{"id":52002,"date":"2021-04-19T15:15:15","date_gmt":"2021-04-19T14:15:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/armanios.co.uk\/dev\/sia\/?page_id=52002"},"modified":"2023-03-29T13:15:46","modified_gmt":"2023-03-29T12:15:46","slug":"finance-benefits","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/armanios.co.uk\/dev\/sia\/get-support\/life-matters\/finance-benefits\/","title":{"rendered":"Finances and benefits"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"intro\"><strong>Money worries can create a heavy burden after a spinal cord injury (SCI), but help is available for you and your family.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Many people worry about their finances and how they will afford to live after sustaining a SCI. In hospital, we have all the equipment and services available for maximum comfort,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/armanios.co.uk\/dev\/sia\/get-support\/life-matters\/accessibility\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>accessibility<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0and security. But once you leave, equipment to support the transition, such as a wheelchair, and ramps and a stairlift for your home, becomes essential.<\/p>\n<p>A range of benefits, including universal credit and disabled facilities grants (DFGs), can offer the support needed to overcome financial obstacles.<\/p>\n<h2>Disabled facilities grants<\/h2>\n<p>DFGs provide financial support for home adaptations, such as widening and installing doors, making heating and lighting controls more user-friendly, and improving room accessibility with equipment like chair lifts.<\/p>\n<p>Find out whether you\u2019re eligible for a grant, how much you could be entitled to and how to apply by visiting the Government website <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/disabled-facilities-grants\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">here.<\/a><\/p>\n<h2>Personal independence payment (PIP)<\/h2>\n<p>PIP provides disabled people with extra income to support everyday life. The benefit is made up of two parts: mobility and daily living. You might be eligible for one or both if you fall under either of these categories:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Mobility<\/strong>:\u00a0if you need help getting around or going out.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Daily living<\/strong>:\u00a0if you need help with everyday tasks such as managing medication, communication, getting dressed, washing and making decisions.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>More information about PIP is available <a href=\"https:\/\/www.citizensadvice.org.uk\/benefits\/sick-or-disabled-people-and-carers\/pip\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">on the Citizens Advice website.<\/a><\/p>\n<h2>Housing costs and universal credit<\/h2>\n<p>The housing costs element of universal credit is designed to help people who are unemployed or have low incomes pay their rent. If a SCI affects your ability to work and generate enough income to pay rent, you may be entitled to this benefit.<\/p>\n<p>The SCI charity, Aspire can provide more information and advice with regard to how to obtain help with your housing costs &#8211; see their details at the bottom of this page.<\/p>\n<h2>Disabled band reduction scheme<\/h2>\n<p>You may be eligible for a reduction on your council tax bill if you or someone in your home is \u201csubstantially and permanently disabled\u201d, and one of the following applies. You (or they):<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>have a room (other than a bathroom, kitchen or toilet) that is used to meet your needs.<\/li>\n<li>have a second bathroom or kitchen used to meet your needs.<\/li>\n<li>have enough space in your home to use a wheelchair indoors.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>If any of these apply, your council tax bill can be reduced to the next lowest band.<\/p>\n<p>Check if you qualify for the disabled band reduction scheme <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/apply-for-council-tax-discount\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2>Financial advice and support<\/h2>\n<p>If you feel confused or overwhelmed by the amount of support and information available. you might want to speak to a specialist for help. Aspire\u2019s Welfare Benefits Service is here to support you.<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"btn_solid\" href=\"https:\/\/www.aspire.org.uk\/Pages\/Category\/welfare-benefits-advice\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">VISIT ASPIRE WEBSITE<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Money worries can create a heavy burden after a spinal cord injury (SCI), but help is available for you and&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":17816,"featured_media":0,"parent":50921,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"pg-knowledge-hub.php","meta":[],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/armanios.co.uk\/dev\/sia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/52002"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/armanios.co.uk\/dev\/sia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/armanios.co.uk\/dev\/sia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/armanios.co.uk\/dev\/sia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/17816"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/armanios.co.uk\/dev\/sia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=52002"}],"version-history":[{"count":14,"href":"https:\/\/armanios.co.uk\/dev\/sia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/52002\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":62741,"href":"https:\/\/armanios.co.uk\/dev\/sia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/52002\/revisions\/62741"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/armanios.co.uk\/dev\/sia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/50921"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/armanios.co.uk\/dev\/sia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=52002"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}