Support and Agencies (UK)

 

Disability Living Allowance (DLA)
Disability Living Allowance (DLA) is paid to people who need help looking after themselves. You must have become ill or disabled and needed help before and claim before your 65th birthday.
  • You must usually have lived in Great Britain, Northern Ireland or the Isle of Man for 26 weeks in the last 12 months, and be in Great Britain when you make your claim.

VAT relief on products and services for disabled people

  • Disabled people do not have to pay VAT on the cost of some building work involved in adaptations to their homes. If an adaptation qualifies for VAT relief, the work done to prepare for the adaptation and the work done to tidy up afterwards is also free from VAT.
  • You can also get VAT relief when buying wheelchairs, electric scooters and other aids for disabled use.

Council Tax reduction for disabled people

  • If you adapt your home so that you, or another disabled person, can live there, you may be eligible for a one-band reduction on your Council Tax (for example, from Band D to Band C). This is particularly useful if the value of your property has increased in value as a result of the adaptation work, but it applies even if this is not the case.

Government Disabled Website
www.direct.gov.uk/en/DisabledPeople

 

Social Services

You may be able to get help through the Social Services. I have found them to be excessively slow in responding to requests for help and the only thing they have provided is a ramp to the back door. When I needed a stair lift they took months and in the end I bought my own. To make contact phone your local council office

 

Blue Badge Scheme

The Blue Badge Scheme for the disabled gives you access to special car-parking facilities throughout the UK and Europe, although you need to check the local conditions when driving in Europe. I found that there are several states in Australia that will accept the UK Blue Badge and it was also accepted in New Zealand.

www.bluebadge.org

 

Motability

If you are entitled to the Higher Rate of Mobility Allowance you can apply to have a car through the Motability Scheme. This has the benefit that you lease the car, which you can choose from a range of dealers, and the car is replaced every three years. Servicing, Tax, Insurance, Tyres and Windscreen, plus roadside recovery are provided as part of the lease. There is an allowance of 45,000 miles over 3 years, with additional mileage charged at a fixed amount per mile. Your Mobility Allowance will be paid directly to Motability by the Department of Work & Pensions, and depending on the value of the vehicle you may have to make a one off contribution to the purchase cost.

www.motability.co.uk

Radar Key

Access to disabled toilets through-out the UK can be a problem, but the Radar key unlocks the majority of these facilities
You can get a radar key from your local council office.

www.radar.org.uk

 

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