Young Carers Wiltshire 01380 729813
This is a group for siblings to attend it is like a youth club.
Sherston Publishing
Do CD ROMS that work well for ASD children as they tend to be visual learners (LDA Nouns) recommended by Wiltshire LEA.
The Community Foundation for Wiltshire 01380 729284
They fund equipment for SEN children, Educational aids, laptops, desktop computers. Grants are from the Green Acre trust from £500 up to £1000. Simple non invasive form!
The Family Fund 0845 1304542
Your family income has to be under £25,000 but they do look at each claim individually. The common things they fund is holidays, driving lessons, washing machines, beds and bedding, specialist toys, outings.
Bournstream Wooton Under Edge 01531 820693
Bournestream is a secure play area for special needs children and their families. You pay a £10 deposit which gives you a key to open the locked gate and toilet.
Radar key
This is available from the Council office at Monkton Reach or the Town Hall; it costs around £3 and enables you to use any disabled toilet. This is such a help when all other toilets are locked or you have other children too young to leave alone this can be used to change nappies as other areas are too small.
Hop Skip and Jump Kingswood near Bristol 01179 9677282
This is an inside and outside play area for special needs children and their families. They have a huge number of toys to play with as well as craft areas, play station type games, board games, home corner, small soft play area. The outside area is fully enclosed with play equipment swings, slides, roundabout, zip wire and a tennis court area fenced with wheeled toys, bikes go carts etc.
Legoland Windsor 01753 626111
Carer gets free entry all people in group get hand stamped to get entry through exits, this cuts down waiting times massively. The person with SEN gets red stamp and others get black, to use exit pass you have to have a red stamp to gain entry to each ride. Get this from little office inside park think it is called guest services show diagnosis letter.
Crealy Exeter 01395 233200
Carer gets entry free. This is a smaller theme park than Legoland with rides and animals. It also has an indoor play barn with merry go round type rides.
Olympiad Chippenham
Every child is entitled to swim for free, if you take your ASD child you as a carer is entitled to accompany them free.
British Gas
Apparently do free checks for people who have disabled people in the household, please check with them.
Carers Support North Wiltshire 01249 444110 Justine Impey
Support and advice given on form filling and appeals if necessary for DLA etc. At the office in new road they offer massage sessions free and other outings to Whitehall Garden Centre, Ikea, Walks, and Pottery Painting. I think worth getting on the mailing list as lots of things to get on which are fun and mostly free.
Benefits Enquiry Line 0800 882200
They are a free phone advice line but don’t have a data base of people’s details. They do give information on benefit entitlement and also send forms.
Nappies Incontinent Pads Washable Pants/Pads and Sheets
Once your child is 4 talk to your Health Visitor/ School Nurse as they have a duty to supply free of charge continence supplies. This is a recognised problem with ASD children you can get up to 6 packs per week and can be pampers nappies or Pull ups. You have to fill out a form as how many nappies you use per day and that is what they base your monthly supply on.
Reduced Vehicle Breakdown Cover
AA 0800 028 8663
RAC 0800 550 550
For those people who hold a disabled blue badge.
Carers Allowance 01253 856123
You as a carer are entitled to this if you get DLA at middle or higher rate for your child. You can get this if you work but if you earn over £95 per week this stops.
Claim as soon as you are awarded DLA as the carers allowance will be back dated to the same start date. The weekly allowance is £53.10 per carer not per person you care for. Get advice as this does affect other benefits.
DLA www.direct.gov.uk
This is a handy email address as this can be used to see what DLA rate you are likely to receive and details on carers allowance.
DLA Care rates per week
High £70.35
Medium £47.10
Low £ 18.65
DLA Mobility rates per week
High £49.10
Low £18.65
DLA care is awarded in 3 levels if you get medium or high, you are entitled to claim carer’s allowance. If you are awarded high level care you are entitled to claim DLA mobility. Again this is a 2 level benefit low and high if you are awarded high rate that can be used to fund or towards a new or used care or simply keep the money towards your own existing car if that is best for you. You do not have to justify what the money is being spent on,
If you get high care you automatically can claim for a disabled blue badge. This helps with extra space around the car for ease of movement and no car door damage. This can be used in any car it is for the person not assigned to one vehicle, handy if mum drops at school and dad picks up.
The blue badge has hidden extras- crossing the Severn Bridge free, congestion charges in London free and other areas that have that. The forms are available from County Hall Trowbridge and when you apply you get a booklet of info who to call to register for free congestion etc.
If you get high rate care and mobility you can get free car tax I think they send you the form for free tax when the DLA rate is awarded, If they have forgotten to send it phone 08457 123456.
Disable Car Parking
You are entitled to Park in a disabled car space if the disabled person is not with you, as long as you are picking up prescriptions, food, toys, nappies even meetings.
Check signs in each car park as we found in Weymouth they don’t give any discount for disabled.
North Wilts Holiday Club 07790580463 Joanna Simpson
This is a summer holiday club for SEN children run at St Nicolas School in Chippenham. It has been the first 3 weeks of the summer holidays in previous years. They run trips, play games, do cooking and craft activities. I believe this is for school age children only. Any special needs children can attend and they don’t charge as such its £10 per day that includes bus fares and entry to zoos etc.
CEA Card www.ceacars.co.uk 0845 1231292
Download the forms from the internet send off with passport style photos and around £5, this gives the card holder free entry, and lasts for a year but not all cinemas honour it. The above web site gives full details of participating cinemas.
Working Tax Credits
When you get your DLA award inform tax credits of the start date and rates.
If you need advice the CAB, carers support, benefits enquiry line and even the job centre can give impartial advice
We hope that this information will give you the confidence to take your DLA and diagnosis letter and get the discounts available and enjoy a day out or trip.
If you have any info on tips and freebies please let us know.
