# Money and practical help for families of autistic children (2026/27) > Families of autistic children may be able to get Disability Living Allowance (DLA) for their child (Child Disability Payment in Scotland), then Carer's Allowance, extra Universal Credit, help with childcare costs, a Blue Badge, grants from Family Fund or the council, and discounts such as the CEA Card. Many of these depend on your child getting DLA, so claim that first, then check the rest with a benefits calculator or an adviser. - Canonical page: https://rocksmakepebbles.co.uk/guides/money-and-practical-help - Publisher: Rocks Make Pebbles (https://rocksmakepebbles.co.uk) - Topic: Family, money and support - Applies to: UK - Last updated: 28 September 2026. Checked against sources: 28 September 2026 - Professional review: Not yet reviewed (waiting for review by a welfare rights adviser) - Drafted with the help of AI tools and checked against the sources listed below. Editorial policy: https://rocksmakepebbles.co.uk/editorial-policy ## Key points - Claim DLA for your child first. Many other kinds of help depend on it. - Carer's Allowance: £86.45 a week (2026/27) for 35+ hours' weekly care of a child on middle or highest DLA care. Earnings limits apply. - The Universal Credit two-child limit ended on 6 April 2026, so the child element is now paid for every child. - Disabled Facilities Grants of up to £30,000 in England do not look at parents' income for children under 18. - In England, ask your council for a parent carer needs assessment and its short breaks statement. - Check what you can get with a free benefits calculator, Citizens Advice or Contact's helpline. ## What help can families of autistic children get? Families of autistic children can often get benefits, grants, discounts and council support. Most of it is not automatic, so you need to ask. [Disability Living Allowance (DLA)](https://rocksmakepebbles.co.uk/glossary#dla) for your child is usually the first step, because much of the other help depends on it. You do not need a diagnosis to claim DLA ([Contact](https://contact.org.uk/help-for-families/information-advice-services/benefits-financial-help/disability-living-allowance/)), and our [DLA guide](https://rocksmakepebbles.co.uk/guides/dla-for-autistic-children) explains how. Amounts are 2026/27 rates, from April 2026. Some help differs in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland (see the note at the end), and the council duties here are for England. ## Checklist: what could we get in 2026/27? The rules are simplified, so check the source before you apply. | Help | Amount (2026/27) | Main rules | Source | |---|---|---|---| | [Carer's Allowance](https://rocksmakepebbles.co.uk/glossary#carers-allowance) | £86.45 a week | You care 35 hours a week or more for a child on DLA middle or highest care, and earn £204 a week or less after deductions | [GOV.UK](https://www.gov.uk/carers-allowance/eligibility) | | Universal Credit carer element | £209.34 a month | You get Universal Credit and care 35 hours a week or more for a child on DLA middle or highest care | [GOV.UK](https://www.gov.uk/universal-credit/what-youll-get) | | Universal Credit disabled child addition | £164.79 a month, or £514.71 with DLA highest care | You get Universal Credit and your child gets DLA | [GOV.UK](https://www.gov.uk/universal-credit/what-youll-get) | | Universal Credit child element | £303.94 a month for each child | Paid for every child since the two-child limit ended on 6 April 2026 | [GOV.UK](https://www.gov.uk/universal-credit/what-youll-get); [GOV.UK](https://www.gov.uk/guidance/universal-credit-and-families-with-more-than-2-children-information-for-claimants) | | Carer's Credit | National Insurance credits | You care 20 hours a week or more for a child on DLA middle or highest care | [GOV.UK](https://www.gov.uk/carers-credit/eligibility) | | Child Benefit | £27.05 a week for the eldest child, £17.90 for each other child | A tax charge applies if you or your partner has an income over £60,000 | [GOV.UK](https://www.gov.uk/child-benefit) | | Tax-Free Childcare | Up to £4,000 a year for a disabled child | Working parents; until the September after your child turns 16 | [GOV.UK](https://www.gov.uk/tax-free-childcare) | | Council Tax Disabled Band Reduction | Your bill drops one band (or 17% off in Band A) | Your home has an extra room your child needs, or extra space for a wheelchair | [GOV.UK](https://www.gov.uk/council-tax/discounts-for-disabled-people) | | [Blue Badge](https://rocksmakepebbles.co.uk/glossary#blue-badge) | Disabled parking | In England, automatic from age 3 with DLA higher mobility; otherwise the council decides | [GOV.UK](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/blue-badge-can-i-get-one/can-i-get-a-blue-badge) | | Motability Scheme and vehicle tax exemption | Vehicle leasing, and no vehicle tax | Your child gets DLA higher mobility | [GOV.UK](https://www.gov.uk/financial-help-disabled/vehicles-and-transport) | | [Family Fund](https://rocksmakepebbles.co.uk/glossary#family-fund) | Grants | Low-income families; in England, first-time applicants only from 24 September 2026 to the end of March 2027 | [Family Fund](https://www.familyfund.org.uk/eligibility) | | [Disabled Facilities Grant](https://rocksmakepebbles.co.uk/glossary#disabled-facilities-grant) | Up to £30,000 in England | Home adaptations; parents' income is not counted for under-18s | [GOV.UK](https://www.gov.uk/disabled-facilities-grants/what-youll-get) | | VAT relief | No VAT on qualifying products | Products designed or adapted for a disabled person; you confirm eligibility in writing | [GOV.UK](https://www.gov.uk/financial-help-disabled/vat-relief) | | Disabled Persons Railcard | A third off for your child and one adult; £20 a year | Qualifying DLA rates or a Blue Badge, among other routes | [Disabled Persons Railcard](https://www.disabledpersons-railcard.co.uk/are-you-eligible/) | | [Hidden Disabilities Sunflower](https://rocksmakepebbles.co.uk/glossary#sunflower-lanyard) | A sunflower lanyard that signals a hidden disability | Voluntary: you choose whether to wear it | [Hidden Disabilities Sunflower](https://hdsunflower.com/uk/) | | [CEA Card](https://rocksmakepebbles.co.uk/glossary#cea-card) | A free cinema ticket for a companion; the card costs £6.50 a year | Age 5 or over and needs to be accompanied; DLA is accepted as evidence | [CEA Card](https://www.ceacard.co.uk/eligibility) | | Max Card | Free or discounted entry at venues | Families of children with additional needs; given out by councils and charities | [Max Card](https://www.mymaxcard.co.uk/) | ## What should I claim first? Start with DLA. One benefit can change another, so check before you claim. 1. **Claim DLA for your child.** It cannot be backdated, so start now ([GOV.UK](https://www.gov.uk/disability-living-allowance-children/how-to-claim)). 2. **Read the award letter.** The care and mobility rates your child gets decide what else you can claim. 3. **Claim Carer's Allowance** if your child gets the middle or highest care rate and you care for them 35 hours a week or more. You need your child's DLA reference number, and a claim can be backdated by up to 3 months ([GOV.UK](https://www.gov.uk/carers-allowance/how-to-claim)). 4. **Tell Universal Credit**, if you get it, about your child's DLA and your caring. GOV.UK says the carer element "is not automatically applied if you start getting Carer's Allowance" ([GOV.UK](https://www.gov.uk/universal-credit/what-youll-get)). 5. **Check everything else** with a benefits calculator or an adviser (see the last section). 6. **Keep copies** of every award letter. Many schemes ask to see one. ## Carer's Allowance: can I work, and what about overpayments? [Carer's Allowance](https://www.gov.uk/carers-allowance) is £86.45 a week in 2026/27. Only one person can claim for the same child. It is taxable if your income is over the Personal Allowance, and it gives you National Insurance credits automatically. You can work and still get it if you earn £204 a week or less after tax, National Insurance and expenses. Allowable expenses include half of your pension contributions, and care costs of up to half your earnings ([GOV.UK, eligibility](https://www.gov.uk/carers-allowance/eligibility)). The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) says the 2026/27 limit means "some unpaid carers can now earn around £10,000 a year and still receive the benefit" ([DWP, 13 April 2026](https://www.gov.uk/government/news/unpaid-carers-impacted-by-unclear-guidance-to-have-debts-cancelled)). In July 2026, DWP asked for views on "whether to introduce an earnings taper" and on the rules that cap how many hours a carer can work before losing the benefit. The call for evidence closed on 18 August 2026 ([DWP, 7 July 2026](https://www.gov.uk/government/news/views-sought-to-transform-benefit-paid-to-carers)). As of September 2026 we had not seen a decision, so the £204 limit still applies. Report any change in your earnings straight away. The Carer's Allowance Unit is on 0800 731 0297, Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm ([GOV.UK](https://www.gov.uk/carers-allowance/how-to-claim)). > **Good to know:** If you were told you had been overpaid, DWP is reassessing Carer's Allowance overpayments from 10 April 2015 to 2 September 2025, and "You do not need to contact the Carer's Allowance Unit" ([GOV.UK](https://www.gov.uk/carers-allowance)). DWP says about 25,000 carers could have debts reduced, cancelled or refunded, because its guidance on averaging earnings "was unclear" ([DWP](https://www.gov.uk/government/news/unpaid-carers-impacted-by-unclear-guidance-to-have-debts-cancelled)). ## What extra does Universal Credit pay for a disabled child? If you get Universal Credit, it adds the checklist amounts for your children and for you as a carer ([GOV.UK](https://www.gov.uk/universal-credit/what-youll-get)). Three things to know: - The carer element is paid on top of the disabled child addition, but not as well as the extra amount for limited capability for work-related activity. - If you are working, Universal Credit can pay up to 85% of childcare costs, capped at £1,071.09 a month for one child or £1,836.16 for two or more ([GOV.UK](https://www.gov.uk/universal-credit/what-youll-get)). You cannot get this and Tax-Free Childcare at the same time ([GOV.UK](https://www.gov.uk/free-childcare-if-working)). - The two-child limit ended on 6 April 2026. GOV.UK says increases arrive from May or June, and "The rules on the benefit cap stay the same" ([GOV.UK](https://www.gov.uk/guidance/universal-credit-and-families-with-more-than-2-children-information-for-claimants)). The cap does not apply if you, your partner or a child under 18 living with you gets DLA or Carer's Allowance ([GOV.UK, benefit cap](https://www.gov.uk/benefit-cap/when-youre-not-affected)). Contact notes that the disabled child addition was always paid for third and later children ([Contact](https://contact.org.uk/about-contact/news-and-views/contact-welcomes-abolition-of-the-two-child-limit/)). ## What grants can help with our home and costs? **Disabled Facilities Grants** pay for changes to your home. GOV.UK lists people who "are autistic" among those who may get one, and says a grant "will not affect any benefits you get" ([GOV.UK](https://www.gov.uk/disabled-facilities-grants)). Grants go up to £30,000 in England, and "Disabled children under 18 can get a grant without their parents' income being taken into account". Do not start work before the council approves the grant, because you "might not get any grant" if you do ([GOV.UK, what you'll get](https://www.gov.uk/disabled-facilities-grants/what-youll-get)). **Family Fund** gives grants to "families living on a low income, raising a disabled or seriously ill child or young person". You can be working or on benefits, and DLA does not decide whether you qualify. Your child needs a high level of support in at least three of seven areas, including communication, personal care, and supervision and vigilance. From 24 September 2026 until the end of March 2027, its England programme is only open to families applying for the first time ([Family Fund](https://www.familyfund.org.uk/eligibility)). It cannot pay for things you have already bought, or things statutory services should provide, such as home adaptations or therapies ([Family Fund FAQs](https://www.familyfund.org.uk/grants/grant-faqs/)). Phone 01904 550055, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm ([Family Fund](https://www.familyfund.org.uk/home/contact/)). **VAT relief** means disabled people do not pay VAT on products designed or adapted for their personal or domestic use. You confirm in writing that you are eligible ([GOV.UK](https://www.gov.uk/financial-help-disabled/vat-relief)). Ask the supplier if a product qualifies, or see [HMRC's VAT Notice 701/7](https://www.gov.uk/guidance/reliefs-from-vat-for-disabled-and-older-people-notice-7017). **Council Tax** can drop by one band, or by 17% in Band A, if your home has an extra bathroom, kitchen or other room your child needs, or extra space for a wheelchair. The disabled person "can be an adult or a child" ([GOV.UK](https://www.gov.uk/council-tax/discounts-for-disabled-people)). ## What help is there with travel and days out? In England, a child aged 3 or over automatically qualifies for a Blue Badge if they get the higher rate of the DLA mobility component. Otherwise your council decides, and the criteria include being "constantly a significant risk to yourself or others near vehicles, in traffic or car parks" ([GOV.UK](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/blue-badge-can-i-get-one/can-i-get-a-blue-badge)). Give specific examples and any evidence you have. For children under 16, a school letter is accepted as proof of address, and a decision "may take 12 weeks or longer". Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have their own rules. > **Myth:** "Blue Badges are only for wheelchair users." Since 2019 the criteria in England have included non-visible disabilities, such as having "intense and overwhelming responses to situations causing temporary loss of behavioural control", or becoming "extremely anxious or fearful of public/open spaces" ([GOV.UK](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/blue-badge-can-i-get-one/can-i-get-a-blue-badge)). With the higher rate of DLA mobility, you may be able to lease a vehicle through the Motability Scheme, and the vehicle can be exempt from vehicle tax. The lower mobility rate does not give any vehicle tax reduction ([GOV.UK](https://www.gov.uk/financial-help-disabled/vehicles-and-transport)). The Disabled Persons Railcard website said eligibility was "due to expand" in late September 2026 to include "neurodiversity where it has a substantial impact on a person's ability to travel by train" ([Disabled Persons Railcard](https://www.disabledpersons-railcard.co.uk/are-you-eligible/)). Check the current rules before you apply. Other useful schemes: - **Hidden Disabilities Sunflower:** a voluntary way to show that you have a disability or condition "that may not be immediately apparent" ([Hidden Disabilities Sunflower](https://hdsunflower.com/uk/)). It is a signal, not an official ID. - **CEA Card:** cinemas must still make reasonable adjustments whether or not you have a card ([CEA Card FAQ](https://www.ceacard.co.uk/faq)). The National Autistic Society says "Around 90 per cent of UK cinemas accept the card" ([National Autistic Society](https://www.autism.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/going-out-leisure-and-travel/cinemas/families)). - **Max Card:** look for your local distributor ([Max Card](https://www.mymaxcard.co.uk/)). For trains, airports and theme parks, see our guide to [days out and holidays](https://rocksmakepebbles.co.uk/guides/days-out-and-holidays). ## What can the council do to help? In England, you can ask your council for: - **A [parent carer needs assessment](https://rocksmakepebbles.co.uk/glossary#parent-carer-needs-assessment)** of your own needs. The council must assess you if you ask, or if it appears you may need support ([Children Act 1989, section 17ZD](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1989/41/section/17ZD)). The NHS says to contact the council's children with disabilities department ([NHS](https://www.nhs.uk/social-care-and-support/support-and-benefits-for-carers/carer-assessments/)). - **[Short breaks](https://rocksmakepebbles.co.uk/glossary#short-breaks)**, such as day-time or overnight care, and activities in the evenings, at weekends and in the school holidays. Councils must publish a short breaks services statement saying who can get them ([Breaks for Carers of Disabled Children Regulations 2011](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2011/707/made)). - **[Direct payments](https://rocksmakepebbles.co.uk/glossary#direct-payments):** money in place of services the council has decided your child needs, so you can arrange help yourself ([Children Act 1989, section 17A](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1989/41/section/17A)). - **The [Local Offer](https://rocksmakepebbles.co.uk/glossary#local-offer):** your council's published information about services for children with SEND ([Children and Families Act 2014, section 30](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2014/6/section/30)). - **Funded early education at age 2:** 15 hours a week for 38 weeks if your 2 year old gets DLA or has an EHCP ([GOV.UK](https://www.gov.uk/help-with-childcare-costs/free-childcare-2-year-olds-extra-support)). If your child gets DLA and uses funded hours, their setting can also get the [Disability Access Fund](https://rocksmakepebbles.co.uk/glossary#disability-access-fund), at least £975 a year in 2026/27 ([DfE](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-funding-2026-to-2027/early-years-entitlements-local-authority-funding-operational-guide-2026-to-2027)). Our guide to [looking after yourself](https://rocksmakepebbles.co.uk/guides/looking-after-yourself) explains how to ask for both. ## How do I check what we can get? Try a free benefits calculator, then ask an adviser. - **Benefits calculators:** GOV.UK lists free, anonymous calculators from entitledto, Turn2us and Policy in Practice ([GOV.UK](https://www.gov.uk/benefits-calculators)). Contact also points families to the [Turn2us](https://rocksmakepebbles.co.uk/where-to-get-help#turn2us) calculator ([Contact](https://contact.org.uk/help-for-families/information-advice-services/benefits-financial-help/)). - **[Contact](https://rocksmakepebbles.co.uk/where-to-get-help#contact):** a free helpline on 0808 808 3555 for families with a disabled child anywhere in the UK, including help with benefits ([Contact](https://contact.org.uk/about-contact/contact-us/)). - **[Citizens Advice](https://rocksmakepebbles.co.uk/where-to-get-help#citizens-advice):** the Adviceline in England is 0800 144 8848 ([Citizens Advice](https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/about-us/contact-us/contact-us/contact-us/)). - **[Carers UK](https://rocksmakepebbles.co.uk/where-to-get-help#carers-uk):** a helpline for carers on 0808 808 7777 ([Carers UK](https://www.carersuk.org/help-and-advice/helpline-and-other-support/)). > **Try this:** Have your child's DLA award letter, payslips or Universal Credit statement and Council Tax bill to hand before you use a calculator or call an adviser. > **Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland:** In Scotland, [Child Disability Payment](https://www.mygov.scot/child-disability-payment) replaces DLA for children, and [Carer Support Payment](https://www.mygov.scot/carer-support-payment) replaces Carer's Allowance, with a Scottish Carer Supplement of £11.70 a week on top. Northern Ireland has its own DLA for children, with a separate claim route ([GOV.UK](https://www.gov.uk/disability-living-allowance-children/eligibility)). Disabled Facilities Grants go up to £36,000 in Wales and £25,000 in Northern Ireland, and are not available in Scotland ([GOV.UK](https://www.gov.uk/disabled-facilities-grants/what-youll-get)). The council duties above apply in England. ## Questions parents ask ### Can I get Carer's Allowance for my autistic child? You may be able to if your child gets the middle or highest rate of the DLA care component, you care for them at least 35 hours a week, and you earn £204 a week or less after tax, National Insurance and allowable expenses. In 2026/27 it pays £86.45 a week. Only one person can claim for the same child, and a claim can be backdated by up to 3 months. ### Can my autistic child get a Blue Badge? Possibly, even if they can walk. In England, a child aged 3 or over who gets the higher rate of the DLA mobility component qualifies automatically. Otherwise your council decides, using criteria that include non-visible disabilities, such as being a constant significant risk near vehicles or traffic, or having intense responses that cause a temporary loss of behavioural control. Give real examples. A decision may take 12 weeks or longer. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have their own Blue Badge rules. ### How much is the Universal Credit disabled child element in 2026? In 2026/27, Universal Credit pays an extra £164.79 a month for a disabled child, or £514.71 a month if your child gets the highest rate of the DLA care component. This is on top of the child element of £303.94 a month for each child. If you care for your child at least 35 hours a week and they get middle or highest rate care, you may also get the carer element of £209.34 a month. ### Can I get a Family Fund grant for my autistic child? Family Fund gives grants to families on a low income who are raising a disabled or seriously ill child. It says benefit awards such as DLA do not determine whether you qualify. Instead, your child needs a high level of support in at least three of seven areas of life. In England, from 24 September 2026 until the end of March 2027, only families applying for the first time can apply. ### What is a CEA Card and can my autistic child get one? The CEA Card lets one person go to the cinema with your child for free at cinemas that accept it. Your child must be 5 or over and need to be accompanied because of their disability, and DLA is accepted as evidence. The card costs £6.50 and lasts a year. Cinemas must still make reasonable adjustments whether or not you have a card. ### I was told I had been overpaid Carer's Allowance. What happens now? The Department for Work and Pensions is reassessing Carer's Allowance overpayments from 10 April 2015 to 2 September 2025, because its guidance on averaging earnings was unclear. You may get a refund, or have the debt reduced or cancelled. GOV.UK says you do not need to contact the Carer's Allowance Unit, and DWP says refunds will not affect Universal Credit, Pension Credit or Housing Benefit. ### Can I work and still get Carer's Allowance? Yes, if you earn £204 a week or less after tax, National Insurance and allowable expenses, such as half of your pension contributions. The government says this means some carers can earn around £10,000 a year and still get it. In July 2026 it asked for views on whether to bring in an earnings taper. As of September 2026 we had not seen a decision, so report any change in your earnings straight away. ### Does the two-child limit still apply to Universal Credit? No. The two-child limit ended on 6 April 2026, so Universal Credit now pays the child element for every child. GOV.UK says increases arrive from May or June, and the benefit cap rules stay the same. The cap does not apply if you, your partner or a child under 18 living with you gets DLA or Carer's Allowance. The charity Contact notes that the extra amount for a disabled child was always paid for third and later children. ## Sources 1. [DLA for children: how to claim](https://www.gov.uk/disability-living-allowance-children/how-to-claim), GOV.UK 2. [Carer's Allowance](https://www.gov.uk/carers-allowance), GOV.UK 3. [Carer's Allowance: eligibility](https://www.gov.uk/carers-allowance/eligibility), GOV.UK 4. [Carer's Allowance: make a claim](https://www.gov.uk/carers-allowance/how-to-claim), GOV.UK 5. [Unpaid carers impacted by unclear guidance to have debts cancelled](https://www.gov.uk/government/news/unpaid-carers-impacted-by-unclear-guidance-to-have-debts-cancelled), Department for Work and Pensions (GOV.UK news), 13 April 2026 6. [Views sought to transform benefit paid to carers](https://www.gov.uk/government/news/views-sought-to-transform-benefit-paid-to-carers), Department for Work and Pensions (GOV.UK news), 7 July 2026 7. [Universal Credit: what you'll get](https://www.gov.uk/universal-credit/what-youll-get), GOV.UK 8. [Universal Credit and families with more than 2 children: information for claimants](https://www.gov.uk/guidance/universal-credit-and-families-with-more-than-2-children-information-for-claimants), GOV.UK 9. [Contact welcomes abolition of the two-child limit](https://contact.org.uk/about-contact/news-and-views/contact-welcomes-abolition-of-the-two-child-limit/), Contact, 15 April 2026 10. [Carer's Credit: eligibility](https://www.gov.uk/carers-credit/eligibility), GOV.UK 11. [Child Benefit](https://www.gov.uk/child-benefit), GOV.UK 12. [Tax-Free Childcare](https://www.gov.uk/tax-free-childcare), GOV.UK 13. [Free Childcare for Working Parents](https://www.gov.uk/free-childcare-if-working), GOV.UK 14. [Council Tax: discounts for disabled people](https://www.gov.uk/council-tax/discounts-for-disabled-people), GOV.UK 15. [Who can get a Blue Badge?](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/blue-badge-can-i-get-one/can-i-get-a-blue-badge), GOV.UK, 10 August 2021 16. [Financial help if you're disabled: vehicles and transport](https://www.gov.uk/financial-help-disabled/vehicles-and-transport), GOV.UK 17. [Are we eligible?](https://www.familyfund.org.uk/eligibility), Family Fund 18. [Grant FAQs](https://www.familyfund.org.uk/grants/grant-faqs/), Family Fund 19. [Contact us](https://www.familyfund.org.uk/home/contact/), Family Fund 20. [Disabled Facilities Grants](https://www.gov.uk/disabled-facilities-grants), GOV.UK 21. [Disabled Facilities Grants: what you'll get](https://www.gov.uk/disabled-facilities-grants/what-youll-get), GOV.UK 22. [Benefit cap: when you're not affected](https://www.gov.uk/benefit-cap/when-youre-not-affected), GOV.UK 23. [DLA for children: eligibility](https://www.gov.uk/disability-living-allowance-children/eligibility), GOV.UK 24. [VAT relief for disabled people](https://www.gov.uk/financial-help-disabled/vat-relief), GOV.UK 25. [Reliefs from VAT for disabled and older people (VAT Notice 701/7)](https://www.gov.uk/guidance/reliefs-from-vat-for-disabled-and-older-people-notice-7017), HMRC 26. [Disabled Persons Railcard: are you eligible?](https://www.disabledpersons-railcard.co.uk/are-you-eligible/), Disabled Persons Railcard 27. [Hidden Disabilities Sunflower (UK)](https://hdsunflower.com/uk/), Hidden Disabilities Sunflower 28. [CEA Card eligibility](https://www.ceacard.co.uk/eligibility), CEA Card 29. [CEA Card FAQ](https://www.ceacard.co.uk/faq), CEA Card 30. [Cinemas: a guide for families](https://www.autism.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/going-out-leisure-and-travel/cinemas/families), National Autistic Society 31. [Max Card](https://www.mymaxcard.co.uk/), Max Card 32. [Children Act 1989, section 17ZD: parent carers' needs assessments](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1989/41/section/17ZD), legislation.gov.uk 33. [Children Act 1989, section 17A: direct payments](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1989/41/section/17A), legislation.gov.uk 34. [Breaks for Carers of Disabled Children Regulations 2011](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2011/707/made), legislation.gov.uk 35. [Children and Families Act 2014, section 30: the Local Offer](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2014/6/section/30), legislation.gov.uk 36. [Carer's assessments](https://www.nhs.uk/social-care-and-support/support-and-benefits-for-carers/carer-assessments/), NHS 37. [15 hours free childcare for 2 year olds](https://www.gov.uk/help-with-childcare-costs/free-childcare-2-year-olds-extra-support), GOV.UK 38. [Early years entitlements: local authority funding operational guide 2026 to 2027](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-funding-2026-to-2027/early-years-entitlements-local-authority-funding-operational-guide-2026-to-2027), Department for Education, 2026 39. [Benefits calculators](https://www.gov.uk/benefits-calculators), GOV.UK 40. [Benefits and financial help](https://contact.org.uk/help-for-families/information-advice-services/benefits-financial-help/), Contact 41. [Disability Living Allowance](https://contact.org.uk/help-for-families/information-advice-services/benefits-financial-help/disability-living-allowance/), Contact 42. [Get in touch](https://contact.org.uk/about-contact/contact-us/), Contact 43. [Contact us](https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/about-us/contact-us/contact-us/contact-us/), Citizens Advice 44. [Helpline and other support](https://www.carersuk.org/help-and-advice/helpline-and-other-support/), Carers UK 45. [Carer Support Payment](https://www.mygov.scot/carer-support-payment), mygov.scot 46. [Child Disability Payment](https://www.mygov.scot/child-disability-payment), mygov.scot --- General information for families in the UK, not medical, legal or financial advice. If you are worried about your child's health, contact your GP or call NHS 111 (in Northern Ireland, your GP out of hours service). In an emergency, call 999.