After I'm Gone What Will Happen to My Handicapped Child

For most parents of handicapped children, the prospect of the future becomes an increasing source of anxiety as they themselves grow older and realise that their child will probably outlive them. About 80 per cent of all handicapped people today live in the family home and among the older ones there are many who have had no experience of managing for themselves. Parents may wish to leave their house or a sum of money for their child's benefit; those with no property may need advice on the best Local Authority provisions; all parents are anxious to save their children from commitment to a long stay hospital.
This important and very helpful book is intended to answer all the questions parents may have about providing for their child, and to ensure that they go about it in the right way. The author, as Legal Adviser for Mencap, is well aware of the maze of Government regulations that can all too easily frustrate parents who want to make wills in favour of their handicapped children.
From the start he makes it clear that, in the children's interests, parents should train them to do things for themselves, to go out alone and prepare for employment, since this will greatly improve their chances of a happy life once they are on their own. He describes the rights of the handicapped person in law, the State benefits that are available and should be claimed, and the services provided by the local Health and Social Service departments. He explains where and how to seek advice, how to make a will or establish a trust, the law regarding ownership of property and the procedure for securing a place in good Local Authority accommodation.