Take-up of benefits by families with disabled children

The take-up of four cash benefits by families with disabled children is assessed using a national sample drawn from the 1970 birth cohort. The four benefits are invalid care allowance, attendance allowance, mobility allowance and the Family Fund. None of the few families in the sample who were eligible for the invalid care allowance knew about it or had claimed it, but none would have been better off if they had done so. Take-up of the attendance allowance was lower than previous studies have suggested; between a half and two-thirds of those who appeared to be eligible were receiving the attendance allowance. About 80% of those children who were eligible for the mobility allowance were receiving it. About 65% of those families who met the eligibility criteria of the Family Fund had received help.