Short break services for disabled children

A Short Break Grant is a one-off payment, up to a maximum of £400 per family, which can be used to arrange activities for your child's short break. If your child is disabled you may be able to apply for this grant.

Who can apply

You can apply if you are the parent or carer of a child with a diagnosed disability and:

• they are under 18 years old
• you are on means-tested benefits or your Household income is less than £21,000 per year
• your child or young person receives High Rate Disability Living Allowance in either care or mobility components (0 to 16 years)
• your child or young person receives Enhanced Rate Personal Independence Payment for either daily living or mobility components (16 to 18 years)
• you do not already receive another short break or respite service or a Direct Payment for that individual child (or you can agree to stop using the other service if you want to use this one)

Or you can apply if a relevant professional who knows your child and your family completes and signs an ‘Impact Information Form’ which explains your child’s disability and how this impacts on your whole family.

If you receive other short break services

You are not eligible to apply for this grant if you already receive:

• SNIPS activity
• direct payment
• befriending through SNIPS
• overnight respite

You can choose to change to a Short Break Grant from your current service (if you are eligible). Discuss it with your social worker or a member of the SNIPS team. Remember that the Short Break Grant is a single payment per year. Most other short break services provide for your family all year round.

How to apply

There are 5 steps in our application process:

1. Complete the Household Income Assessment 

To do this, call 0114 273 4567 and press option 4, then option 6. You must send a copy of the letter or email containing your unique reference number with your application form. You cannot continue with your application until you have a letter or email confirming you have completed the income assessment.

2. Gather information to support your application

You will need one of these:

• evidence of High-Rate Disability Living Allowance (DLA) in either care or mobility components (0 to 16 years) for your child
• evidence of Enhanced Rate Personal Independence Payment (PIP) for either the daily living or mobility components (16 to 18 years) for your child
• or arrange for the ‘Impact Information Form’ to be completed by a relevant professional who knows your child and your family. This should be completed and explains your child’s disability and how this impacts on your whole family

3. Provide evidence of your child’s disability

This must be a medical professional document (such as Ryegate or Sheffield Children’s Hospital).

4. Complete the new 2025 to 2026 application form

5. Submit your application form and all the required information on the checklist

You must be aware that you can only make one application every 12 months. For example, if you received the grant payment 30 June 2023, you cannot re-apply until 30 June 2024.

Sheffield City Council
Short Break Grant Scheme
People’s Service
Floor 3 North Wing, Moorfoot
Sheffield
S1 4PL

Incomplete applications cannot be processed.

Ensure you send your completed form to CYPF_ShortBreakGrants@sheffield.gov.uk.

Short Break Services

Full details of all our Short Break Services for disabled children are available on the Sheffield Directory.

If you do not meet the financial eligibility for a Short Breaks Grant, you may be able to apply for other short break services.