Project Description
Benefits for children and young adults with special educational needs.
Benefits can help you live more independently, help families that have children with special educational needs, such as autism. Unfortunately many families don’t know what they are entitled to, how to access the support or know how to fill out forms correctly.
We are here to help you make sure you know what you’re entitled to, how you can get it and how you can challenge decisions that are made about the support you can get if you don’t think they’re right.
If you need further guidance and support with benefit claims, specifically with PIP/DLA applications,
Contact Us: info@theknightlytrust.org
Personal Independence Payment (PIP) is a benefit for people who have a long term physical or mental disability and need help participating in everyday life or find it difficult to get around.
In England and Wales PIP has replaced the Disability Living Allowance (DLA) for people aged between 16 and 64.
If you already receive DLA you do not need to do anything until DWP contact you by letter and invite you to apply for PIP. However, if you report a change of circumstances, such as a change in your condition, to the DWP, it will trigger an invitation to apply for PIP. Please be aware the DWP will contact you by letter, so this is something you should look out for, if possible. If you do not respond to the letter your DLA will stop and there may be a delay before you can get PIP.
In some ways PIP has similarities with DLA, for instance they are both made up of 2 components – Daily Living and Mobility (which have 2 rates; standard and enhanced). However, PIP is a different benefit, with a different eligibility criteria, so you may not be able to accurately tell how the transition from DLA to PIP will affect you; you may see an increase in your benefits, or you may see a decrease.
PIP is tax free, is not means tested and you don’t need to have paid National Insurance contributions to be entitled to it.
Social care covers a wide range of care and support.
Children and young adults are entitled to get social care support. This ranges from a few hours of support a week for some people to round-the-clock care for others.
Support can include helping someone to get up and get dressed, develop friendships and relationships, do meaningful activities, and be part of their community.
The Knightly Trust has lots of ways to assist individuals in social care system.
What are direct payments?
“Direct payments” are cash payments given directly to the person who needs care and support (or their family if the person lacks the capacity to manage their money themselves) so that they can choose what services to buy and organise their own support. This is an alternative to services being provided directly by the local authority or by another organisation like a charity.
You have a right to request a direct payment to buy the support or services set out in your care and support plan. And the council must say yes to this in most circumstances.
The idea is that disabled people and their families will have more choice and control over their own care and support by using direct payments
What is a care and support plan?
A care and support plan is a detailed document setting out what services will be provided, how they will meet your needs, when they will be provided, and who will provide them.
You are entitled to see a copy of your care and support plan and the local authority should make sure that you are happy with it before it is finalised.
Your plan should be reviewed regularly by the local authority once it is in place, at least once a year or more often if necessary. Your plan should always be reviewed if your circumstances change.
At the bottom of the care and support plan there must be a sum of money, called a “personal budget”.
What is a personal budget?
Adults with eligible needs can be given a personal budget by the local authority. The amount you get must be enough to meet ‘eligible’ needs and pay for all the services set out in your care and support plan.
- The personal budget can be given to you in different ways:
- By services being provided directly by the local authority.