If you need help with day-to-day living because of an illness or disability, you may be able to get support from Social Care.

Social Care Services can support you with:

learning disabilities
physical disabilities or illness
mental illness

This support can cover:

practical activities
personal care
social work

This service is to help you live safely and comfortably.

Social Care can include a lot of services including:

advocacy - someone to help you say what support you need
community activities
day centres or drop-in centres
making sure homes are adapted to meet your needs
financial support - help with money
personal care
giving information and advice
residential care
specialist equipment
support for carers - the people who help you
supported living

If you think you might need help from Social Care, you should ask your local authority Social Services Department for a 'needs or eligibility assessment'. This will help them understand what type of services you might need or be entitled to. Entitled means you have a legal right to something.

Social Care services are means-tested. This means how care is funded depends on your financial situation.

Social Care can be:

paid for by the local authority
paid for by you or your family
paid for by both the local authority and you or your family

British pound coins and bank notes on table

Personal Independence Payment (PIP)

A Personal Independence Payment, sometimes called PIP is a benefit from the Department for Work and Pensions.

It helps with some of the extra costs you have to pay when you have long term ill health or a disability.

You must be 16 years old or over to claim PlP.

You can claim other benefits when you get Personal Independence Payment.

You can still claim Personal Independence Payment if:

you are in work or out of work
you have money saved in the bank
you are in training or education (like school or college)

How much money you get depends on how your health condition stops you doing daily activities.

PIP can help you if:

you find it hard to do daily activities
you find it hard to get out and about on your own
you have had these difficulties for at least 3 months
these difficulties could last for 9 months or more

Your health condition or disability could mean:

you need support with daily activities
you may not be able to do some activities at all

You may need support from someone:

to help you do a task
to be with you and remind you to do a task
making a meal or eating food
reading something like a newspaper or a book
talking to people
meeting people and spending time with them
getting washed, having a bath or shower
getting out and about

For more information on PlP you can speak to us or go to the Government website.