been very clear in every conversation we’ve had with ministers about SEND (special educational needs and disabilities) reform. We don’t want to see any change to the legal status of education, health and care (EHC) plans. And there should be no weakening of the powers of tribunals.
We will continue to campaign and influence against any reduction in rights, and we’ll also be feeding back on it in our consultation response. We encourage you to do the same by taking part online.
The publication of a white paper does not change existing SEND law. Your child’s legal rights to support remain in place.
What’s this about?
Lawyers have been working on a proposed judicial review challenge on behalf of a vulnerable disabled child. These lawyers have shared that the Department for Education (DfE) has responded indicating there is no duty to consult on some elements of the government’s SEND reforms, in part because decisions have already been made.
These elements include powers of the SEND tribunal. The consultation document includes a proposal that in future the SEND tribunal will no longer be able to name an education setting in EHC plans. Instead, the tribunal will only be able to order the local authority to rethink a placement decision (see page 105).
There are also further questions around the role of the tribunal in the delivery of educational provision. This is because the proposals state that a child with an EHC plan would also have some of their provision set out in an Individual Support Plan (ISP).
What do we think?
We believe the role of the tribunal is vital to ensure all children receive the education they are entitled to. It is an important final measure where all else has failed, or when families can see it is the only route to resolution.
In focus groups we have run with parents, the important role of the tribunal has come up consistently. We will be feeding that into the consultation. We have always strongly, clearly and publicly stated that we would oppose any reduction of the tribunal’s powers.
These proposals to change the tribunal were never discussed with us before the publication of the schools white paper. We have contacted the DfE and made this position clear.
What has the DfE said?
The DfE has said via email that “nothing is determined on SEND Reform until we introduce legislation which will then be subject to Parliamentary scrutiny.”
They add that they are “consulting widely and want to hear from parents, young people, educators and SEND experts about how we get this right”.
What’s next?
We’ll continue to make our position clear and feedback to you what we are hearing from government.
We would also encourage anyone concerned about the changes to make this clear by responding to the consultation. We know the consultation is missing questions about the tribunal. But that should not stop you from responding about your thoughts on the proposals. We will be doing so.
What is a consultation?
When the government wants to make changes, it may run consultations where they ask for people’s views before making decisions about services, policies, or funding.
Even a short response can help highlight issues and improve services for children and young people with SEND. It’s important to remember that:
Your lived experience matters. It’s valuable evidence.
You don’t have to answer every question in the consultation – you can just answer the ones that matter most to you.
You should share your examples of what works well and what doesn’t.
Your answers don’t have to be formal or academic – short points are fine.
If you feel the consultation is missing questions about something important to you, you can still submit your views wherever feels most appropriate, explaining why it is important to you and your thoughts and concerns. Contact’s response will include our thoughts about the tribunal.
Our Contact Northern Ireland Family Support Advisers will be at The Braid Centre, Ballymena, this Wednesday 25 March from 9.30am–3.30pm as part of a large event run by the Northern Health Social Care Trust (NHSCT).
The event connects families of disabled and additional needs children with a wide range of voluntary and community organisations offering information and advice.
Look out for the Contact NI stand, come and meet our team to talk through any questions you have. No appointment or referral is needed. You can find information about the event and venue on the NHSCT website.
What else is Contact NI up to?
Our Contact NI team works with families across Northern Ireland to offer support, advice and information.
Support for families in the Northern Trust area
This service is for families in the Northern Trust area. (This covers Antrim and Newtownabbey, Causeway Coast and Glens, Mid and East Antrim, and Mid Ulster)
Our Family Support Advisers can offer free, confidential support and information to families of disabled, rare conditions, and special educational needs children (up to age 25), with or without a diagnosis. The Northern Health Social Care Trust (NHSCT) supports this work.
Our help includes:
Information on benefits and financial support.
Education and school support.
Health services and diagnosis pathways.
Preparing for transitions to adult life.
We also offer a free and confidential listening ear service for parent carers who need emotional support.
To get in touch with a Family Support Adviser, email [email protected].
We’re delighted to share that we’ve just published our popular “Introduction to Disability Living Allowance (DLA)” animations in Welsh.
You can watch on our YouTube channel or below – use the button in the top right to shuffle through the three videos.
Download our guide to upcoming benefit changes
The next two years will see a number of changes to the benefits system that will impact on families with disabled children.
Some of these changes will happen in the next few weeks – including cuts in the Universal Credit health element for many new claimants and the scrapping of the two-child limit rules.
In the longer term, the government also plans to introduce a right to try work for disability benefit claimants and even has plans to scrap the work capability assessment altogether.
From the moment families arrived you could feel the excitement building. Wrexham football club is now owned by Hollywood actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney. TV cameras followed their progress in the “Welcome to Wrexham” documentary series.
There were no cameras on the day of our event, but there was plenty of action!
Over 30 children and young people took part in a range of sporting activities, from powerchair indoor football to outdoor football sessions and table top games. It was a joy to watch them proudly receiving their participation medals at the end.
Alongside the activities, families were able to visit information stands. Andy’s Man Club support men’s mental health through open conversation. Stand NW support families of children and young people with speech, language and communication needs and additional learning needs in North Wales.
Katherine Wyke, Contact Cymru Manager, said:
“Events like this can sometimes feel tense or overwhelming for families. So it was wonderful to see everyone come together and feel able to be themselves. Families told us how relaxed and comfortable the day felt.
“A huge thank you to everyone involved, especially the Wrexham AFC team and coaches, for helping create such an inclusive, positive day where families felt welcome, supported and celebrated. And a special thank you to women’s first team star Rosie Hughes. Her presence was a huge highlight for many of our families!”
Last chance – don’t miss our webinars for Wales families
We still have spaces on our upcoming webinars all about preparing for your child’s future.
A new payment for carers in Scotland looking after more than one disabled person comes into force this Sunday.
This is one of a number of changes the Scottish government is introducing to carers benefits from 15 March. Alongside two new payments also comes improvements to the Carer Support Payment – the main benefit for carers in Scotland.
Below we explain what you need to know about all the changes to look out for this week.
New Carer Additional Person Payment
The Scottish government is introducing a new payment known as the Carer Additional Person Payment. This is for those who get Carer Support Payment and who provide care to more than one disabled person on a qualifying disability benefit. You need to be getting the Carer Support Payment to be able to apply for the new payment.
The amount you get will depend on how many additional disabled people you provide at least 20 hours’ care to each week. You will receive £10 per week (£10.40 from April) for each extra disabled person you care for in addition to your main caring role. There is no set limit on the number of additional disabled people you can claim a payment for.
You won’t get a Carer Additional Person Payment for a disabled person if someone else already does. You can, however, receive a payment for a disabled person despite someone already getting Carer Support Payment as their main carer.
Example of Carer Additional Person Payments
Roddy and Fatima have two severely disabled children, both on Child Disability Payment at the highest rate for personal care. Roddy gets Carer Support Payment because he provides more than 35 hours care to their disabled son Adam. Fatima gets Carer Support Payment as their daughter Anita’s main carer.
As well as looking after Anita, Fatima provides more than 20 hours a week’s care to Adam. She also provides more than 20 hours’ care to her mother, who gets the daily living component of Adult Disability Payment. In addition to being Adam’s main carer, Roddy spends more than 20 hours a week helping to look after Anita.
Fatima is entitled to a Carer Additional Person Payment of £20 for two disabled people (Adam and her mum). Roddy gets a payment of £10 as he cares for one additional disabled person (Anita).
How to apply for a Carer Additional Person Payment
If you already get Carer Support Payment, initially you can complete a “CAPP only” claim form (paper or digital). To access this, call Social Security Scotland on 0800 182 2222 or go online at mygov.scot.
This form is available to existing claimants for six months only. After that, you will need to report a change of circumstances to Social Security Scotland if you want to claim for the first time, or add or remove an additional disabled person.
New Scottish Carer Supplement
The Scottish government is also creating a new payment called the Scottish Carers Supplement. This is replacing the Carer’s Allowance Supplement – a lump sum payment made every six months.
Rather than getting a lump sum, anyone on Carer Support Payment will now receive an additional weekly payment of £11.29 (£11.70 from April) instead. This works out the same amount as the previously-paid lump sums, only it’s now spread out as a weekly amount.
You need to be in receipt of the Carer Support Payment to get the Scottish Carer Supplement. If you only receive the Universal Credit carer element but haven’t claimed Carer Support Payment, you will not qualify.
As long as you are living in Scotland and receiving Carer Support Payment on 15 March 2026, you will receive the supplement automatically without needing to make any application.
Scottish Carer Supplement is ignored as income for Universal Credit and other means-tested benefits such as Council Tax reduction.
Improvements to the Carer Support Payment
Alongside these two new payments, the Scottish government is making some changes to the Carer Support Payment rules.
Extending bereavement run-on
When a cared-for person dies, their carer currently continues to receive Carer Support Payment for eight weeks after their death.
This is being extended to the first 12 weeks where the cared-for person dies on or after 15 March 2026.
Temporary breaks in care
Under existing rules, someone on a temporary break in caring will continue to get Carer Support Payment only if they have been caring for a minimum number of weeks. (This is 14 or 22, depending on their circumstances.)
From 15 March this requirement will be scrapped. Anyone on Carer Support Payment will retain payments throughout a short break in caring, regardless of when they started caring. These new “temporary breaks in care” rules will also apply to Scottish Carer Supplement and any Carer Additional Person Payment.
Frequently Asked Questions
Universal Credit income deductions
I get Universal Credit with a carer element. I also get Carer Support Payment, but that is deducted from my Universal Credit. My Carer Support Payment may increase because I start to get an extra Scottish Carer Supplement and a Carer Additional Person Payment. But won’t that extra money simply be deducted from my Universal Credit leaving me no better off?
It’s true that the Carer Support Payment you receive is treated as income and deducted from your Universal Credit. That is not changing. However, the good news is that any Scottish Carer Supplement or Carer Additional Person Payment you get is treated differently. These new additional amounts are ignored as income and won’t affect your Universal Credit payments.
Does an underlying Carer Support Payment entitlement count?
I am the full-time carer for my severely-disabled grandchild. I recently qualified for my state pension, and this has replaced my Carer Support Payment. However I still have an “underlying entitlement” to that benefit. Will I get the Scottish Carer Supplement?
Unfortunately not. Both Scottish Carer Supplement and Carer Additional Person Payment are only paid to those who actually receive Carer Support Payment. You can’t get them if you only have an underlying entitlement.
Overlapping caring hours
I am a lone parent with two disabled children, both on Child Disability Payment. My frail elderly father, who gets Pension Age Disability Payment, also lives with me. I care for him for more than 20 hours a week. However sometimes the care I give to my dad overlaps with the care I am providing to my children.Does it have to be separate hours to qualify for the carer additional person payment?
You should be able to get Carer Support Payment for one of your children and the Carer Additional Person Payment for two people: your other child and your dad. It’s OK that you are looking after more than one person at the same time – these hours still count. You don’t have to show that you are caring for them at different times.
The Universal Credit carer element
I get both Carer Support Payment and Universal Credit with a carer element. If I qualify for a Carer Additional Person Payment because I look after a second person, will I get a second carer element in my Universal Credit too?
No, getting a Carer Additional Person Payment does not lead to a second carer element in your Universal Credit.
The draft guidance is for schools and is an update to the 2015 statutory guidance. It affects all children with medical needs, from asthma and epilepsy to diabetes, allergies, and long‑term health conditions.
Why this matters
If your child has a medical condition, this guidance shapes:
How schools plan to keep your child safe.
Who is trained to support them.
How schools manage medication.
How they handle emergencies.
How the school communicates and reviews your child’s needs.
How the school supports your child to fully participate in school life.
School governors, academy proprietors and pupil referral units must “have regard” to statutory guidance when carrying out their statutory duty to arrange to support pupils at school with medical condition, including on school trips.
How does this draft differ from the current guidance?
Changes proposed include:
A major new section on allergy safety.
Schools must publish their medical conditions policy – not just have one.
Clearer process for identifying children with medical conditions.
Clearer definition of who needs an Individual Health Plan, what it must include, and how often it must be reviewed.
Stronger focus on inclusion, wellbeing, and a participation in school life.
What the consultation doesn’t include
The consultation excludes guidance on the all-important delegation of clinical and healthcare tasks. These are tasks that a regulated healthcare professional gives to non-healthcare staff in the school caring for children.
There is no publication date for promised DfE and Department of Health and Social Care joint non-statutory guidance.
Amanda Elliot, Contact’s health lead, says guidance on how to care for medically complex children in school was long overdue:
“Parents and schools urgently need clarity on arrangements for safe delivery of more complicated health and clinical care in schools. Medically complex children are missing school as a result. One parent was forced go into school to tend to her child’s tracheostomy in a school broom cupboard, which is completely unacceptable.”
How to have your say
The DfE wants to hear directly from parents, carers, families, and young people. The consultation closes at 11:59pm on 1 May 2026.
You can read the draft guidance and respond to the consultation directly on the DfE website.
Alternatively, you can share views via Contact’s consultation response by email [email protected]
This advice applies in England only
Low-income disabled households with a water meter will get reduced water bills as part of reform to the WaterSure scheme in England.
All suppliers will offer the scheme to households in which someone claims DLA, PIP or Attendance Allowance and the household income is less than £25,745.
Your household will still need to have a high essential use of water due to having three or more children or a medical need. However, you will no longer need to provide notes from your GP proving this. Alternative proof like a prescription or NHS letter may be accepted.
A further change will see water suppliers use the lowest calculation of those available to determine the WaterSure cap. This will save households of more than one person on average £26 a year. The cap will also be adjusted for single households, who will save an additional £100 as a result.
Attempts to address rising home-to-school transport costs with cuts to post-16 provision is putting access to education at risk for children and young people with SEND (special educational needs and disabilities), the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has found.
In the PAC’s report published today, the committee describes the £2.3 billion school transport service as “vital”, but financially unsustainable. Councils have responded with cost-saving measures, including restricting non-statutory provision, particularly for 16–19-year-olds. But the committee says these are likely to affect attendance and participation and could contribute to rising NEET levels. (NEET stands for not in education, employment or training).
Contact welcomes the committee’s scrutiny, but urge against solutions that remove door-to-door transport for those children who need it.
Post-16 “cliff edge” keeping parents out of work
The report highlights a sharp “cliff edge” at 16, when changes to entitlement mean local authorities have discretion over what support, if any, they provide.
Parents and colleges gave evidence to the committee of young people missing learning or failing to start courses because of a lack of suitable transport . The report also notes specific concerns about the impact of the cliff edge on children and young people with SEND.
Parents help shape PAC report
We’d like to thank everyone who replied to our transport for 16-19 year olds survey. Your replies helped us produce robust and up-to-date evidence on school and college transport which we then fed back to the PAC.
The report contains evidence from Contact throughout. We highlighted the importance of transport to disabled students and their families and the impact of cuts to post-16 transport. 40% of families report an impact on their ability to work due to a lack of transport.
Among its key recommendations, the committee asks the Department for Education (DfE) to:
Set out how planned SEND reforms will reduce transport costs and when savings will materialise.
Improve its understanding of the relationship between transport, attendance and NEET,
Make transport data collection mandatory and standardised to establish a clear baseline for reform.
The committee calls on the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to ensure its new funding formula properly aligns resources with need and to address SEND deficits without forcing further service cuts.
Urgent need to stabilise funding without harming disabled students
Contact welcomes the committee’s scrutiny of school and college transport and the impact it has on disabled students and their families.
We share the ambition that the proposed SEND reforms will improve inclusive education for SEND children and young people, which should, in turn, relieve some of the pressure on home to school transport. In the meantime, efforts to contain costs must not have a negative impact on disabled students.
The committee’s report recognises that a shift in expectation from door-to-door school transport to broader “travel assistance” may work for some children, but will not suit all. Those with the most significant needs may always require bespoke home-to-education transport.
For SEND students and their families, there remains an urgent need to stabilise funding, protect services and improve post-16 provision. Transport must be a bridge to education, not a barrier.
Thanks to funding from the Motability Foundation, Contact is campaigning to improve transport to school or college. Read more about our school transport campaign.
Right now, 80,000 young disabled people are locked out of money their families saved for their future. Due to mental capacity rules, their families must go through the Court of Protection to access their child’s money. This is a prohibitively lengthy, costly and complex process. There were just 70 court applications from families between September 2020 and May 2023.
There is a route that safeguards money with rigorous checks and balances, but allows easier access to savings. This route is called the “industry” process. The UK’s largest Child Trust Fund provider, OneFamily, has safely released funds to more than 2,500 disabled young people this way. But not all providers offer this route.
That’s why we are calling on the government to legislate so families can access this same fair route no matter where their savings are held. Today’s event, organised by parent campaigner Andrew Turner, Contact and OneFamily, will shine a spotlight on this matter.
“Every young person should be able to benefit from their savings in Child Trust Funds or Junior ISAs. There’s compelling evidence that the court process is inaccessible to families simply trying to help their child access one small savings account. We need bold action from the government to put an end to this obvious inequality.”
Sarah Smith, MP for Hyndburn and Haslingden, is sponsoring the event at the Palace of Westminster. She says:
“Families shouldn’t have to face a disproportionately complex court process to access their trust fund. I know Ministers are committed to finding a workable solution, but this inadvertent omission has been allowed to stand for far too long. Now is the time to set all bureaucratic obstacles aside and solve the issue.”
Anna Bird, Chief Executive at Contact, adds:
“Parents with disabled children are under enormous everyday pressures. They don’t need an extra battle to access money invested for their child’s future. We know this industry process safeguards young disabled people’s money at the same time as ensuring families don’t have to go through an arduous court process. We’d like to see the government back it.”
We want to say thank you to all our supporters who emailed their MP asking them to attend today’s event.
It’s important to note that the Child Trust Fund may have been converted to a Junior ISA. If so, you may encounter the same challenges accessing a Junior ISA as accessing a Child Trust Fund.
Get the latest SEND updates, benefits advice, practical help caring for your child, plus free workshops and family events in our weekly email newsletter.
(Make sure you select ‘News updates’)
