Free New Year help for lone parents with disabled children

Over one quarter of Britain's 1.9 million lone parents care for a sick or disabled child. They have to cope with the physical and emotional demands that all carers face, but with the added difficulty of doing it alone.

One Parent Families|Gingerbread, with the support of the True Colours Trust and the Freemasons' Grand Charity, runs The Disabled Child Project which provides specialist advice and support to lone parents caring for a child with additional needs.

Natasha Benenson, Head of Direct Services at One Parent Families|Gingerbread, says: "We are delighted that we can offer this service to help lone parents who are bringing up a child with additional needs. It is difficult to care for a child with disabilities and so much harder if you are the only adult. We provide holistic advice that covers benefits, special needs and other concerns about the child's health and wellbeing. The information and support we provide can make a huge difference to people’s lives."

Lone parents can call our Lone Parent Helpline for free specialist advice and can also request our free booklet, The Lone Parents’ Guide to Caring for a Child with Additional Needs, which is full of vital information, from ideas for play and information about travelling with children who have disabilities that affect mobility, to guidance on employment rights, financial help, housing and education support.

This is a comment from one of the callers to The Disabled Child Project:"I wanted to find out mainly about benefits and my rights, where my children were concerned. The youngest is disabled and has just turned 16. I’ve recently separated from my husband … I needed to know where I stood. They put me in the right direction and told me what I could claim legally without incurring any kind of fraud. It was excellent – they didn’t make me feel stupid."

To receive a copy of The Lone Parents’ Guide to Caring for a Child with Additional Needs, or to speak to one of the specialist advisers on our Disabled Child Project, lone parents can call the Lone Parent Helpline on 0800 018 5026 (Mondays to Fridays, 9am–5pm, with extended opening on Wednesdays to 8pm; calls are free from landlines, mobile rates vary).

For more information please visit www.gingerbread.org.uk