Financial Support

Aids and Adaptations

You do not always have to pay for small pieces of equipment like grab rails or adapted kitchen equipment – these can often be obtained for free from St John’s Hospital Community Equipment Store, although others may require an assessment by an Occupational Therapist first.

For larger items, like sports wheelchairs, you may be able to get a grant. See ‘Grants for Funding’ below for some funders who can help.

Carers Allowance

Parents often don’t consider themselves to be ‘carers’, but you may be eligible for Carer’s Allowance if you are over 16 and regularly provide care for at least 35 hours per week to a disabled child or adult.

Carers Allowance can affect other benefits you receive and the benefits of the person you care for.  You should check with a benefits advisor if you are unsure otherwise the person you care for could have their benefits reduced.

Carers Allowance Supplement is an extra payment paid to carers in Scotland who receive Carers Allowance.  It is paid automatically twice a year.

To claim Carers Allowance online, go to: carersallowance.service.gov.uk/

Childcare Costs

Your child is eligible for up to 1140 hours of pre-school provision from the start of first term after their 2nd birthday if you are in receipt of certain income based benefits.

Full information is available at: westlothian.gov.uk/apply-for-an-elc-place

The Scottish Government has web pages about childcare you can get help with, funded early learning childcare and when it can start, and other help with childcare costs.

Cost of Living Crisis and Debt Management

Locally, Citizen’s Advice or the West Lothian Welfare Team (Advice Shop) can arrange 1:1 support to discuss any money worries.

Online, for advice about coping with debt, the Scottish Government has a list of organisations who can help here.

The Scottish Government’s Cost of Living website provides additional information and support for people who need urgent help with money, food or fuel.

Money Saving Expert has lots of information on every aspect of saving money.

Moneyhelper discusses managing your money when you have poor mental health.

Council Tax Reduction

You may qualify for a disabled person’s reduction if your child requires special provision in your house e.g. a room which is adapted to be safe for a child who damages themselves or the furniture.

Full details can be found on West Lothian Council’s disabled person’s reduction page.

Foodbanks

If you are finding it difficult to afford food, you can ask a local agency to refer you to a local foodbank and issue a voucher for food. The procedure for accessing West Lothian Foodbank is here. You must get a referral.

There are also ‘community fridges’ and other local initiatives scattered across West Lothian, so ask locally if there is one near you or check this map.

Fuel Bills

There is a variety of assistance available with fuel bills, and what is on offer changes regularly, so you should seek support from an advisor at any of West Lothian’s Partnership Centres or at Citizen’s Advice. The notes below explain some of the most common options.

Child Winter Heating Assistance

Child Winter Heating Assistance is a benefit from the Scottish Government. It’s a payment to help disabled children and young people and their families with increased heating costs over winter. It’s paid once a year. The payment for winter 2022-2023 is £214.10

Children and young people in Scotland can get the assistance if they’re under 19 years old and get one of the following qualifying benefits:

• The highest rate of the care component of Child Disability Payment
• The enhanced daily living component of Personal Independence Payment

They must be getting this on at least one day in the third full week of September.

If there is more than one child or young person in your household who qualifies, they each get a payment.

Eligible children and young people living in Scotland do not need to apply. They’ll get their payment automatically and it will usually be made into the same bank account as their Child Disability Payment or Personal Independence Payment.

You’ll get a letter from Social Security Scotland before the payment is made.

Winter Heating Payments

This payment, from the Scottish Government, replaces the Cold Weather Payment in Scotland. Winter Heating Payment is to help people on low income benefits who might have extra heating needs. Social Security Scotland pays this to people living in Scotland.

It replaces the Cold Weather Payment from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and has the same eligibility requirements.

Unlike the Cold Weather Payment, Winter Heating Payment does not depend on how cold the temperature gets, and it will not affect the payment of other benefits.

Winter Heating Payment is a yearly payment of £50 that’s paid automatically if you receive qualifying benefits.

Warm Homes discount

You could get £150 off your electricity bill for winter under the Warm Home Discount Scheme. The money is not paid to you – it’s a one-off discount on your electricity bill, between October and March.

You can qualify for the Warm Home Discount Scheme if you’re on a low income and meet your energy supplier’s criteria for the scheme. Your electricity supplier decides who can get the discount. You can still qualify for the discount if you use a pre-pay or pay-as-you-go electricity meter. Your electricity supplier can tell you how you’ll get the discount if you’re eligible, for example a voucher you can use to top up your meter.

Grants for fuel bills/arrears

Citizen’s Advice has a list of funders who may be able to help with fuel bills, but take advice for an up to date picture of availability.

Grant Funding

You can ask a grant funder for whatever you need, subject to their own rules. The Family Fund seem the most open to unusual requests, if you can show how the item would benefit your child.

Each funder has their own rules (read carefully and make sure you do what is asked), but most will need similar information which you can get ready before you apply:

(a) a letter from a professional who can tell them about how your child’s disability affects them and how they would benefit from having whatever you are requesting

(b) some information about your income/expenditure

(c) one or two price quotes (can be website pages) showing the cost of the item you are asking them to help with.

• Whizz-Kidz specialises in wheelchairs.
• Challenger Children’s Fund physically disabled children under 18, max £500
• Family Fund – children with high support needs under 18, from low income families
• Cash for Kids – Forth Radio grants, under 18s, sometimes flexible about unusual requests
• Newlife – equipment loans or grants, and free 12 -week loans of specialist toys
• Independent Living Fund (ILF) has a technology grant for 16-25 year olds, or a transition grant which can be used to fund other types of equipment, subject to certain conditions

Other places to look for funding:

• Disability Grants UK – search the children’s section, grants for lots of different things
• Turn2Us grants search and benefits checker

Ensure you and your child are receiving all the benefits you are entitled to – Child Disability Payment could be used for more specialised items for your child.

Travel and Transport

Information about help for the costs of items such as travel to hospital and driving lessons can be found on our Travel page