CPAG publish ‘Out of Reach: benefits for disabled children’

As DWP announce details of their disability equality duty action plan, a new CPAG report published today by Child Poverty Action Group suggests the department’s plans to meet disability equality duty requirements for disabled children and their families may not be sufficient.

Out of Reach: benefits for disabled children reveals that the system for obtaining Disability Living Allowance, the main benefit providing support for disabled children, is too hard to access and leaves many without vital support for months or years.

The Disability and Carers Service (the DWP agency administering Disability Living Allowance) has also today published details of its action plan to meet its new disability equality duties under the Disability Discrimination Act. However, the plan may fail in its duty to disabled children and their parents because it does not require all frontline staff to have disability equality training.

Child Poverty Action Group’s Chief Executive, Kate Green, said:

“Out of Reach makes clear what the measure of success must be for the Government’s disability equality duty to disabled children. Many more families with disabled children must take up the important benefits they are entitled to than is currently the case.

“There is much to welcome in the department’s plans if the proposals for outreach work can target the many parents who are not being advised that their disabled child may qualify for extra support. But we are very concerned that the plans do not require all frontline staff to receive disability equality training.”

Notes to Editors

• Out of Reach: benefits for disabled children, is available to journalists as a pdf on request to tnichols@cpag.org.uk and can be ordered by members of the public through www.cpag.org.uk/publications. An Executive Summary can also be provided as a Word file and can be found on CPAG’s website on the Out of Reach page
• Out of Reach includes a new survey of disabled parents, which found that:
  - 46% believe they have missed out on benefits and tax credits because they have not been told they could apply.
  - 43% had not claimed Disability Living Allowance or took more than 2 years to find out their child could be entitled.
  - 39% had been put off applying because of claim forms.
  - 30% have not had advice about benefits entitlement in over a year.
• The Disability and Carers Service disability equality action plan, which is published today, can be found at: http://www.dwp.gov.uk/lifeevent/benefits/dcs/equalityschemes/dcs-full.pdf
• One Parent Families’ provide a service for lone parents of disabled children. Parents should call 0800 018 5026, Monday to Friday 9 am to 5pm and on Wednesdays, 9am to 8pm and tell the helpline worker that they have a child who is disabled. The Contact a Family helpline is 0808 808 3555 or Textphone 0808 808 3556 and operates from 10am to 4pm, Monday to Friday.
• A summary of One Parent Families’ disabled child project can be found on their website:
  http://www.oneparentfamilies.org.uk/dr_media/opf/Additional-needs-evaluation-summary_30-Nov-06.pdf

For further information please contact:
Tim Nichols
CPAG Press Officer
Tel. 020 7812 5216 or 07816 909302
press@cpag.org.uk