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Useful Contacts: Benefits
Hello, my name is Lesley Walker, I am a mother of 17 year old twins.
Claire my daughter is very bright, Andrew my son has severe learning
disabilities caused
by Fragile X Syndrome. Andrew's enthusiasm for life is far from
fragile, his faith
is far from fragile and his gift for reaching out and touching others
is far from fragile.
Needless to say, having Andrew changed my direction in life, gave
me different challenges and new mountains to climb. In 1987 I started
a Fragile X support group which grew into a national charity in
1990. Since then I have answered 21,000 enquiries regarding this
condition. I am the founder of The Fragile X Society, and work on
a daily basis helping families come to terms with the diagnosis,
support them with information and to help them get the correct benefits.
Families often feel guilty or embarrassed about claiming benefits
for their special needs children. I can tell you that it has been
researched and it costs a third more to bring up a special needs
child, which is why the government has given provision for our children.
There is a wide range of services and help that you may entitled
to if you are caring for a child with special needs. Some of these
benefits are specifically designed to help with extra costs of your
child's disability; some can be paid because of your family's financial
circumstances, and others are available to all families.
Therefore, please read the following carefully to make sure you
are getting what you are entitled to. If you want to find out more,
or apply for any of these benefits, then contact: The Benefit Enquiry
Line on 0800 882200.
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