State Financial Assistance in the UK

State Financial Assistance in the UK

As an overview of what assistance is available, the first thing to do is to obtain a copy (free) of A Practical Guide for Disabled People (where to find information, Services and Equipment); order number 10378. This can be obtained from:

Department of Health Publications
PO Box 777
London SE1 6XH
(e-mail doh@prolog.uk.com)

There are numerous extra state benefits that may be claimable and appropriate to TM sufferers. You should start by contacting the Benefits Agency’s help line — Benefit Enquiry Line (BEL) on the free phone number 0800 88 22 00 — and asking for the relevant leaflets from those identified below. Or you can look at their web site (www.dss.gov.uk) to be given the above phone number.

Leaflet HB5 — A guide to non-contributory benefits for disabled people.
Booklet SD1 — Sick or Disabled
Booklet MG1 — A Guide to Benefits is a concise guide to benefits, pensions and tax credits. It enables you decide whether you might be entitled to:

Disability and incapacity benefits which include amongst others:

Attendance Allowance (leaflet DS702) for those who need help with personal care.
Council Tax Discount — no leaflet available but see note at the bottom of this.
Disability Living Allowance (Leaflet DS 704, or for children DS706) for those who need help with getting around and/or help with personal care
Disabled Person’s Tax Credit for those who can work at least 16 hours a week but whose disability limits their earnings (ask at an Inland Revenue office).
HEES (Home Energy Efficiency Scheme) provides grants towards insulating your home. Information from EAGA Ltd (0800 952 0600)
Incapacity Benefit (Leaflet ID1) for people who are incapable of work
Invalid Care Allowance (Leaflet SD4 Caring for someone?) for those who are spending at least 35 hours a week caring for a severely disabled person.
Severe Disablement Allowance (Leaflet SD1 Sick or Disabled) for those who are unable to work but can not claim Incapacity Benefit as they have not paid enough NI contributions.
Vehicle Excise Duty (car road tax) is free to those with the higher rate of the mobility component of the Disability Living Allowance. Obtain Leaflet V188 from a Post Office or DVLA, Swansea.

Disablement can have an enormous impact when it greatly reduces the family income. Then low income benefits may be helpful:

Housing Benefit and/or Council Tax Benefit (Leaflets GL17 Help paying council tax and RR2 A guide to Housing Benefit and paying Council Tax) for those on low income who need help with their rent and/or Council Tax.
Income Support (Leaflet IS20 A guide to Income Support) for those whose income is very low. For those on Income Support, Community Care Grants (Leaflet SF300) and Budgeting Loans (Leaflet SF500) may be helpful.
Residential care homes and nursing homes (Leaflet GL15 Help if you live in a residential care home or nursing home) for those who were already living in a nursing home or residential care home before April 1, 1993.
Working Families Tax Credit (ask at an Inland Revenue office)

Further information can be obtained from your Citizens Advice Bureau and from your advice provider. Please let us know if you discover other items which could help someone else.

Note:

Council Tax Discount (a reduction for disabilities)

Your Council Tax bill may be reduced if your home has certain features which are essential, or of major importance, to the well-being of a person with a disability, whether an adult or child, who is resident in the building. These features are:

a room (other than a bathroom, kitchen or toilet) used mainly by the person with the disability. For example, you might get a reduction if you have an extension or extra room used for storing dialysis equipment or wheelchairs, or a bedroom on the ground floor in a dwelling with two or more floors;

or an additional bathroom or kitchen for the use of the person with the disability;

or extra space inside the dwelling to allow for the use of a wheelchair.

When considering whether a reduction should apply, councils have to decide whether the person with the disability would find it impossible or extremely difficult to live in the dwelling, or whether their health would suffer, or the disability become more severe, if the extra feature were not available in the dwelling. To qualify for a reduction, the extra room need not be specially built, but can be an existing room used specifically for the person with the disability.

Some Councils are reputed to allow a rebate for a garage if you have an orange badge for your car.

If your home is eligible, your bill will be reduced to that of a property in the valuation band immediately below the band shown on the valuation list. For example, if your home is in band D, your bill will be reduced to that for a band C dwelling.

If you home is in band A, it will already be in the lowest council tax band and with some councils there may be no reduction.

You should phone your council (see your last invoice for the number) if you think you may be entitled to a discount. Ask for the Council Tax Offices and ask them to send you an application form. You may need to provide a letter from your doctor, or someone like an occupational therapist or social worker, saying that the person with the disability needs the extra space or room because of it. Your house will probably be inspected.

If the council won't give you a reduction of your council tax, you can write and appeal to your council giving the reasons why you think you should get a reduction. The council has two months to make a decision. If you still disagree with the council, or if it has not acted within the two month period, you can appeal to a Valuation Tribunal.