Another classic from the Dept. of Education. No matter how early in the summer a parent may ring in for application forms for a Home Tuition Grant they are never sent out until mid-August...leaving just two weeks to get them completed, signed off by a SENO, sent back and approved before term begins.

Last year saw the introduction of new requirements for diagnostic criteria which caused specific difficulties for parents such as myself with older autistic children who had to get them rediagnosed at a moment's notice. The delay this caused was then deducted from the Grant entitlement. In my own case this was refunded only after I raised a riot regarding the underhandedness of the practice. I was told at the time that staff had been instructed to pay 'from time of processing in the office'.

In practice, even when no other obstacle is placed in the way, SENOs can be notoriously difficult to get hold of or are absent entirely so that all-important signature is very hard to obtain in a short time frame. This year there is a specific caveat included with the forms stating that the grant 'will not be backdated under any circumstances'. So any delays inherent in this rotten system may well end up being paid for from the child's educational entitlement.

Imagine them trying to get away with this by lopping arbitrary amounts off the beginning of the school year for 'normal' children and mainstream teachers !!!!!!!!