§ 30. Mr. DismoreTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make a statement on the level of support given to children with disabilities. [88057]
§ Mr. BayleyThe level of financial support given to a disabled child is dependent upon the circumstances of the case. There is a wide range of financial assistance available which contributes towards the extra costs faced by families of disabled children and which includes
Disability Living Allowance which provides a contribution towards the extra costs incurred because of the effects of disability. The Welfare Reform and Pensions Bill, currently before Parliament, provides that the age limit for entitlement to the higher rate mobility component of Disability Living Allowance will be lowered to the age of three, giving help to an additional 8,000 children.Within Income Support, income based Jobseeker's Allowance, Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit, groups identified as likely to have extra expenses receive help through the disability premium structure. The new Disability Income Guarantee will 356W provide extra help in these premiums for families with disabled children getting the highest rate of the care component of Disability Living Allowance.Help is also available from the Family Fund Trust. This is funded by the UK Health Departments and has been allocated over £24 million for 1999–2000. It provides grants to low-income families with severely disabled children to enable them to continue to care for them at home.