People with disabilities are offered a wide range of financial support. This includes tax credits, grants and concessions and more. Whether the person is 16 years of age or 64 years of age, there are long term health benefits plans available which can help them in living independently. If there is any person in your family who is under 16 and he is disabled, then it means he needs more care and supervision as compared to other children of his age.
The main benefits which can be obtained by disabled people include:
- Disability living allowance
- Employment & support allowance
- Attendance allowance
- Industrial injuries benefit
- Constant attendance allowance
What ways do these financial benefits help?
Disability Living Allowance
Disability living allowance is meant for both children and adults. For children under 16, it is a benefit that can help in reducing the extra expenses due to long term disability or illness. For adults between 16 and 64, this is a financial assistance provided for long term disability or illness.
Attendance allowance
This allowance is meant to offer personal care if you are 65 or above suffering from physical or mental impairment. The amount you get depends on the level of care needed on the basis of the disability. If a person is entitled to get attendance allowance, he can avail more financial help.
Employment and Support Allowance
With the help of Employment and Support Allowance, a person gets financial support if they are unable to work. He may also get personalized help if they are willing to work. Any disabled person can apply for the ESA whether they are employed or unemployed.
Carer’s allowance
A disabled person may also get carer’s allowance if substantial caring is required. Any person can play the role of carer, it is not necessary for him/her to live with the person or be related to the person. The only restriction is that the person must be above 16 years and spend 35 hours a week to care for the disabled person. This is a taxable allowance. It can influence other benefits too.
Incapacity benefit
If a disabled person cannot work because of his disability or illness, he can receive incapacity benefit. This benefit could only be claimed for before 31 January 2011. The alternatives include Employment & Support Allowance.
Vehicles and transport
Help in case of vehicles and transport services for the disabled people include the following:
Blue badge scheme: This scheme offers parking benefits to disabled people so that they don’t have to face any lengthy walking times to get to their destination, they can par as close as the premises will allow.
Vehicle Tax Exemption: Disabled people can apply to get exemption when paying for vehicle tax if they receive a higher rate mobility of the Disability Living Allowance. The vehicle has to be registered in the name of the disabled person or the driver who is nominated. The vehicle must be strictly used for the needs of the disabled person. It cannot be used by the nominated driver for his personal use.
Motability Scheme: This scheme is meant for helping the disabled person to lease a car, a scooter or even a wheelchair.
Home and Housing
If the disabled person is assessed by his local council for the healthcare or support service, he can use direct payment for buying a house or arranging some help for receiving the benefits.
There are Disabled Facilities Grants offered by the government to help disabled people make home adaptions so that they can continue living in their house without any trouble.
There are times when disabled people need some kind of property extension just so that they can live in the house without any trouble. These extensions can increase the size of the property and for this, more council tax will have to be paid. But concerning the council tax bill, the disabled person can receive reduction if the new expansion features are essential for the living of the person.
On low salary
If a disabled person is low on salary due to their disability, then there are various work schemes that can help the disabled regarding employment. Access to work is one of such schemes that can offer support to the disabled person in work. This scheme can pay for the support worker, purchase of special equipment or the additional travelling costs incurred if the disabled person is unable to use public transport facilities to get to work.
These are just a few financial aids provided by the government of the UK to facilitate disabled people in living a life without any discrimination and stress.