Funding and grants
Children and young people with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) may be eligible for funding. See the table for details of what is available and where to apply.
| Type of financial support | What and who is the funding for? | Find out more and apply |
|---|---|---|
| Disability living allowance (DLA) |
This funding is for those looking after a child under 16 who has:
This funding is no longer available to new applicants aged 16 and over, so they must apply for PIP. |
Find out more and apply for Disability living allowance (DLA) for children. |
| Personal Independence Payment (PIP) | This is replacing DLA. A young person's DLA will expire at 16 years so they will need to claim PIP. The assessment process for PIP is different to the DLA and requires a medical. | Find out more about Personal Independence Payment (PIP). |
| Personal Budget | A Personal Budget is an amount of money to help children and young people aged 0 to 25 with SEN and/or disabilities. | Find out more about personal budgets. |
| Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) |
This can be used to pay for home adaptations, needed to meet your child's needs. To access what adaptations are best for your child, you will get support from either/both:
They may recommend specialist equipment rather than an adaptation. This might be better for their needs and is also quicker to arrange. Disabled Facilities Grants will not affect any benefits that you're getting. |
Find out how to claim a Disabled Facilities Grants (DFG). Further information on home adaptations. |
| Discretionary Housing Payments | These payments support customers who are unable to cover their housing costs through regular housing supports. | See how to claim discretionary housing payments. |
| Childcare funding | There are many funding schemes available to help towards the cost of childcare. You could be eligible for support for children up to 17 years. | Find out about childcare funding. |
Funding for young adults
Find out about the extra financial support available for young people.
Services who offer financial support
The Family Fund
The Family Fund provides grants to families with severely disabled or ill children and young people aged 17 and under. The grants are to help families on lower incomes.
Community Foundation for Dorset
The Dorset Community Foundation offer financial help to young people age 0 to 25 years who want to make the most of their potential.
Butterflies
Butterflies is a local charity who can provide equipment to children under the age of 18 with a disability in Dorset.
Information about funding from GOV.UK
For more information on funding, visit the GOV.UK website.