Hi, I am new to this group and gave been really impressed, with advice given to others
I am currently wanting to get some kind of benefit for my 24 year old. She has moderate learning difficulties, was statemented throughout school/college. She presents as someone many years younger, I'd say approx 10 years of age. She is very vulnerable. For the past 5 years she 'helped' me to look after my mum, who came to live with us. Mum used to give her £25 'wages' out of her AA. Since mum's passing, my daughter has had no income and I think she deserves something. But which benefit is she able to apply for. The benefit system is a minefield and I don't have a clue which one to apply for. Any advice would be very gratefully received.
23 Replies
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Disgust! Why would that be? She, along with thousands of others are entitled to some form of benefit, to give her some independence . Her father and I have always worked and paid our dues, never claiming for anything, until now. She cannot fight for herself, so I will.
She most certainly is entitled to some form of benefit, that previous comment is disgraceful. If your daughter is unable to hold down a job because of her disability she is entitled to some financial support. As you say you and your husband have provided for her financially all her life but when she is an adult she should have money in her own right. I think probably ESA at least but please get some advice from someone, welfare rights, or do you have a carers centre in your area as you will definitely need some help filling in the forms especially if you’ve never claimed on her behalf before. Seriously you need to do this, she will be entitled to something. I am incensed at the previous comment so I can imagine how you feel. Take care and good luck.
And I hope you and your daughter can get things sorted. My brother has had a job for the last 3 and a bit months and got let go today. So he’ll be back on JSA but he should be getting more as £250 a month is an absolute kick in the teeth.
Sorry to hear of your brothers troubles. Not easy is it, but he'll get there hopefully. It's terrible that there isn't more help or advice. God help those poor people who don't have family to fight their corner
My reference to 'wages' was tongue in cheek. It's what her Gran used to tell her ( like you do with young children, as that is how she is.) I did state that she has moderate learning difficulties. She had no concept of money and its worth, she can't work out for herself money and has difficulty with telling the time/concept of time, she also has other health problems which I am not going into now.
She is 24 and has never had any form of benefit because, we as a family have always willingly provided for her. Now it's time to ask for help for her.
This was the first question I asked on this forum and yes I was upset by your unfounded comment, luckily somebody else responded who seemed to have no problem understanding my post.
Please, in future, do not state that you are disgusted with somebody, who is only trying to do the best by their disabled child.
I think I need to leave the group, I don't need negativity in my life, things are difficult enough
PLS dont leave the group. There will be all sorts of answers given but hang in there.
I was thinking you could phone DWP and ask?
PIP too? I think there are two groups in that and two rates. One groupfor people who could find work and others who have too severe disabilities (support group)
I think we need to read between the lines above (RockinRic) and let it pass. If your daughter is in need of support then the benefits system is absolutely there for her and she has the right to expect a social system to help. I am no expert, but would ring the DWP helpline. The system is transitioning but she may be entitled to ESA/PIP or Universal Credit. Along the way, sadly, we have to weather wounding comments.
I have only seen one negative response on this forum and the person has apologised. Stay on it because it can be very supportive. I suggest you make an appointment at your Citizen's Advice Bureau in the first place. If you phone them I think they will ask some questions and tell you if they can give you an appointment or they will point you in the right direction on their website. I hope that helps.
Hi hidden and welcome. I am sure your daughter would qualify for some level of pip and universal credit. The helpline is open again Monday 9-3 and they will have more info as to types of benefits and how to apply. 0808 808 1111. You say she helped you take care of her gran so maybe she would enjoy a little volunteering position for a few hours. If you feel she would ask the helpline about this too. I hope they can help and let us know how you get on. Best wishes.
I would start with PIP if she has a learning disability. My son, with autism and learning disabilities gets PIP and universal credit.
Honestly I’m sad that you havn’t claimed anything until now. My own son has had DLA and then PIP since he was 3 years old. Once he turned 19 he then got universal credit. If you’re supporting her and caring for her you should be entitled to carers allowance. Let us know how you get on .
You need to contact the head of Adult Social Care in your area. You can get advice on benefits but more importantly your daughter can connect with Day time services and Work opportunities. Life must be quite dull for her if she is just staying at home with you. She is a young woman with a lot of years ahead that need to be filled with meaningful and satisfying occupation, paid or unpaid. Fo contact your local Adult Social Care department.
Your best bet for help and advice is to go to the citizens advice bureau locally to you. They can help you with benefit forms and which to apply for.
My son and daughter have a genetic condition which means they have moderate/severe learning disabilities and autism amount other difficulties. My daughter sounds a lot like yours and coincidentally is 24 too!
They both get PIP and Universal credit in the limited capability for work and work related activity. I would think your daughter would probably be entitled to something similar.
It won’t be an easy path, probably taking months of form filling. My advice is to send as many reports as you can in with the forms even her old statement so you can show this is a condition she has had for a long time.
The other thing you could do is get in touch with the adult social services duty desk and see if they will do a care assessment on your daughter. We have direct payments from social services and employ a Personal assistant to take our son or daughter out so we can work or have a break. They also occasionally attend a day centre paid for with this where they socialise with others and do activities.
Hi Hidden, your situation sounds very similar to my own! My daughter is 26 and had Statements (including global delay) and provision for Special Education throughout her days in school and college. She has had a few jobs working in local pubs and a restaurant - mainly as a pot washer in their kitchens. Unfortunately, she has never had an actual diagnosis as having an LD but it is recognised to be mild/moderate by an expert that we know personally.
She is currently in receipt of Universal Credit (visit your local Job Centre for an appointment) as she is only has 2 hours work at the moment per week.
She would like to leave home (she lives with my ex-wife at the moment) so we have embarked on getting a Needs Assessment under the Care Act 2014 done - I recommend that you do the same through your local (county) council. Her assessment is still to be fully completed but she is already being offered support through "Access to Work" and a Personal Assistant to help her with certain things (she has big issues with the value of money and maths in general, understanding the passage of time, complexities to do with making all manner of decisions). Her needs are very subtle and she is very vulnerable to anyone with dishonest intentions. It's important to plan for her future whilst we can and are still around.
We need to reapply for PIP - she has been refused once already - but we are now utterly determined to fight for what she deserves.
Very best of luck - you're not alone. It sometimes feels like you're the only one with these sorts of deep problems but you're not. There's loads of us fighting for our loved ones' rights - come and join us!
Please call MENCAP whenever you have any problems - they have been absolute gold dust for me.
Goodness RockinRic that is a very harsh reply indeed and totally unnecessary I am trying my best to contain my disgust at your unhelpful and hurtful comment!!!
Hi, I relate to your post completely, my Daughter is also 24 and has Moderate Learning Difficulties and Speech and Language problems, she was also supported and statemented through her time in school, which in her case was mainstream. She desperately would like to work and we have tried every avenue we can to secure her some employment, but it has been unsuccessful each time as the level of support she required just didn't make it viable for the employer. We had never claimed benefits for her and were reluctant to do so, but providing for an adult and their needs is very different to caring for a child with additional needs. We started by contacting Adult Social Services, I was very nervous and quite upset to do so, but it was nothing like I expected and to their credit they were wonderful and she was offered Direct Payments which now enables her to go out with her 'Buddy' for trips to the cinema etc, as her friendship group from leaving education was getting smaller and smaller each year. We then went on to apply for PIP and she was awarded enhanced mobility and care, it was then I realised just how much me and her Dad were doing on our own, and how we just accepted how hard life was for us both mentally, physically and financially, as I had to give up work to provide daily support for my Daughter. She also qualified for Employment and Support Allowance. She has now been on them about 3 years and the improvement to her quality of life, independence and her happiness has been wonderful to see. We never realised just how much 'our pride' at not claiming financial help for her situation, and ours, negatively impacted on us and her. My husband at 65, still works very long hours, pays his taxes and has never claimed benefits, I also, up to having my Daughter worked full time, we work hard and our Daughter is amazing. Good Luck with the process, the hardest part to claiming benefits was overcoming my own pride, but I'm not doing this for me I am doing it for her. One day we will not be here for her and these things need to be in place otherwise she will just 'fall through the cracks in the system' You received a very rude and insensitive first response to your question, but others have given you some great advice. Go get that support I promise you, speaking as someone who has been there, it is life changing for the better. x
A person does not need to be on receipt of pip to get universal credit I suggest you go to citizens advise for help and having pip does not affect UC either
I would go to specialist services were you live if you can find one or go to a library it’s very hard these days and it’s depend we’re you live most specialist services are in city’s but with the last few years they been lost or close down because this evil governments we have who don’t live are lives cuts specialist services down for human beings with disability and hidden disability the government department and there evils MPS and House of Lords can claim every thing out of the public taxpayers money but we can and we don’t stand up to this any more the U.K. is only for the rich and wealthy and they make up the laws and rules text books because they are from wealthy rich families and go to posh university and schools and colleges and never live are different experiences of live and this new benefits systems has been set up by greedy private companies and cost the taxpayers much much more the the new PIP benefits systems is not about what affects your health or wellbeing any more or mental health conditions disability it’s about the governments body very evil ways and pay us very little or limited benefits the old DLA was a much better fair systems and was about what affected your whole wellbeing and this new benefits systems truly cost the taxpayers more and more and the governments says work pays they should not have any say about the benefits systems because they don’t live with are difficult disability and don’t live are lives the same way the benefits need lived expert in are community’s who should develop this not rich wealthy and they benefit from these greedy payments and making careers out of the sick and disabled human being and the people with long term conditions and disability and physical conditions no MPS or House of Lords should have any say on are benefits systems because they live in a different world and never well live are life’s in the same way and we let the governments get away with this in every way who stand up now with human beings experiences and real rights any more with all kinds of disability and mental health conditions disability and physical harmful conditions the governments are pure evil and greedy they gave us very little money and they take everything from taxpayers from the lower end but the rich and wealthy get around all the loopholes but make the benefits systems difficult for us and make it’s easy for the rich and wealthy we all need to take a true stand and responsibility now because public taxpayers pay much more in public money To MPS and governments and houses of lords greedy payments to seating on there back sides all day you could see if your have a specialist disability peer support groups in your local community but these very few now because of the evils cuts no true community investment any more because the this government don’t want that there out for there own greedy companies and lifestyle hope your will find some it took me 4 years to find any specialist services and support and was little or limited and it’s was he’ll changing over to PIP benefits systems it’s took me 3 years to get his but a specialist community services lawyer in Bristol help me fighting my claim and the had to pay all the money back this PIP benefits and assessment systems is very evil to the wrong general human beings who are honest I use to get DLA and was awarded for as long as I was alive because I had a serious physical and mental conditions disability because of very serious mental and physical evil abuse for many many years by my so called family and then in care the destroyed my whole life and seriously harm me this new benefits systems is pure evil and harmful and stressful experience hope I could of been some help to you
Thank you all for your amazing posts about this sometimes difficult and emotive topic.
Thank you also to anyone who reported one of the posts as being inappropriate. I have removed this post as it included offensive language.
As always, your posts make a huge difference to other people on this community. You help provide a safe environment for anyone to talk about learning disability. You are awesome.
Walk in somebody else’s shoes before you make such a scathing remark and use the word “disgusted” I also had a job to contain myself when I read your reply to Hidden. Perhaps you need to choose you words more carefully.
I have a son who is 20 years old in March 20 this year I have to claim Universal credit for him as he can't do anything financial or read or write except for the absence but all mixed up. If your Daughter can't work or do anything else for herself. But reading your message again I see that you said that she helped you to care for your mum. So universal credit may put her on the fit to work section of universal credit but if really can't work because of being very unsure of her self I would suggest that you get a Doctors note saying that your daughter is incapable of holding down a job and why. A medical professional should provide you or Your daughter a sick letter/ note .if she is lucky to be put on the unfit to work group of the universal credit she won't have to go to the Job centre when asked to nor will she have to log on to the universal credit website to log what they have been doing to find paid work. Most of this for universal credit in done online once they have an a assessment interview by an official for DWP. It must be said that it takes about 6 weeks to get an answer to your Daughter's application for universal credit and she will get an allowance within that benefit for housing costs for accommodation. But they only back the claim for 28 days so she will have to find money to cover her housing costs of staying with you. That's if you take anything from her for that. If she can't handle her own affairs I would register with the DWP has her appointee to handle the benefits side of things. I would consider getting a power of attorney for your daughter as the health service or any other government department can over rule your decisions in regards to your Daughter's on matters of health and wellbeing and also any property or money that she may have in trust or wills etc. It is better to be prepared for this to happen in the future. And with her having a disabilities problems have you thought about applying for PiP on her behalf she might only get the normal rate on care and mobility but it Is something that she may be entitled to. With what the person said previously but apologised later in my opinion he or anyone else who has any objections to people claiming benefits especially when they have disabilities . They should check what they write before putting them in words to make sure that they are being polite to the person who has disabilities. Because I know a lot of disabled people who would rather have a paid job just like everyone else. And what if the person making the rude comments was in the same shoes as the disabled person is how would they feel if someone else had said the same thing to them. I bet you they would kick up such a stir . So please think about what you pen in your comments as the person who you are being awful to is a Human being with feelings just like you and me. I hope that this has helped you Hidden and I wish you and your daughter and family all the best. Take care. Peter
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