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We’ve been working in partnership with the National Development Team for Inclusion (NDTi) since 2021 to support to young disabled people aged 16-25 in England to help them build confidence and make plans for the future.

Funded by the National Lottery Community Fund, our Time to Talk project also helps families, carers and professionals to raise aspirations and encourage independence for the young people they support.

Join us online and celebrate!

As we come to the end of the Time to Talk project, we’d like to invite you to a series of online sessions taking place from 10-13 June, to celebrate this work and share learning.

Join us and discover ideas and evidence of how personalised strengths-based approaches enable young people to build confidence, set their own goals, prepare for adulthood and have their voices heard. You’ll also hear from young people about their lived experiences, journeys and achievements.

All sessions are free and open to all including young people, family members, those working in youth and community sector, careers, participation, advocacy, education, social care and health sector. You can join as many sessions as you choose.

Find out more about what’s happening and when and register to join, by looking the full programme of sessions over the 3 day celebration.

Contact’s information about preparing for adulthood

For advice on supporting your disabled youngster through this important transition into adult life, check out our Preparing for Adulthood webpages. 

Rachel Ramsden from Teignmouth in Devon and Sophie Morris from Bushey, Hertfordshire are 2 of 18 runners getting ready to get, set go on 21 April at this year’s London Marathon.

An amazing commitment, we caught up with them to find out what inspired them to take part in the London Marathon for Contact.

39 year old Sophie, a chartered tax consultant, was inspired to run and raise vital funds for Contact after hearing about her friend’s experience caring for a child with complex needs.

Marathon runner Sophie

Sophie says: “Contact seemed like the perfect charity for me to support by running the London Marathon. I took up running two years ago and through it met my good friend Angela whose son Thomas has complex needs. Angela’s family has been supported by Contact for many years and on our runs she told me more about the challenges she faces as the parent of a disabled child – and the support Contact has given her to help overcome them.

“Talking to Angela really inspired me to take this challenge on. I know that thinking of Thomas’ smiley face will easily get me across the finishing line!”

If you’d like to donate and help Sophie smash her fundraising target please visit her JustGiving page.

Third marathon run for Rachel

43 year old medical secretary Rachel who is from Teignmouth told us:

“I’m a working mum with two children. My youngest son, Harvey, is 8 years old and is autistic. He is also non-verbal and has learning and developmental disabilities and needs help with all aspects of self-care. He is my world!

Marathon runner Rachel and her son Harvey

“I wanted to raise money and run this year’s London marathon for a charity that understands the challenges families like mine face when their child has additional support. This will be my third marathon and I am determined to come in under 5 hours so have been training really hard.”

You can donate to help Rachel’s fundraising efforts by visiting her JustGiving page.

Kaya Korablina from Contact’s fundraising team says: “Running 26 miles is a monumental challenge and we’re incredibly proud and humbled by Rachel and Sophie’s dedication, hard work, training and fundraising to support our work. It really does make a difference and helps us to continue to provide vital support to families with disabled children up and down the country. That’s why we will be there on the day cheering and congratulating all of those running the London Marathon for us this year and their efforts to help us help more families with disabled children.”

Best of luck to you both from all of us at Contact!

Contact's Policy & Public Affairs Officer Imogen

Imogen, Contact’s Policy & Public Affairs Officer.

As Contact’s CEO uses a comment piece in the Express to urge the government against penalising disabled children for non-attendance, our Policy & Public Affairs Officer Imogen talks about her experience at school and why meaningful moments matter.

Earlier this year, the government launched a national campaign on school attendance, using the strapline ‘Moments Matter, Attendance Counts’.

The campaign is the latest tool in the government’s focus on school attendance. But in implying parents are keeping children out of school for every little thing, and an assertion that every moment of education missed will affect a child’s future, the campaign shows a lack of awareness of the reasons why many disabled children are often absent from school.

My personal experience – meaningful moments

Years before working for Contact as a Policy and Public Affairs Officer, I was a persistent absentee at school. Having been born with complex cerebral palsy, my attendance was never more than 66%. Hospital appointments, trials of new treatments and chronic pain meant that I spent a lot of my school days in bed unwell or engaged in therapy aimed at improving my quality of life in the future.

The most extreme example was when I missed the entirety of year five because I underwent multilevel surgery. This surgery allowed me to retain movement in my legs, so the year of rehabilitation it required was essential. In secondary school, I regularly missed days and weeks due to chronic pain. I soon learnt that when I did try to attend school in pain, I could not concentrate. I was better off staying at home and catching up on the work I missed once I felt better, which was easy with supportive teachers.

I am therefore painfully aware that the ‘Moments Matter, Attendance Counts’ campaign is flawed.

While school attendance is undoubtedly important, it is not the be all and end all. I dread to think of the additional pressure and stress my parents would have encountered because of my poor attendance if I were at school now.

Support-led approach to attendance

The government needs to revisit the Moments Matter campaign and make a very significant addition: Meaningful Moments Matter. There must be recognition that the quality of moments in education count, not just the number of moments. Sometimes moments missed from school may be essential for a pupil’s development and wellbeing.

At the same time, the government must follow a support-first approach when dealing with attendance. Emphasis needs to be placed on supporting children to catch up on time missed at school and ensuring that they have all the support they need when they do attend.

The government’s current focus on high attendance figures is resulting in schools refusing to send work home to pupils unable to physically attend. Many schools are now acting as the gatekeepers to education, rather than the givers of knowledge. This further penalises those who can’t attend and are already missing out on spending time with their peer group.

The lack of understanding around the school attendance is not limited to the current government. The Labour Party have announced that they plan to drive up attendance by offering free breakfast clubs in every primary school. There needs to be an overall culture shift in the approach to school attendance to support disabled children.

It was only with the help of supportive teachers who sent work home and agreed to catch me up on the work I missed when I returned to school that I was able to succeed in education. The government and any future government must revert to this support-led approach to attendance, rather the target of 100%.

Will you write a blog on attendance?

Over the past six months, our helpline has been receiving increasing numbers of calls from parents who are being negatively impacted by the current attendance policy.

I would like to hear from parents whose disabled children are unable to attend school. Please get in touch with Imogen.steele@contact.org.uk if you would like to write a blog sharing your personal experience of the current 100% attendance policy. Once you get in touch, we’ll be able to help you put something together. We’ll be sharing these blogs with all political parties in the hope of influencing future attendance policy.

Thank you for reading my blog.

Say hello to Alex Archer and Steve Minshull – two of 18 London Marathon participants running just over 26 miles to raise vital funds for Contact this year.

Alex from Clapham and Steve from Liverpool decided to run the London Marathon on 21 April for Contact because they’ve both seen the real difference Contact makes first-hand.

Alex says: “I’ve run a half marathon for Contact before, so the London Marathon seemed like the natural next step. It’s a cause very close to my heart as Contact has supported my family since my brother, who has additional needs, was young. We have been lucky to have so much support from Contact over the years and I firmly believe in the invaluable work Contact does to support and empower families like mine. I want to run this year’s marathon to give something back and raise money and awareness for this life-changing charity.”

Steve’s niece Hannah has a chromosome disorder called Jacobsen’s syndrome which means she has physical and learning disabilities as well as complex medical needs. Her condition was so rare that none of her doctors knew anything about it. Charity Contact was the only source of information they had on Hannah’s condition when she was first diagnosed. Steve says:

“I am delighted to be running the London Marathon for Contact, a charity close to my family’s hearts, thanks to the help they have given my sister and brother-in-law with their daughter Hannah. Hannah has just turned 18 and it feels like the perfect time for me to give something back and support this wonderful charity which supports families with disabled children. Many families with disabled children feel frustrated and ignored and can’t always access the services that they are entitled to. Contact provides an invaluable service supporting and signposting families in their quest for a better quality of life for their child. When we have a problem, Contact is the first place we go to for advice. Raising a disabled child whilst is extremely rewarding, can be stressful and hard at times. Knowing that Contact is there at the other end of the phone line or will respond quickly to messages makes things so much easier.”

Good luck Steve and Alex! We think you are both amazing and look forward to seeing you as run just over 26 miles of the Capital’s streets on Sunday, 21 April.

You can support Alex and/or Steve and give their fundraising target a boost by visiting their fundraising pages.

This Monday 1 April 2024, the National Living Wage rose from £10.42 to £11.44 (£13.15 in London).

While this is good news for some earners, yet again we are forced to raise concerns that more carers will be forced out of work as a consequence of the government failing to adjust other parts of the benefit system.

The maximum amount a carer can earn while claiming Carer’s Allowance – a vital support package for unpaid carers – goes up to £151 a week. That’s a maximum of 13 hours on the National Living Wage. In 2021, carers could work 14 hours a week, and in 2016, 15 hours. This represents a continual chipping away of parent carers’ opportunities to get back into the labour market.

The earnings limit of £151 is far too low for a carer working 16 hours a week on National Living Wage, who will now take home £183.04 a week. But someone must work a minimum 16 hours to be eligible for Working Tax Credit. A carer will lose this support unless they can make certain deductions from their income.

We are calling on the government to adjust the Carer’s Allowance earnings limit at the earliest opportunity to at least £183.04 or to scrap the limit altogether to allow unpaid carers who want to work the full means to do so.

On Sunday 21 April Bernadette in our business development team will be pounding the capital’s streets to raise vital funds for Contact at this year’s London Marathon.

Contact’s business development coordinator, Bernadette, is one of 18 people running for Contact this year. She says:

“When I heard there was an opportunity to run the London Marathon this year I was keen to find out more but wasn’t sure whether I’d actually be able to do it. But, having celebrated a significant milestone birthday this year, it seemed like the perfect time to challenge myself and to not only fulfil a personal accomplishment but to do something to support Contact too!

“The London Marathon aims to create an opportunity for participants “to have fun and provide some happiness and sense of achievement in a troubled world”. This really resonates with me. I enjoy running – but it’s fair to say I’m not a natural runner. I’ve run a couple of half marathons in the past, but the thought of doubling that distance is daunting. I want to show my children that if you set your mind to something, with determination and focus you can achieve it! I keep motivated with my training knowing that each step is helping to support families with disabled children. And, as an added bonus, fundraising has also provided an opportunity to raise awareness about Contact among my family and friends, some of whom have since benefitted from Contact’s services. So, I will embrace the experience, step out of my comfort zone, wear my Contact vest with pride and enjoy it as much as I can!”

Best of luck to all our runners this year!

Join us as we wish Bernadette and all our London Marathon runners the very best of luck!

Support Bernadette’s fundraising efforts.

Thinking about joining our team next year? Get in touch today by emailing fundraising@contact.org.uk

Find out about other ways to fundraise for Contact.

Last year, we told you about a research grant Contact has been awarded by National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). We’re investigating what stops under-represented communities in the North West of England from accessing health care services.

Since then, we’ve been working in partnership with Alder Hey Children’s Trust, Edge Hill University and the North West National Network of Parent Carer forums ( NW NNPCF) to develop this work further.

We know that many disabled and neurodivergent children and young people from under-served communities such as Black, Asian and minority ethnic groups and Traveller communities have less access to healthcare and poorer health outcomes. They can face discrimination, disadvantage and exclusion and have less choice and control about their health care.

So far, research in this area has been limited. So this project offers a unique opportunity for us to work in partnership with community members to explore what could help improve access to healthcare for disabled and neurodivergent children, young people and their parent carers.

What progress have we made so far?

We are currently working with three communities – Gypsy, Roma and Traveller families, refugee and asylum-seeking families and parent carers with disabilities and neurodivergence – and community advisers to listen and learn more about their experiences of accessing health care for their children. So far, we have: 

What have we learnt?

Although the project is still in it’s early stages we have already learnt that:

The rules that govern when a young disabled person in education can claim Universal Credit are extremely complex . That’s why advisers from our Family Finance Team are inviting you to ask any questions you have about this at a special Q&A session on Thursday 18th January between 10am – 11.30 am on our Facebook Group.

How to join our Facebook group

Joining our Facebook Group is easy. Just answer a few simple questions to register and you’re in!

Join us there on Thursday 18th January from 10am-11.30am when our team of Family Finance advisers will be waiting to answer your questions. Put the date in your diary!

The Universal Credit rules

The benefit rules prevent most young people in education from getting Universal Credit. However, some disabled students can qualify for Universal Credit. This includes young people who either:

Get advice before claiming Universal Credit

Even if your child falls into one of these groups and can claim Universal Credit it’s not always a good idea to do so. This is because they will stop being treated as a dependent child and as a result any Child Benefit, Child Tax Credit or other payments that you receive for them as dependent child will stop.

Making a ‘credits only’ claim for new style Employment and Support Allowance

Contact recommends that disabled teenagers undergo a work capability assessment when they turn 16 to try to establish that they have a limited capability for work early on. Doing this can increase their chances of being able to claim Universal Credit at a later date if they either change courses or stay in non-advanced education past the age of 19.

But here’s the catch: if you simply ask the DWP to carry out a work capability assessment, they are likely to refuse. The only way to make sure an assessment takes place is by making a ‘credits-only’ claim for new-style ESA. Your child won’t qualify for the ESA payment itself, but the DWP will have to carry out a work capability assessment as part of the claims process and this may help them to get Universal Credit at a later date.

Can’t make 18 January?

We have lots of information about claiming Universal Credit for a young person, on our website.

We’re really happy to be recruiting for a new role to join our ambitious policy and campaigns team!

We’re looking for a Research, Policy & Public Affairs Officer (14 or 17.5 hours per week, home or office based).

The role is a fixed term contract for three years. The closing date is Monday 15 January at 10am. The hours per week are flexible and working term time is also available.

The role would be suitable for a parent carer wanting to take a step back into paid employment. We’ll offer training, so don’t let that put you off applying.

You can find more information about the role, job pack and application form on the Work for Contact section of our website.

Tips on completing application form

The section called ‘General experience and further information’ is the most important section.  We use this to decide who to interview for interview.

Last year, we had the privilege of supporting 291,000 families across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland with our advice and information. This includes helping eligible families increase their household incomes by an average £5,400 a year, through our Family Finances team.

We held over 103 family events which were enjoyed by 2,300 parent carers and children and our workshops, webinars, outreach or drop-ins were attended by over 5,500 parents and professionals.

More of you than ever before made use of our Listening Ear service to find emotional support, practical advice and a shoulder to cry on and over 20,000 of you are members of our private Facebook group sharing advice and supporting each other.

Help us be there for more families in 2024

We just wouldn’t be able to do what we do without the generosity of our supporters so, if you can, please consider helping us to be there for more families in 2024.

You could make a one-off donation or set up a regular monthly contribution. Or why not make a new year’s resolution to take part in our DinoDay Facebook Challenge in 2024. Join our weekly lottery and, like parent carer Samantha, you could have the chance of winning up to £10,000 every Friday!

Together we are making a difference for families with disabled children

Huge thanks to the thousands of you who took action last year to improve things for your family and others by writing to your MP, filling in one of our surveys or speaking out in the media. And with more than 200 of you becoming a Contact Changemaker, we continue to make sure parent carers are at the heart of our policy and campaigning work.

Throughout 2023 we proudly supported two parent-led campaigns: One to put an end to disabled young people being unfairly locked out of their Child Trust Fund savings, the other to make sure all eligible children have access to the free school lunch they are entitled to which was recently backed by Baroness Grey-Thompson.

We also worked with you to highlight the lack of holiday childcare for disabled children and the worrying 21% increase in calls to our helpline about children being excluded from school.

We continued to speak out about support for carers, the cost of living crisis and soaring energy prices.

And it was the year we finally saw the Department for Education publish its revised statutory home to school transport guidance for children of compulsory school age in England following Contact’s School Transport Inquiry.

More achievements in 2023

Take care and remember, we’re here for you in 2024 whatever your child’s condition and whenever you need us.

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From all of us here at Contact, we want to wish all our families a very Happy Christmas!

We hope you’re enjoying the holidays. But remember, if you’re looking for help while our helpline is closed until Tuesday 2 January 2024, you’ll find lots of advice and support on our website.

Our Chatbot Charlie can help guide you through our online information and advice so you find the support you need quickly and easily, whenever you need it – 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Look out for Charlie at the bottom of our website on the right hand side.

Happy Christmas everyone!

The government’s annual Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) Statistics show that 98% of parents win on appeal once they get to tribunal – meaning that just 2 per cent of refusals by councils to provide SEND support were upheld in tribunal decisions last year.

At the same time the number of SEND tribunals has gone up by a record 24 per cent.

Earlier this year we told you about a report by Disabled Children’s Partnership (DCP) and Pro Bono Economics which found that lost SEND tribunals cost taxpayers £60 million in 2021-22.

The statistics published by the government today show that the situation has got even worse.

Anna Bird, Contact’s CEO and Chair of the Disabled Children’s Partnership says: “Even more parents are having to go through the expense and stress of a Tribunal hearing despite Tribunals finding in their favour in a staggering 98% of cases. 

“This shows the system is fundamentally broken.  The government and local councils must take action to make sure the right, lawful decisions are made first time, so that parents do not have to take legal action to get the support their children need and are entitled to, and to prevent this needless waste of public money.”

The statistics published today illustrate what we at Contact already know: that parents know what support their children need, and have to fight tooth and nail to get it.

The DCP is calling for government to ringfence resources for early information, advice and support for parents navigating the system; better training for local council staff so they make the right, lawful decisions first time and stronger accountability.

Information for affected families

Find out how to get an EHC plan for your child.

If you disagree with a council’s decision about an EHC needs assessment or EHC plan, read our advice on mediation and appeals to the SEND Tribunal.

We made someone’s Christmas last week when we called to tell them they’d won £1,000 in the Contact Weekly Lottery! Samantha from Manchester was in disbelief when she matched five numbers in our draw to land herself this fantastic windfall.

And you could be next if you sign up today!

Samantha, whose two daughters have ADHD and her eldest is also autistic, discovered our weekly lottery through Facebook and decided to give it a go.

“I’m in disbelief I have won, actually speechless! I’ve only been playing for three or four months, so it’s very unexpected but hugely welcomed.

I found out about the Contact Lottery on Facebook as I’m a parent to two girls with ADHD and my eldest also has autism, so I thought I’d give it a go and give something back whilst trying my luck.

I can’t believe it actually worked and I won something! I’m really looking forward to a brilliant Christmas now and I would encourage everyone to sign up.”

Contact lottery winner Samantha wearing glasses and smiling with her two children
Samantha and her family.

How to join our lottery

Join Contact’s Weekly Lottery for as little as £1 a week and get a chance to win up to £10,000.

Not only that, you’ll also be helping fund our support services for families with disabled children. It’s a win-win!

Congratulations once again to Samantha, and good luck to all our wonderful players in the next draw.


On Wednesday, Chancellor Jeremy Hunt set out the government’s plans for the economy in his Autumn Statement. Read our CEO’s response.

Below we outline some of the main benefit changes relevant to families with disabled children.

Benefit changes at a glance

The Chancellor announced:

Response to consultation on proposed changes to the work capability assessment

The work capability assessment is a disability assessment the government uses to decide how much benefit disabled adults on certain benefits like Universal Credit and Employment and Support Allowance should receive. It also determines whether they should be look for work while claiming that benefit.

There are three possible outcomes of a work capability assessment:

The government intends to scrap the work capability assessment and replace it with the Personal Independence Payment assessment. However, that change is not expected to take place until 2026/27 at the earliest.

In the meantime, the government intends making changes to the work capability assessment. This will see a reduction in the number of new claimants having a LCWRA. In responding to a consultation, the government has confirmed that it plans to make these changes from April 2025, for new claims only.

If you have a limited capability for work, you don’t have to look for work, but you must still take part in work-related activities to get you more ready for work. For example, you may have to take part in training. Having a limited capability for work does not lead to any additional benefit payments.

However, if you have LCWRA, you won’t need to meet any work-related conditions like job seeking or training. You’re also eligible for an extra amount of benefit. 

Changes the government is proposing

Substantial risk to health

The government plans to amend the rules that allow a disabled person to be treated as having a LCWRA where taking part in work-related activity would place them or others at ‘substantial risk’. These rules will become more restrictive.

Although yet to announce full details about how it will apply the new rules, the government says that it will protect those with physical health problems. This means that where being taking part in work-related activities would lead to a deterioration in your physical health, the government will protect you as someone at substantial risk. 

Mobilising

It also plans to remove difficulties with mobilising from the list of activities used when deciding whether someone has a LCWRA. Currently those who cannot mobilise for more than 50m without pain or discomfort are one of the groups having a LCWRA.

The government claims that those with the most significant mobilising needs will not lose out as a result of this change. Instead, the substantial risk rules will treat them as having a LCWRA.

Difficulties in physically mobilising will still factor in deciding whether someone has a limited capability for work.

Getting around

In assessing whether someone has a limited capability for work, there will be a reduction in points awarded for difficulties in getting around without the help of another person, for example due to mental health problems. 

Other changes consulted on

The government has decided that it will not proceed with proposed changes in how the work capability assessment deals with problems with incontinence or in engaging in social engagement.

Need advice?

We have lots of information and advice about benefits and tax credits and money and debt.


Yesterday, Chancellor Jeremy Hunt set out the government’s plans for the economy in his Autumn Statement.

Measures announced include:

Read the Chancellor’s Autumn Statement in full.

Our CEO responds to the Autumn Statement

Anna Bird, Chief Executive of disability charity Contact, said: “Now into a second year of sky-high costs for food, heating, rent and mortgages, families with disabled children say they face a constant battle to keep afloat. Disappointingly there was little in yesterday’s Autumn statement to alleviate the hardship many are experiencing.

“There was no targeted support and no commitment to a social tariff to help with families’ higher energy costs. Families with disabled children pay £1,600 a year more than other households for their energy, to run vital equipment like ventilators, adjustable beds, hoists and suction pumps. They now face a difficult winter without the support they desperately need.

“The Chancellor chose to focus on tax cuts rather than investing in public services that disabled children and their families depend on. Families are exhausted from filling gaps in support for physiotherapy, speech and language, as well as mental health services. Over the last 10 years support services have been cut back and families are left to do more, often complex care. This has devastating impacts on their wellbeing and their ability to be in paid employment.

“On top of this the lack of action on fixing the Carer’s Allowance earnings limit, is another blow to those families who would like to combine caring with paid employment.”

We will spell out what the Autumn Statement 2023 means for families with disabled children in more detail soon.

Need help with your finances?

We have lots of information and advice about benefits and tax credits and money and debt.

Families have warned that latest draft guidance from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) will shorten their children’s lives. 

NICE, the body that reviews and evaluates treatments, has concluded that some effective therapies available on the NHS should no longer be prescribed to new patients on cost grounds. 

Cystic fribrosis (CF) is a progressive genetic condition that leads to problems with breathing and digestion over time. Around one in 2,500 babies are born with the condition.  

NICE has spent a year evaluating a relatively new class of “modulator therapies” that can improve lung function, growth and weight gain in people with CF. 

Patients with CF told the NICE evaluation team that the new treatments had transformed the disease from a progressive and life-limiting condition into a manageable chronic condition. 

But the therapies are expensive, and NICE is now recommending that no new patients are offered the drugs. Patients already on the drugs will continue to receive them. 

“We are being forced into a situation where we are going to have to watch our daughter deteriorate year on year until she dies at a very young age. I just can’t do that,” Charlotte Perkins, mother of a 17-month baby told the BBC last week. 

Share your views in the NICE consultation

People have until 24 November to respond to a consultation on the guidance.

You can read the draft guidance and submit a response on the NICE website. Respondents will need to create a free account with NICE to submit a response. 

Will the proposals affect your child?

Do you want to share your experience and concerns? Please email Amanda.Elliot@Contact.org.uk 


Today, MPs debate the Kings Speech, which sets out the government’s plan for the year ahead. Opposition MPs are using the debate to highlight data that shows over two million children could be regularly missing school by 2025 if the number of pupils absent from classrooms continues at the current rate – one in four of all children currently at primary and secondary school.

Contact welcomes the focus on persistent absence and calls for greater understanding of children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and why they feature so prevalently in persistent absence figures.

Unmet need

Una Summerson, Contact’s Head of Policy, said: “Absence rates for pupils with SEND are significantly higher than their peers. And they are rising, especially across special schools. This is often down to unmet need.

“Just under 40% of calls to Contact’s helpline come from parents who say the school or local authority is not providing the right support for their child. We also hear from parents that the school environment and culture is sometimes detrimental to their child’s needs.

“A focus on mental health is important, but we also need to look at other reasons that children with SEN may be absent. This includes medical reasons, a lack of support in school, delays in assessment for support, lack of suitable school places and disproportionate use of exclusion on children with SEND.”

There is also a disproportionate number of pupils with SEND who are home educated, with reported pressures to do so. Contact has long called for a compulsory register of children who are home educated.

Earlier this year Contact submitted evidence to a parliamentary inquiry on persistent absence. The committee’s report stated: “growing demand for mental health services and special educational needs support, as well as cost-of-living pressures, have compounded a problem that worsened following the Covid lockdowns but remains present”.

Advice for families whose children are absent from school

We have information for parents about absence from school for medical reasons, how to support children back to school after a period of absence and the use of fines for parents whose children are persistently absent.

We’re launching an exciting new project helping families with Disability Living Allowance applications, and we’re looking for volunteers to take part.

DLA is the main benefit for families with a disabled child. Over 1/3 of these families spend £300+ monthly on costs related to their child’s disability and care, so this additional financial support is vital. But many families miss out on claiming DLA, as they don’t know have access to help to complete the long and detailed form.

As a DLA Supporter volunteer, you’ll provide this much-needed help and make a massive difference to families’ lives.

About the role

We are looking for volunteers to help families complete the DLA form via Zoom. You can volunteer from the comfort of your own home, or you are welcome to go into our office in London.

Find out more and apply

You can find out more about the role on our expression of interest page, where you’ll also be able to complete an application form.

If you have any other questions about the role, please get in touch! Email us at benefitingyou@contact.org.uk