Benefits

[Greenbus]

What will will happen when my learning disability daughter reaches 18 what happens to benifits does she have to claim anything in her own right and how does it work any advice would be appreciated Thank-you.

[Blackhouse]

Hi. Once your daughter reaches 18 she will be entitled to esa. This will be applied for online. All information required should be about her alone and not the household income, savings, etc. Pip/dla will carry on as normal. If you google "learning disabled adult esa" that will give you more info. Or try gov.uk + esa. We did this a few years ago and managed ok.

[Greenbus in reply to Blackhouse]

OK that's great thanks for your advice .

[DorrieReynolds]

I had a nightmare helping my son to apply for benefits after 18. No, I wasn't allowed to apply online, it took weeks and weeks for any benefits to come at all. In the meantime, I was passed from person to person at the job centre, none of whom seemed to have any clue what was supposed to happen with someone with my son's disabilities (moderate intellectual disabiity and autism). For three weeks, I had to turn up at the job centre with various pieces of information from medical papers to his income to outgoings etc. On every occasion I was told that we didn't need to bring the information, but to bring it the next week when my son 'signed on'. One week, a member of staff told me I didn't have to attend the job centre at all that week, despite it being documented, and to come back the following week. The following week, the same staff member was extremely rude and blunt, then told me he shouldn't even be there because he had an ear infection! I didn't dare be rude back or ungrateful in any way because these are the people who can hold up a claim or negate it.

I was told numerous times that my son would have to sign on and demonstrate that he was actively seeking work on a weekly basis. This, despite evidence that he can't even complete a benefits application and had a clear and demonstrable level of intellectual disability. After weeks we eventually saw a fantastic member of staff who knew about disability. She sorted out everything.

Prepare to be spoken to as if you're something on the bottom of someone's shoe and be extremely patient. Good luck

[Greenbus in reply to DorrieReynolds]

Oh god that sounds an absolute nightmare and yes I no what you mean they do look down on you but we are doing a job just like them we work so hard to Thankyou for your advice .