State benefits

Many families experience extra costs associated with their child’s cancer treatment. This can be a real worry especially as many parents reduce working hours to care for their child.
 
Below is a list of benefits that you or your child may be entitled to. Click on a title to be taken to the relevant information below. It may seem a bit bewildering but your CLIC Sargent care professional can help you find out what benefits you might be entitled to and help you apply for them. top of page

An important non-means tested benefit for any child or young person who has a serious illness or disability and who needs more care than a child of the same age. Normally help must have been needed for at least 3 months and likely to be needed for a further 6 months. No guarantee can be made that you child will be granted DLA as every child is assessed individually. If granted, this benefit is paid into the carer’s bank account.

Road Tax Exemption in the receipt of above benefit (exemption form DLA403) obtained from DLA Unit.

See leaflet SF300 from your local Benefits Agency for help with travel costs when visiting your child in hospital.

Refund from hospital for travel costs if you are receiving benefits and bringing you child to hospital by car or local transport. This is form HC1.

Apply to your local authority Social Services Department or ask your CLIC Sargent care professional (each authority has different regulations on issuing this).

Allows the use of high rate mobility component of DLA towards leasing a new or used car on hire purchase. Ask you CLIC Sargent care professional for a leaflet.

Payable to anyone over the age of 16 who spends at least 35 hours a week caring for a sick or disabled child who is in receipt of the Disability Living Allowance.  Carers allowance is not provided if you are in full time education with 21 hours or more a week of supervised study or if the carer earns over a certain amount.

You may qualify for this if you are unable to work, or can only work limited hours. This benefit replaced Income Support paid and Incapacity Benefit in October 2008.

Disabled Tax Credit - if you receive Disability Living Allowance you will automatically receive this.

Benefits for young people – if you are over the age of 16 you may be eligible for benefits in your own right.

Patients in receipt of the following can claim for help with travel expenses:

• Income Support
• Jobseeker's Allowance
• Working Families' Tax Credit
• Disabled Person's Tax Credit
• Patients on a low income who have been issued with a HC2 or HC3 form.
• Patients who are on a low income but are unable to produce the above should complete a HC1 or HC5 form and send it to the Health Benefits Division in the envelope provided with the form.

How to make a claim
To claim please go to the general/cashier's office of the hospital. You will need to take with you:

1. Proof of one of the above allowances.

2. Your hospital appointment card.

3. Bus or rail tickets (use a cheap-day return whenever possible).

4. Patients travelling by private transport will be paid by pence per mile.

5. Expenses for escorts will only be paid if the patient's doctor has stated, in writing, that an escort is essential.

You must have the original receipt, rather than credit cards slip or a bank statement. Every hospital will have additional information, please check with the ward staff and the hospital cashiers office.

All local authorities’ Social Services Departments have a responsibility to provide services to help your child and yourselves if your child has a significant level of disability or chronic ill health. These services may be provided by the Children with Disability Team following an assessment of need.

Services that may be provided include:

• Social Work Support
• Home Care
• Disability Car Badge
• Aids and adaptations within the home
• Direct payments scheme to purchase support services
• Respite care either within or outside the home
• Signposting to other support services
• Who to contact?

Either through your CLIC Sargent care professional, or Direct access to Social Services Duty Point, listed in the ‘phone book’ under you local authority name.