Get help paying for extra things due to a disability

You may not have to pay as much for your care charges if you pay for extra things because of your disability.  

This is called Disability Related Expenditure (DRE) and includes paying for things like:  

  • wheelchair insurance 
  • Telecare 
  • gas, electricity and bills 

Download our easy read guide to Disability Related Expenditure

Easy read: Disability Related Expenditure
PDF ‐ 1.8 MB

Who can get Disability Related Expenditure

To get DRE you must: 

  • use and pay for social care services likes support or home help yourself 
  • get disability benefits like Attendance Allowance, Disability Living Allowance (care component) or Personal Independence Payment (daily living component) 

You will need to show that those extra things are:   

  • needed due to your disability 
  • a fair and good value cost and quality  
  • not paid for from somewhere else like mobility payments, Direct Payments or grants 

Things you can pay for with Disability Related Expenditure 

You can claim for specialist items like:  

  • electric wheelchairs 
  • stairlifts 
  • specialist clothes or shoes 

You can also claim for:  

  • adapting your home or buying your own equipment 
  • getting your equipment checked, fixed or insured 

You can claim for some services you pay for yourself like:  

  • carers  
  • continence items  
  • Telecare alarms 
  • taxis when the cost is more than your mobility benefit 
  • food shopping deliveries 
  • extra prescription charges 

You may also be able to claim for gas, electric and bills that cost more than the average such as:  

  • heating if you need to keep your home very warm as you cannot move about 
  • phone or broadband bill if this is your main way to keep in touch with people 

Ask for Disability Related Expenditure 

You do not need to apply for DRE.  

We will check if you get disability benefits during your financial assessment.  

If you do, we will ask you to pay less towards your care.  

You will pay:  

  • £10 less a week if you get lower, middle or standard rate disability benefits 
  • £15.30 less a week if you are on higher rate disability benefit 

If you need to buy things that cost more than this amount, you can ask for more money off your care.  

To do this you need to complete our disability related expenditure form:

Disability Related Expenditure form
PDF ‐ 224.58 KB

You will also need to provide proof you pay more within 3 months of completing the application.

We accept the following proof:  

  • receipts  
  • invoices 
  • contracts 
  • bank statements

Send your completed form to us by emailing financial-assessments@royalgreenwich.gov.uk 

Or return the form and proof to:  

The Financial Assessment Team 
Health & Adults Services 
2nd Floor, The Woolwich Centre 
35 Wellington Street 
Woolwich 
SE18 6HQ 

If you need help claiming DRE, you can: