Benefits for Caring for ADHD Child

Replies

By Alice

Re: Benefits for Caring for ADHD Child
Tue 11 Mar 2008 11:20

Have you thought about doing activities with your son such as swimming, bike rides, board games, even sitting reading to him, perhaps a little pet like a hampster or a rabbit might be good for him, most of these things are free, the most they would cost is your time and patience.

By natalie

Re: Benefits for Caring for ADHD Child
Tue 11 Mar 2008 13:39

have you asked your doctor for a referal to child mental health or a social worker ect... you may be entitled to dla or direct payment for respite

By Alice

Re: Benefits for Caring for ADHD Child
Tue 11 Mar 2008 17:07

Hi all
I am probably going to ruffle a lot of feathers now, but what is wrong with young Mums nowadays? I agree that they should have some support through respite etc. But to ask for benefits
to fund activities for their child is a bit too much !! I have been caring for my Daughter for 40 years there is no way would I ask for benefits to fund activities for her. In fact I know I wouldn't get it. !!

By loopy

Re: Benefits for Caring for ADHD Child
Tue 11 Mar 2008 18:37

alice, you could never ruffle feathers !! you have given me some lovely replies in the past when i have been at the end of my tether through lack of sleep from caring. But i think what helen meant was, are their any benefits that she could claim for her son due to his ADHD. I dont know what degree your sons ADHD is helen, but you may be able to claim something. But there are free activities such as going to the park,feeding the ducks, trips to the library etc. Alice, you are right in saying that benefits should not be paid to fund activities, but what i think she meant is what can she claim due to her child being adhd.
Lisa

By natalie

Re: Benefits for Caring for ADHD Child
Tue 11 Mar 2008 19:50

times change alice there is help avaliable for familys these days im sure 40 yrs ago if help was avaliable you would of taken it its a hard enough job being a parent why make it harder on ourselves im sure helen would not ask if she was not in need of some sort of help
natalie

By kerry

Re: Benefits for Caring for ADHD Child
Tue 11 Mar 2008 20:35

Hi Helen
the best 'activities' i had when i was a child was a cardboard box full of pegs, matchboxes, empty loo rolls and so on...all household stuff.
it was at my aunts house and we would always ask for the box! we would spend hours playing, making roads with the pegs, the cars were the matchboxes and so on.
she also had one of those wash boards and that was a musical instrument!
other than that maybe go to boot sales- theres always loads of stuff kids have got fed up with on sale for pennies.
football in the park, swimming, horse riding.. trampolining is a good one too.
benefits would be dla and it would depend on his level of severity as to what rate, if any, you would receive for your child.
is he your only child? in which case it should be relatively easy in one way to occupy him as he can have all your attention. but then again he will demand all your attention lol
Good luck
Kerry

By jasmineleigh

Re: Benefits for Caring for ADHD Child
Wed 26 Mar 2008 23:48

Hi helen my little sister sufferes from adhd and i know it can be VERY hard trying to keep them ocupied, if he is really bad you could try ritalin? thats what megs on and it calms her down no end! she actually sleeps now!!! we also get money for things for meg from the dla last year we bought a trampoline with a safety cage keeps her occupied or if u have a lot of money then a nintendo ds is a life saver you can get second hand games for like a fiver and it keeps her occupied for many many hours!! good luck

By welfare

Re: Benefits for Caring for ADHD Child
Thu 27 Mar 2008 15:42

The main Benefit, in my opinion, for a child with ADHD would be Disability Living Allowance. However, do not complete the form yourself - see a Welfare Rights Adviser (or similar) in your area for assistance. If this is awarded, it may entitle you to other benefits (no point in me going into this unless you are awarded the Disability Living Allowance). There are also a lot of charities out there that might be able to help with funding for specific activities. The main thing to remember is, if you don't ask - you don't get, so do not be put off asking anything just because other people manage without. We hear over and over that the Government has £millions of unclaimed benefits so you would only be getting what you're entitled to and what the Government has budgeted for. And remember, if you are awarded DLA , and by paying for activities for your child improves and helps with her care needs and/or mobility needs (care can be seen as age appropriate play, and therefore activities) then there is nothing stopping you using the money for that purpose. You have to decide how to spend the money in the best way that suits your child's needs no matter who may disagree with your decisions - you know your child better than anyone.