Introduction

Young people with mental health difficulties, including eating disorders, who need specialised Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) care, are entitled to apply for benefits.

This includes Disability Living Allowance (DLA) if under 16 years, and Personal Independence Payments (PIP) if over 16 years.

• These benefits are not means-tested.
• These benefits are not stopped for children in hospital (more on this below).

Please speak to your Family Ambassador if you would like help to complete the DLA or PIP forms.

How to apply

For new claims, call the following helpline and ask for a paper application form to be sent to you.

Any benefit awarded is backdated to the date of your first call.

• DLA (under 16 years): 0800 121 4600
• PIP (16 years and over): 0800 917 2222

Please allow plenty of time for the call as the call handler will need to read out information to you.

Make sure you have their National Insurance number (for PIP), bank details and GP contact details to hand.

When requesting a PIP application form, the call handler will ask to speak to the young person.

If they are in hospital, you can explain that you need to be an appointee and make the call for them.

There is more about the process of becoming an appointee here: www.gov.uk/become-appointee-for-someone-claiming-benefits

Claiming DLA or PIP while in hospital

So long as your child is under 18 when they become an inpatient, DLA or PIP should continue to be paid.

DLA does not stop when your child is in hospital, no matter how long their stay. This is the same for PIP unless your child was 18 or over on the day of their admission.

PIP stops for young people after they have been in hospital for 28 days if they are over 18 years of age on admission.

The Family Ambassador website (details below) has more information on this.

Carer’s Allowance

You can claim Carer’s Allowance if you care for someone at least 35 hours a week, and they get certain benefits: DLA or PIP for instance.

Claiming Carer’s Allowance may affect other benefits you receive.

You can claim if your earnings are less than £151 per week after tax.

Call the Carer’s Allowance unit to request a form:

• Carer’s Allowance Unit: 0800 731 0297

For more help

Our website has more information about this: Family Ambassador service | Oxford Health CAMHSOxford Health CAMHS

You can contact the Family Ambassadors via this email: familyambassadorsTVPC@oxfordhealth.nhs.uk