Your Experience Matters: Help Us Improve Support for Families Applying for SEND Benefits

Overview

We are inviting parents and carers of children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) to share their experiences of finding support to access benefits. This includes Disability Living Allowance (DLA) and moving from DLA to Personal Independence Payments (PIP).

We would like to know if you’ve been able to find out which benefits you may be entitled to and if you accessed advice and support to make an application.

Why are we doing this consultation?

We know that applying for benefits can be a complex and emotional process. Families often rely on advice and support from professionals, services, or community organisations - but the quality and accessibility of that support can vary.

This consultation is your opportunity to tell us what worked well, what didn’t, and what could be improved. Your views are important to us, and your feedback will help shape better support for families by informing the design and future development of our local information and advice service (SENDIASS - Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Information, Advice and Support Service).

What is the goal of this consultation?

We want to:

• Understand the experiences of parents and carers when applying for benefits.
• Identify what advice and support is currently available - and how helpful it is.
• Identify what services are needed to help families access benefits that they are entitled to.

How will your feedback be used?

Your responses will help:

• Inform improvements to local advice and support services.
• Shape training and guidance for professionals who support families.
• Contribute to future planning and service development across Achieving for Children (AfC).

While AfC cannot influence the outcome of any application made to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), your feedback will help us better support families throughout the application process.

Have your say

Your views matter. By sharing your experiences, you’ll help us build a clearer picture of the support landscape and how it can be improved for families like yours.

Please give us your feedback using the Online Survey link below. 

If you need to request a paper questionnaire or any other format, please email fahima.motin@achievingforchildren.org.uk or call 07714 169855 quoting "SEND Benefits Consultation".

What happens next

Once the consultation closes:

• All responses will be reviewed and analysed anonymously.
• Key findings will be used to inform improvements to advice and support services.
• A summary of the results may be shared with stakeholders and, where appropriate, made available to participants.

Thank you for taking the time to share your experiences - your voice can help make a real difference.