Saturday 12 February 2011

understanding benefit changes Feb 2011

Confused by all the benefits changes? – help is at hand from Contact a Family
To help parents make sense of the recent welfare reforms announced by the Coalition Government and what the changes will mean for them, Contact a Family has produced a free guide to Future Benefit Changes.
Derek Sinclair, Senior Welfare Rights Specialist at Contact a Family, said: “The recently announced benefits changes amount to the biggest shake up to the benefits system in generations.  Changes include replacing means tested benefits such as income support with a new 'universal credit', major reform of Disability Living Allowance and cuts in housing benefit. It is really important that parents with disabled children understand what these changes will mean and that is why we are making our guide to Future Benefit changes available to them for free.”
The changes will impact on all families with a disabled child.  While some of the changes will not take affect for a year or two, others will start to impact from this April - including changes in housing benefit for many private tenants, and a number of tax credit cuts including reduced help with childcare costs.
While many of the changes proposed will mean cuts in financial help – there is some good news. One of the changes being made in April will allow children aged 3 or above who have a severe visual impairment to start qualifying for the high rate of the DLA mobility component.

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